What is gluten?

Gluten forms when two proteins, glutenin and gliadin, mix with water and link into an elastic network. That network traps gas from yeast, which is why wheat bread rises and has a chewy texture. For people with coeliac disease, an autoimmune condition affecting about 1 percent of the population, gluten triggers damage to the lining of the small intestine. Many people with coeliac disease are undiagnosed, and the only treatment is a strict gluten-free diet. Others avoid gluten because of wheat allergy or non-coeliac gluten sensitivity, while for most people gluten is perfectly safe to eat.