Gluten Free Diet for Asian: Is it Necessary?

Is gluten free diet for Asians a necessary trend to be followed? Gluten free diet is among the top trending diets today. 

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A healthy diet is on trend right now. A diet free from a protein called gluten is among the most popular ones. However, if you are Korean, Japanese, or Filipino, you might be wondering whether a gluten-free diet for Asians is redundant or not.

Gluten, found in grains, is known for causing a variety of health problems, ranging from bloating to long-term bowel irritation. Wheat, rye, and barley are examples of gluten-containing grains.

Any product that is made using those ingredients is considered a gluten-contained food. If you often find yourself in bad condition after eating them, you might consider following this "white men" diet.

For westerners, this diet has been known for years. Wheat has been a staple in the Western world for centuries. Sure, they know about their food. 

But what about Asians? Should Asians consider this diet while most of us consume rice instead of bread? In short, it should be a "yes." Below are 3 reasons why this diet is still necessary, even for us Easterners.

3 Reasons Why a Gluten-Free Diet for Asians is Necessary

1. Western Foods are Not Alien to Asians Anymore

From colonization to globalization, western foods have been known and consumed by Asians for decades. Sometimes, assimilation happens when European recipes meet indigenous ones.

In Indonesia, the Indo-Dutch community introduced a fusion cake, namely ontbijtkoek. In the Philippines, the Spanish brought their famous empanada. 

Even today, any type of Asian instant noodle uses wheat as the main raw material. The traditional Asian noodles, like mi lethek from Indonesia, which are made from rice, are not as widely produced as the wheat based ones.

Understandably, with the intensive use of wheat, gluten-caused problems are found more and more among Asians. It shouldn’t be surprising after all.

However, because of a general lack of understanding about gluten, those problems are often ignored. Gluten-related diseases are frequently blamed on other factors, such as poor hygiene and bad luck.

2. Traditionally, Some Asians Use Gluten Containing Ingredients

In countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, a gluten-free diet was not necessary before the 14th century. They simply didn't eat bread or any products related to it. 

However, in some Asian countries, gluten was used even before Europeans came. In China, for example, there is an ingredient named "fu." 

Fu is used as a substitute for meat among Buddhist monks. Although we can’t say that a gluten-free diet for Asians is as important as for Europeans (because fu is not as easily found as bread in Europe), it’s still proof that gluten-containing foods have been consumed by Asians for a long time.

For other Asians, like Indians, Persians, and Arabs, breads are included as their traditional delicacy without European intervention. This makes them prone to similar problems as those people in Europe.

3. Intermarriage and Globalization are Getting More Common

Globalization is getting real day by day. People move from one country to another, and intermarriages increase in significant numbers. 

This phenomenon is yet another reason why a gluten-free diet is essential, even if you do not have white skin. Just imagine yourself as an international worker. What if you had to switch your rice for bread for a whole year because you worked in England or other European countries?

You might think that you haven’t had any gluten allergies all this time. But when you have to consume bread as your source of carbon for a long period of time, you might realize that reality is really different from your thoughts.

In conclusion, a gluten-free diet for Asians should indeed be considered for our health. People might think this is a white men's problem, but it's only because they are not familiar with it.