Gluten is one of the proteins found in wheat, rye, and barley. In some cuisines (especially Asian, macrobiotic or vegetarian) it is processed and used as a protein source. It is also used in bread baking, to improve the texture, elasticity and rise of the bread.
There are several brands of vital wheat gluten on the market, and I've been asked whether gluten is an allowed ingredient on the FODMAPS elimination diet. Great question! I had a look at the Nutrition Facts for three major brands of vital wheat gluten on Zeer, one of my favorite web sites.
I see that two of the brands, Bob's Red Mill and Arrowhead Mills, have zero grams of fiber per serving, and zero grams of sugar per serving. Therefore, they don't contain any FODMAPS, and are likely to be well tolerated on the FODMAPS elimination diet. Obviously, these products would never be appropriate for anyone with celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or a wheat allergy.
Starting with a gluten-free (non-wheat flour) recipe and adding some vital wheat gluten to help improve the texture and rise of the products could be really interesting! Please comment here if you would like to share the results of your experiments with other readers.