Get to know Gluten, its Benefits, and Gluten-Free Substitute Food Ingredients
Some autistic children are unable to digest protein from wheat flour and milk. Or products made from milk. Therefore, autistic children are usually introduced to a GFCF (Gluten Free Casein Free) free diet method.
Based on the MPATI Family Story session with local nutritionists and food activists, it was explained that wheat or flour is not native Indonesian food. Since Indonesia opened trade with explorers then, we recognized wheat and flour as one of the food ingredients choice.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is so named because it sticks like glue. Gluten is Named gluten because it sticks like glue. Gluten is a protein in grains such as wheat and barley.
Gluten can also be found in several processed foods, such as pasta, bread, noodles, and cereals. Or all foods that contain wheat flour and are made from wheat.
Gluten Free Benefits
Gluten-free, or gluten-free, is a diet intended for people with health problems when consuming gluten, such as celiac disease, autoimmune, or gluten intolerance, as is the case in children with Autism.
The benefits of a gluten-free diet include: increasing energy, maintaining weight, eliminating bloating, reducing arthritis, headaches, depression, and lactose intolerance, and improving bone health.
In the opinion of several parents or MPATI families who have implemented this diet, the intervention process (therapy) provided is more beneficial because the absorption of nutrients in the intestine improves in children with Autism so that the body feels healthier and better at the activity.
Gluten Free Substitutes
Indonesia is known for its wealth of local food. There are many carbohydrates, proteins, and other menus to replace gluten around us, such as cassava, sweet potatoes, taro, sticky rice, brown rice, sorghum, soybeans, peanuts, etc.
The substitutes for wheat flour include cassava flour, tapioca flour, rice flour, almond flour, sorghum flour, corn flour, etc.
This proves that Indonesia's food heritage is so diverse. And this food source is so close and easy to grow in Indonesian soil. If you are not familiar with the names of the foodstuffs in question, parents or companions for autistic children can buy them online at the marketplace. (DYK)
Source:
Gooddoctor.id / Apa itu gluten / 3 Juli 2020
Halodoc.com / Diet Gluten Free & Manfaatnya bagi kesehatan / 17 November 2020
Kompas.com / 8 Alternatif Tepung Tanpa Gluten / 6 September 2020
