At a local pub, one of my friends was asking for a gluten free beer. There are a few available locally, and I think they are a great alternative to beer for those who are allergic or intolerant to gluten. And let’s not forget those who suffer from coeliac disease.
My pub friend told me later that he is actually not intolerant nor allergic to gluten and that he’s only trying to cut down on gluten in his diet.
But how much gluten is in beer, and does it really make a difference to avoid drinking beer to cut down on gluten?
In this blog post, I look at this new trend, describing how gluten-free beers are made and the preferences of drinkers who choose gluten-free beers over traditional beers.
Gluten is a protein normally present in some cereals. It holds food together acting as a binder and adds a “stretchy” texture, that is highly required e.g. in baked food such as bread and pizza. We all love a crunchy pizza, and that’s down to the gluten in the dough which allows it to form the appropriate structure.
While the media has been focusing on the negative effects of gluten, in moderation, this protein has health benefits, such as acting as a prebiotic. Those who unnecessarily cut back on bread to avoid gluten are also depriving themselves of essential fibre. However, it is clear that intolerance and allergy to gluten have risen in recent years. There are a few theories about why this has happened.
One thing is clear: we as consumers are more and more exposed to gluten than ever before. Bread and baked food products such as pizzas and cakes produced with modern technologies are “optimised” so that flours with a higher gluten level (the so-called flour with high strength) are required.
For those who are more sensitive to gluten, it is simply not good to be exposed to large amounts of it. Gluten will undoubtedly provoke allergy and intolerance. The side effects can range from mild (fatigue, bloating, alternating constipation and diarrhoea) to the severe effects of celiac disease (weight loss, malnutrition, intestinal damage). In these cases, it is essential to strictly control gluten intake.
How is a gluten free beer produced?
I think it’s great that brewers making gluten-free beers clearly state it on the label. I have an intolerance for lactose, so I’d love to see the same happen with brewers who brew their stouts adding lactose into it. However, thankfully not all stouts are brewed using lactose.
Gluten free beer is produced in various ways. Some brewers use gluten free ingredients like rice, maize, sorghum and exclude wheat and barley. Others have even brewed beers partly using beans like “Vicia faba“ or Lentils. Some brewers choose to break down the gluten using either a natural enzyme from a fungus called “Aspergillus niger“ and by boiling the malt wort vigorously.
Gluten is contained in wheat and barley and therefore it ends up in beers, with levels ranging from 73 ppm (milligrams per litre) in lager to 1,145 ppm in wheat beer. A beer can be called gluten free when its gluten content is below 20 ppm.
I find that gluten-free beers often have a moderate taste, which I find a bit too mild, particularly those brewed with rice, which is a rather neutral-tasting cereal.
Does it make sense to avoid traditional beers to cut on gluten?
If you’re allergic, intolerant to gluten or affected by coeliac disease, then the answer is YES. In such cases, you should look for a gluten free beer.
If you don’t have any allergies, intolerances or coeliac disease and you don’t have any reason to avoid gluten, then there’s no point in worrying about gluten-free beers or trends. Enjoy tradtional beers!
A standard glass (33cc) of traditional lager (not gluten free) contains the same amount of gluten as a crumble of white bread (ca. 0.3 g). Anamber ale would be equivalent toa bite (2,5 g) of bread and a wheat beer would contain as much gluten as a good bite (ca. 5 g) Weizen beer (Gluten, not calories). Wheat beer is brewed using at least 50% wheat as a cereal, therefore containing more gluten than other beers.
Traditional or gluten-free beer, enjoy it!
Despite the big trend and the many articles, the topic of gluten free is still misunderstood. The media has contributed to the public perception that gluten is the new enemy. This blog post provides a new perspective on the way you see it, not only in your beer but also in your food.
The next time you’re with a friend who is ordering a gluten free beer to cut out gluten, tell him that the glass might contain as much gluten as in a bite or two of bread.
Gluten free or traditional beer, toast to health and enjoy. Cheers!