Gluten-free…it’s one of the primary catch-words tossed around in health circles these days.

But what is gluten-free and why are so many people suddenly using these products?

In order to understand what gluten-free is and why it had become so popular we need to begin with understanding what gluten is.

Gluten is a major protein found in all forms of wheat (bulgur, duram, semolina, spelt, farro, etc.), barley rye and triticale which is a wheat-rye cross).

Unlike proteins from other grains and sources such as rice and meat, gluten is relatively hard for humans to digest completely and has made many people very sick. In fact, for 1% of the population gluten can actually be a matter of life and death (a condition known as celiac disease) and must be avoided.   [Read more…]