Why glue in your bread might hurt people with celiac disease
Processed Food Additive Microbial Transglutaminase and Its Cross-Linked Gliadin Complexes Are Potential Public Health Concerns in Celiac Disease
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
A glue-like enzyme called mTG is added to bread and processed foods to make them stick together better. In people with celiac disease, this glue can bind to wheat proteins and trick the immune system into attacking the gut.
Surprising Findings
mTG may actually help gut bacteria grow by altering intracellular pH and redirecting energy toward microbial proliferation.
Most people assume food additives harm the host — but this enzyme might be feeding the bad bacteria in your gut, making inflammation worse from the inside out.
Practical Takeaways
Avoid processed foods with 'microbial transglutaminase,' 'enzyme,' or 'texturizer' in ingredients — especially gluten-free products, meat analogs, and dairy alternatives.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
A glue-like enzyme called mTG is added to bread and processed foods to make them stick together better. In people with celiac disease, this glue can bind to wheat proteins and trick the immune system into attacking the gut.
Surprising Findings
mTG may actually help gut bacteria grow by altering intracellular pH and redirecting energy toward microbial proliferation.
Most people assume food additives harm the host — but this enzyme might be feeding the bad bacteria in your gut, making inflammation worse from the inside out.
Practical Takeaways
Avoid processed foods with 'microbial transglutaminase,' 'enzyme,' or 'texturizer' in ingredients — especially gluten-free products, meat analogs, and dairy alternatives.
Publication
Journal
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Year
2020
Authors
A. Lerner, T. Matthias
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Claims (10)
A bacterial enzyme called microbial transglutaminase might help gut bacteria grow faster by making their inside less acidic and using their energy to multiply instead of doing other jobs.
A bacterial enzyme used in food processing can stick pieces of wheat protein together in a way that tricks the immune system of people with celiac disease into attacking their own intestines—and the more damage they have, the more of these weird antibodies their body makes.
Even if you don’t add more gluten to wheat bread, using a special enzyme called microbial transglutaminase can still make people with celiac disease have an immune reaction—like their body thinks it’s under attack.
When a bacteria-made enzyme called mTG mixes with gluten in food, it can glue gluten pieces together in a way that tricks the immune system of people with celiac disease into attacking their own intestines—and the more damage they have, the more of these weird antibodies their body makes.
A bacterial enzyme used in food processing might glue together the cells lining your gut, making it leakier — and for people with celiac disease, this could make their symptoms worse.