And now it's time for Who Smarted.
Hey, smartypants, I'm at Chet's Bagels picking up a dozen bagels for a brunch.
Yes, in case you missed our Bagels episode, Chet Nickerson, reporter, also owns a bagel store.
And I gotta say, for a guy who's always running around covering breaking news, weather, sports, and traffic, he runs a pretty impressive shop.
He's got all kinds of yummy things to choose from croissants, cookies, elephant ears, hot cross buns, muffins, and, of course, bagels.
But I need to stay focused.
I just need a dozen bagels, some cream cheese, some butter, oh, and one gluten -free bagel for my friend, Andy.
Alright, who's next?
Trusty, is that you?
Hey Chet. Hey, how's my favorite customer?
Who could probably come in a little bit more often?
But hey, I get it, you're busy and you're trying to cut back on the carbs.
Right, let me get a dozen assorted bagels.
Oh, and one gluten -free one, if you have it.
If I have it, of course I have it.
Breaking news, I just pulled some gluten -free bagels out of the oven.
They're in the back.
I'll grab you some and be right back in a jiff.
Ah, that Chet, I don't know how he does it.
The store is packed and he's the only one here working.
Also, I don't know how he does it, as in, makes a gluten -free bagel.
After all, don't you need gluten to make bagels?
Or bread? Or muffins?
Or croissants? Or pretty much anything you'd find in Chet's bagels?
How does he do it? Yo, man with the questions.
I got the answers you seek.
Uh, who's talking to me?
Down here in the bagel bin.
I'm pumping a cool pee.
I'm sassy, sour, and in case you couldn't tell, I've got the most soul in the joint.
Really? I did not know that.
I'm also made with lots of gluten.
In fact, my dark color comes from rye flour, which is one of the forbidden flours if you're gluten -free.
I did not know that either.
Sounds like there's a lot you don't know.
I wouldn't say a lot, but enough.
And when I don't know something, I ask lots of questions.
Like, what exactly is gluten?
I know lots of people have gluten -free diets, but why?
And which foods contain gluten?
And if someone can't have gluten, what does it do to their body?
Looks like you came to the rye bagel store, owned by a reporter that happens to have a talking bagel that knows a lot about gluten.
Butter me up and I'll tell you anything you wanna know.
Umm, okay, I really, really like pumpernickel bagels.
What? No, I meant put butter on me.
Oh, sure. As for you, Smartypants, get ready for another big whiff of science and history on… Hello, Smarted!
Who's Smarted? Who's smart?
Is it you? Is it me?
Is it science? Or history?
Listen up! Everyone, we make smarting!
Lots of fun on who's smarted!
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Alright, so you want to know about gluten, huh?
Well, gluten completes me.
It's what helps make breads, buns, biscuits, and bagels so delicious!
Wait, so gluten isn't a bad thing?
Then how come it makes so many people sick?
We'll get to that, but first let's discuss what gluten actually is.
Gluten is nothing more than a protein, a protein that happens to be found in wheat and a few other grains.
Like I said earlier, I'm made from rye flour.
When you're baking, gluten is what makes those sticky and stretchy and it helps bread.
What? What do you think gluten helps bread do, smarty pants?
Is it A, form a crust, B, rise, or C, become soft enough to slice?
The answer is rise.
And it's also what gives bread its delicious chewy texture.
Nom nom nom nom. Smarty pants, true or false?
All bread has the same amount of gluten in it.
If you said false, you're right.
Hey, you do know some things about some things.
Told ya, but I don't know which breads have more or less gluten.
No worries, I got you back.
Different doughs made from different flours have different amounts of gluten in them.
For example, bread flour has more gluten which gives bread its chewy texture.
But pastry flour for things like croissants and danishes and other lighter flakier things have less gluten, making those items less chewy and more crunchy or crumbly.
What about bagels? Would you say bagels have a lot or a little gluten?
Well bagels are pretty dense and chewy so...
More gluten. Sorry, but check this out.
Did you know when you're baking, the more you need your dough, the more gluten gets built up in it?
Seriously? It's true.
When you need dough, the protein strands of gluten get longer and stronger, making the dough softer and chewier.
Wow. Who knew? Me. Right.
Okay, but P, if gluten is so great and, let's be honest, you're definitely biased towards gluten, how is it that so many people can't handle it?
What does gluten actually do to our bodies?
Okay, here's the deal.
Inside of us, well inside of you, cause I'm a bagel, you have digestive enzymes that help break down your food after you've eaten.
For proteins like gluten, the enzyme that does that is called protease.
However, gluten specifically cannot be fully broken down by protease.
Sounds more like a contease than a protease.
Yeah, don't quit your J -job.
As a trusty narrator, never.
But seriously, what happens to us if the gluten isn't fully broken down?
For most people, nothing.
Fortunately, a large percentage of human bodies can handle the gluten and everything is fine.
But for about 1 % of the population, or roughly one in every 100 people, gluten can damage their small intestine.
And that, my friend, is called celiac disease.
Oh wow. So you're saying taking just one bite of a donut or cookie, or well, you, can damage someone's insides?
That's right. You see, inside your small intestine, there's these little thread -like protrusions called villi, and the job of villi is to absorb nutrients.
When people with celiac disease eat gluten, their villi become damaged and nutrients can't be properly absorbed.
Yikes. Hey, smarty pants, how many villi do you think the small intestine contains per square inch?
Is it A, 1000? B, around 5000?
Or C, between 6000 to 25000?
If you said C, 6000 to 25000, you're right.
Wow, that's a lot of villi!
Yep, and more villi can mean more problems.
Tell us, what are the symptoms someone with celiac disease might experience if they eat gluten?
Oh you know all that unpleasant stuff?
The usual symptoms can include diarrhea, bloating, and a domino pain.
Definitely not worth it just for a piece of bread, or a cookie, or a bagel.
I want to be mad, but I agree, and unfortunately I've got even more bad news.
Oh boy, what else? You don't even have to have celiac disease to not be able to handle gluten.
Lots of people have what's called a gluten sensitivity, and even that can be pretty bad.
I see. Smarty pants, what do you think is the difference between having celiac disease and having a sensitivity to gluten?
I heard some good answers.
Pete? The main difference is, if you don't have celiac disease, then your villi are not getting damaged, but the symptoms of having a sensitivity can be pretty bad.
Stuff like headaches, brain fog, and numbness in the hands or legs, or pain in the joints.
Sheesh, all this stuff sounds pretty scary, and unpleasant, pumpernickel, Pete.
Do you have any good news for me and the smarty pants?
I sure do. If you or someone you know has celiac disease or a sensitivity to gluten, the solution is pretty simple.
Just don't eat any gluten.
It requires discipline, but it's literally all you have to do, and that's good news for humans, and good news for me, you know, cause then I'm not getting eaten.
Yeah, I got that, Pete.
But here's what I don't get.
If there's so many gluten free options out there, when it comes to bread, or muffins, or cookies, or bagels, then what are those gluten free breads and pastries actually made of?
I mean, doesn't all flour have gluten in it?
No, it doesn't. Wheat rye and barley flour all contain gluten.
But any gluten free breads, and pizzas, and cookies, and pastries you encounter are made using different flours, which do not contain gluten.
Ah, so what are some of the things these flours are made of?
Oh, all kinds of fun stuff.
There's flour made from coconuts, almonds, oats, and tapioca.
The list goes on and on.
Of course, a gluten free bagel will be a little more crumbly than a regular bagel, and best of all, won't affect someone with celiac or sensitivity.
Cool. Of course, on the other side of things, there's all sorts of stuff out there that contains gluten that might come as a surprise to you and the smarty pants.
Oh boy, we'll find out what those foods are right after this quick break, and a word from our sponsor.
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Now back to who's smarted.
Okay Pumpernickel Pete, what are some other non -Bready foods that contain gluten that people with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease need to be aware of?
Well, have you ever noticed that little refrigerated section in your grocery store that contains vegetarian meat alternatives?
You mean like tofu dogs, soy sausages, and impossible burgers and stuff like that?
That's exactly what I mean.
There's a little something else lurking in there called Satan.
Satan is lurking amongst the tofu hot dogs?
No, not Satan like the devil.
Satan as in S -E -I -T -A -N, the food.
Oh, phew, but also, what is Satan?
Do you know smarty pants?
Satan is a meat substitute used to give some of those meat alternatives their pleasantly firm yet chewy texture, but Satan is pretty much just a big pile of gluten, so it should definitely be avoided by anyone with a gluten sensitivity.
Good to know. Anything else?
Yep, many processed foods contain hidden sources of gluten.
This includes malt based ingredients like malt vinegar, malt extract, or malt syrup, soy or teriyaki sauce, food starch, baking powder, artificial colors or flavors, caramel colors or flavorings, most canned soups, and even some candy is dusted in wheat flour.
Okay, that's a bunch, but not terribly hard to avoid.
But do not forget there's gluten in things that aren't even food.
Really? Like what? Well I could tell you, or you could take a guess.
Ooh, me and the smarty pants love taking guesses, right smarty pants?
Yep, let's go for it.
Okay, which of these two items do you think contains gluten, Play -Doh or makeup?
Hmm, what do you think smarty pants?
If I had to guess, which I guess I do have to guess as part of the guessing game, I'd say Play -Doh because it's stretchy, almost like dough.
Is that what you were thinking too, smarty pants?
That's a great guess and great reasoning, but...
I'm wrong? No, you're just not completely right.
It was actually a trick.
Both Play -Doh and makeup contain gluten.
You don't say. I just did say.
But here's the thing, when gluten is found in non -food items, it's usually there to act as a binding agent, like in Play -Doh where it helps with the elasticity factor.
But it's also a binding agent in makeup like foundation and lipstick and sometimes creams that contain vitamin E, because vitamin E can be extracted from...
Wheat. Smarty pants, true or false?
If you or someone you know has celiac disease or a sensitivity to gluten, they shouldn't play with Play -Doh or wear makeup.
The answer is false.
Nice, trusty. While gluten finds its way into stuff, it's important to remember it's only harmful to people with gluten sensitivities or celiac if it's ingested.
Alright, I'm back! Sorry about that.
I had to run out and do a breaking news report on a dog who just set a skateboarding record.
Six miles! Anyway, here's your gluten -free bagel, trusty.
It's made from amaranth flour mixed with cassava flour.
Oh, and I threw in a loaf of freshly baked gluten -free bread for making you wait so long.
No worries, Chet, I know you're a busy guy.
Besides, I learned all about gluten from Pumpernickel Pete.
For a bagel, he's a pretty smart guy.
Pumpernickel Pete? Yeah, that Pumpernickel bagel right there in the bin.
He taught me about celiac disease and sensitivity to gluten, and now I have a much better understanding of what my friend Andy is dealing with.
Uh -huh. And Bagel told you all this?
Yes, Pumpernickel Pete.
Gotcha! Be right back!
This is Chet Nickerson reporting live from Chet's Bagels, where the host of a popular kids' educational podcast claims to have had an in -depth and informative conversation about gluten with a Pumpernickel bagel.
Tell me, trusty, have you always been able to talk to bagels?
Oh boy, I'm late to brunch.
Thanks, Chet! Bye! Thanks for smarting with us!
A tremendous triple shout out to Noah, Seth, and Aiden in Trenton, South Carolina.
We hear you just love putting on Who's Smarted anytime you get in the car, and that we not only help you pass the time having fun, but we also encourage your thinking skills!
Thanks guys! I'm giving you five stars for that comment.
This episode gluten was written by Phil Jeremy and voiced by Chris Okawa, Adam No Desert Davis, and Jerry Culber.
Technical direction and sound design by Josh Han.
Our associate producer is Max Kamaski.
The theme song is by Brian Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis, who This has been an Atomic Entertainment Production.
