Is Pasta Gluten-Free?

Pasta is a Common Food Served in a Variety of Ways. But is Pasta Gluten Free? Does Living Without Gluten Mean Cutting Out All Pasta?

The Short Answer:

Traditional Pasta contains gluten, but there are gluten-free alternatives.

The Long Answer:

Pasta is traditionally made from durum semolina wheat or whole wheat. As such, all traditional forms of pasta contain gluten and are not permitted on a gluten-free diet. However, there are gluten-free forms of pasta. These are primarily composed of brown or white rice, though some are made from corn, potato, quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat.

What is Gluten?

Gluten is a name for proteins found in rye, wheat, barley, and triticale. Gluten functions as an edible adhesive, holding foods together and maintaining their shape.

Gluten can be dangerous for those with an autoimmune reaction known as celiac disease. Affected individuals could see heightened weight loss, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, persistent diarrhea or constipation, brain fog and a skin disease called dermatitis.

Gluten is also known to cause gut inflammation, which can lead to digested food making its way into the bloodstream through the intestines. As such, harmful viruses and bacteria that would have normally been eliminated by the digestive system could be let loose into the bloodstream.

Eliminating gluten from your diet can lead to easy weight loss and increased energy in individuals, which is why it has become such a popular diet trend.