Celiac disease is the most common pathology associated with gluten intolerance. Those who suffer from it have no choice but to eliminate from their diet the foods that contain the protein gliadin, present mainly in cereals such as wheat, barley and rye, since at the moment there is no definitive treatment. To the consolation of this seven percent of the population, more and more shops offer transgenic products that have an identical texture and taste, and even exceed the nutritional properties of the prohibited food. Now celiacs can also enjoy all kinds of behaviors, since the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) has developed a transgenic wheat bread potentially suitable for those suffering from gluten intolerance .
The collaboration between the CSIC and the University of Seville has given birth to a great advance in dietetics for food allergies: a piece of genetically modified wheat bread with a low content of gliadin, the glycoprotein that causes celiac disease . The researchers compensated for this deficit with an increase in the amount of other proteins present in the grain and rich in lysine. The resulting bread was compared with normal wheat flour bread and with rice flour bread (a common ingredient in the gluten-free diet), concluding that the flour-bread quality characteristics of the transgenic food showed a greater similarity to those of the usual food. Tasters were also inclined towards the new bread for reasons of taste, aroma and appearance.
Celiac disease is an intolerance characterized by an immune-based inflammatory reaction in the mucosa of the small intestine that hinders the absorption of nutrients and triggers abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation and weight loss, among other ailments. The transgenic bread is suitable for all those intolerant to gluten, except for those with refractory celiac disease and those who do not respond to any type of treatment.
This product, which has yet to be subjected to clinical studies with celiacs, represents a significant improvement in the quality of life of patients , who will be able to continue with a strict diet without giving up the benefits of bread.
