Is it Wheat or Gluten or Fructan? There’s a difference!
Gluten Intolerance vs Fructan intolerance
In today’s world of social media, we’re bombarded with a constant flow of information, making it easy to get confused with all the information out there.
Many people with IBS complain about having a gluten intolerance but is it actually the gluten or is it something different? Such as the Wheat Fructan?
It is crucial for people with food intolerances who think they have an issue with gluten to understand the different component’s of wheat that can cause different symptoms.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a specific protein found in wheat, barley and rye. It’s not a whole ingredient that you would buy on its own but rather a component within wheat that helps it rise when baked. Gluten is responsible for getting that fluffy doughy texture of your bread products that you can’t quite replicate in gluten free products.
People with Coeliac disease have an autoimmune and inflammatory response to the ingestion of this gluten protein which is quite harmful for their health if they continue to consume it.
There are a handful of people that have a non coeliac gluten intolerance which can cause nasty gut symptoms but isn’t harmful to their health.
What is Fructan?
Fructan is the FERMENTABLE CARBOHYDRATE found in wheat and rye. It is a completely different component of foods made from wheat and rye. Fructans are a groups of FODMAPS (see previous post on FODMAPS) that are not well digested by our gut enzymes and travel to the large bowel where they are broken down and fermented by our gut bacteria. When the bacteria break it down they produce a lot of gas.
For people with IBS this activity in the bowel and gas production can cause nasty symptoms such as gut pain, bloating, flatulence and constipation.
The majority of people who have IBS and think they have a problem with wheat may actually have a Fructan intolerance, not a problem with the gluten protein.
I’m someone who has IBS and avoid gluten, what does this mean for me?
The good news is that people with a Fructan intolerance can usually tolerate wheat products in small amounts such as 1 slice of bread or 1/2 cup pasta and these portions vary from person to person. So this means you can actually eat a few biscuits, crackers, a bit of bread and not have to worry about the gut wrenching pain that follows.
There’s also certain products like sour dough bread that can usually be tolerated in larger portions due to the fermentation process already occuring in making the bread!
Trying to make sense of the difference between wheat, fructan and gluten, and what it means for your diet, can feel like your brain has done a bit of a workout.
This is where a dietitian can help make sense of everything. Claudia can guide you through the nuances of managing these intolerances, ensuring you find a balanced and enjoyable diet.
