The food industry uses the enzyme microbial transglutaminase to extend the shelf life of foods. However, a recent study suggests that microbial transglutaminase may be responsible for the uptick in conditions involving gluten intolerance and gluten sensitivity, including celiac disease.
The term ‘gluten’ is used to describe a family of proteins that occur naturally in certain cereal grains: wheat, barley, rye, and triticale. Gluten is the glue that holds baked goods together, making dough elastic and giving it the ability to rise when baked. It also imparts a chewy texture to baked goods. The consumption of gluten is hazardous for certain people, particularly individuals with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder. But scientists have not been able to pinpoint the cause of celiac disease, pondering whether celiac disease causes gluten intolerance or gluten intolerance leads to celiac disease. A study by researchers at the Rappaport School of Medicine at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology sheds light on the issue.
It has long been accepted that in people with celiac disease, the presence of gluten in the digestive tract causes the immune system to attack the intestines. However, this study suggests that microbial transglutaminase, which is used in baked goods and other food products, may trigger the immune system to attack the intestines. Gluten is difficult to break down in all humans, but microbial transglutaminase makes gluten even more resistant to breakdown. Leftover gluten fragments are susceptible to transglutaminase, an enzyme produced by the human body that leads to the creation of peptides that the body perceives as foreign. The immune system thus attacks the peptides, damaging the intestines in the process. Microbial transglutaminase may be mimicking the human-produced transglutaminase, which plays a key role in the autoimmune attacks of celiac disease.
The study’s authors point out that microbial transglutaminase may also be increasing the permeability of the intestines, thereby causing the autoimmune response to be more active. In addition, the authors note that there is a positive correlation between the increased use of microbial transglutaminase in food products and the rising incidence of celiac disease. The researchers thus suggest that all food products containing microbial transglutaminase should be labeled.
Source: IFT
