What is gluten? Where is it found?

Gluten is a composite of proteins, joined with starch, that is found in wheat, spelt, kamut, barley, and rye. Gluten is what gives the chewy structure to bread and holds noodles together during cooking instead of them turning to mush. Many people, however, have a negative response to eating gluten. And because gluten is found everywhere in our food supply—from the obvious examples such as pasta, bread, and baked goods to not-so-obvious sources such as some baking powders, cottage cheese, soy sauce, beer, and marshmallows—it's important to be aware of all the sources of gluten in your life. If you have been reacting to gluten and you find all the hidden sources, your body can get out of its fight-or-flight mode and heal.