What is Gluten? What is Casein?

Here's a more detailed description of the diet.

It has two parts. Gluten-free, means you don't eat anything with a protein called gluten in it.

What is gluten?
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Put simply, gluten is a form of protein found in wheat (including spelt, semolina and durum), rye, barley and triticale (a hybrid).To get a little scientific, these grains each have slightly different proteins (gliadin in wheat, secalin in rye and hordein in barley) collectively known as prolamins. These promalins are what cause problems for people who can't tolerate gluten in their diet.

If you mix wheat flour with a little water the result is a sort of stretchy paste. The gluten in the flour is what makes the paste "elastic" and binds it together. In fact "strong" flour, sold for making bread, has extra gluten added. Wheat gluten itself, is a cheap source of protein.

In China and Japan pure gluten is traditionally used as a protein substitute in vegetarian food such as burgers, giving them a "meat like texture." The Japanese call it Fu but it is more commonly known as seitan -- or wheat meat in America -- where it is also sometimes added to breads to increase density or improve the texture. You may even find it in shampoo!
--Source: The Gluten Free Chef dot com

The second part is you don't eat anything with Casein in it.

What is Casein?
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Casein is a protein that is found in milk and used independently in many foods as a binding agent. Technically, it is part of a group called phosphoproteins, collections of proteins bound to something containing phosphoric acid. Casein may also be called caseinogen, particularly in European foods.

Casein is a salt, meaning it has no net ionic charge, of the element calcium. It has a number of interesting properties that make it useful in foods and cooking.

Many people believe proteins are healthier if consumed when not denatured – one of the major lines of reasoning used in supporting a raw food diet. Denaturing occurs when a protein loses its inherent structure, due to high heat or acid for example, at which point it no longer acts in the ordinary manner. Casein, because of its structure, is not susceptible to denaturing.

Casein can be found in two main types: edible and technical. Edible casein is widely used in both medicine and food, both for nutritional value and as a binder.

Technical casein is used in an enormous range of products, including paints, cosmetics, and many types of adhesives. A not-insubstantial number of people have a casein allergy and may find themselves experiencing negative reactions both to casein-containing food products and to products such as nail polish that contain casein.

Many people who are either allergic to casein and have linked it to milk, or who are vegan and therefore avoid animal products altogether, are not aware of the prevalence of casein in foods. For these people, it is important to note that, although a product may be labeled Lactose Free, it may easily still contain casein for other reasons. Soy cheeses, for example, often contain casein derived from milk, which may stimulate allergic reactions in people who assume that they are dairy free.

Casein has also been linked to negative effects in people with autism. While in most people, casein is easily broken down by the digestive system into peptides known as casomorphins, and then further processed into basic amino acids, some evidence suggests that in autistics, this process does not occur fully. The resulting casomorphins, which fail to break down completely, may have an effect on the body similar to that of morphine or other opiates. For this reason, some experts on autism recommend that people suffering from autism avoid casein in their diets.
--Source, wisegeek dot com

Opioid
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Casein has been documented to break down to produce the peptide casomorphin, an opioid that appears to act primarily as a histamine releaser. Casomorphine is suspected by some sources to aggravate the symptoms of autism.Casein has a molecular structure that is quite similar to that of gluten. Thus, most gluten-free diets are combined with casein-free diets and referred to as a gluten-free, casein-free diet.

Casein may also be a trigger of migraines and other types of headaches. Casein may also be linked to the promotion of cancer and other diseases which was discovered in the 1980s by nutrition and health researcher, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study.

Casein is often listed as sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate or milk protein. These are often found in energy bars, drinks as well as packaged goods.

--Source, Wikipedia