The gluten-free diet is no cake walk, especially in the United States where wheat is the predominant grain. To stay gluten-free, you have to constantly read food labels and know which ingredients are safe, and which are not. Soybean extract is an ingredient you may find in some food items and not know whether it is gluten-free or not. As long as the soybean extract is processed in a gluten-free facility, it is a gluten-free ingredient.
Gluten Intolerance
Gluten intolerance, also known as celiac disease, celiac sprue, nontropical sprue, and gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is a condition that affects your digestive system. When people with gluten intolerance consume foods that contain gluten -- a protein found in wheat, barley and rye -- their body's immune system reacts by attacking the small villi that line the intestinal tract. This causes inflammation, damaging the villi and decreasing their ability to absorb nutrients, which can ultimately lead to malnutrition. Symptoms of gluten intolerance include abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, constipation and foul-smelling stool. You cannot cure gluten intolerance, but you can manage symptoms by avoiding foods that contain the protein.
Gluten-Free Diet
Following a gluten-free diet can help protect your digestive system and prevent symptoms related to gluten intolerance. To avoid gluten, you need to eliminate all foods that contain wheat, barley and rye. This means you need to avoid most bread products, cereals, crackers and snack foods. Instead, you should include other grains and gluten-free products such as soy, rice, potatoes, quinoa, fresh meats and fish, milk and fresh fruits and vegetables. Some processed foods can also be a source of gluten in your diet, making it important that you carefully read the labels of all foods to make sure they are gluten-free. Some processed foods that contain gluten include potato chips, soups, sausage and vegetables with sauces.
Soybean Extract
Soybean extract is a flavorless food additive used as a milk substitute to make dairy-free desserts. It is also used as a lactose-free alternative to milk in baked goods such as biscuits and bread products. The soybean extract is made by immersing hulled soybeans in water and heating it. The mix then is concentrated and dried into a powder. As a derivative of just soybeans and water, soybean extract is naturally gluten-free, making it a safe ingredient on your gluten-free diet.
Considerations
While you can safely use soybean extract alone in various gluten-free recipes, if it is an ingredient in a food item, you need to take all the other ingredients into consideration before you can deem it a safe food. In addition, it is also important that your soybean extract be made in a gluten-free facility to prevent cross-contamination. To make it easier for you to find gluten-free foods, the Food and Drug Administration in 2011 was in the process of finalizing a food labeling law that clearly defines "gluten-free" labeling on food items.
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