With the proliferation of gluten-free foods appearing in stores and restaurants, you may have found yourself wondering what exactly gluten is. Similarly, labels often advertise foods made with whole-wheat, wheat or wheat germ and you may be wondering what the exact difference is between these different types of food. With a little explanation, these differences will soon become clear.
Wheat Germ
The part of wheat that bread is made from is called the kernel, or sometimes the wheat berry. The kernels are the seeds of wheat plants; they grow into new wheat plants. Kernels have three distinct parts: the bran, endosperm and germ. The germ makes up a small fraction of the wheat kernel, about 2.5 percent, but the germ contains of protein, fat and nutrients needed to grow a new plant, explains the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee.
Gluten
Gluten is one of the proteins found in kernels of wheat. Although some gluten is found in the germ of the kernel, most of the gluten is found in another part of the kernel, the endosperm. Comprising more than 80 percent of the kernel, the endosperm is full of energy and protein for the growing wheat plant. Gluten is what gives bread its elastic texture, and also traps the carbon dioxide produced by yeast, causing bread to rise.
Different Types of Bread
White bread is made from only the endosperm of wheat kernel, the bran and germ are removed during the refining process. Because the germ contains most of the vitamins and minerals of wheat, white breads are often fortified to replace these lost minerals. Whole-wheat bread is made from the entire kernel wheat, including the bran, endosperm and germ. Wheat bread, in contrast to whole-wheat bread, is often a mixture of white flour and whole-wheat flour.
Gluten Intolerance
Gluten-free foods are produced for people who have a condition known as celiac disease or who have a gluten intolerance who need to avoid ingesting gluten. In Celiac disease, the immune system thinks gluten is an invading microbe and attacks the gluten in the digestive system, explains the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. In the process, the immune system also damages the lining of the digestive tract, causing potentially permanent complications. In gluten intolerance, symptoms like bloating and gassiness occur after eating gluten-rich foods but the symptoms are fleeting and do not cause long-term damage to the intestines.
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