“Grains That Have No Gluten” was written by our very own Mary Ann Petersen, Eugene native and Licensed Acupuncturist at Absolute Wellness Center. It was originally published in Alternative Medicine magazine’s Q&A section.
Going without gluten seems to be the answer to all that ails us. But what is it? And why does it disrupt healthy function for a certain percentage of the population?
Gluten is a protein that is found in grains, but not all grains. It is found in wheat, rye, and barley. It has a glue-like binding ability, which makes it a useful tool for the food industry. It is used to bind, shape, fill, bulk, texturize, and stabilize.
While this is helpful to mass-produce food, it is not helpful to some people’s digestive systems. For example, if you are diagnosed with celiac’s, an autoimmune disease, you would do best avoiding gluten.
Gluten has also been linked with arthritis; depression; fatigue; hair loss; migraines; thyroid disorders, type 1 diabetes, and even cancer.
If you want to avoid gluten, but eat grains, refer to the list below; they are all free of gluten. With this list, you can enjoy eating well!
- Amaranth
- Buckwheat
- Corn (corn flour, cornmeal, cornstarch, grits, hominy, masa harina)
- Legume (bean) flours- chickpea, fava bean, navy bean.
- Millet
- Nut flours- almond, pecan, hazelnut.
- Oats (certified gluten-free)
- Potato- flour, starch
- Quinoa
- Rice- brown, white, sweet.
- Sorghum
- Tapioca starch
- Teff (Ethiopian annual cereal grass)
Mary Ann Petersen, LAc practices at Absolute Wellness Center in Eugene, OR as part of a multi-disciplinary practice offering sports medicine, chiropractic medicine, naturopathic medicine, physical rehabilitation, acupuncture, and massage. To learn more, give us a call at 541-484-5777.