Recently, I was talking to two friends at a party, and both said they had lost weight and were feeling better. When I asked how, they said they were on a gluten-free diet.
If you’ve been to the grocery store lately, I’m sure you’ve noticed all the products on the shelves now labeled “gluten-free” (G-free). Have you wondered if you should buy them or not? I have. So I did some investigating, especially after having heard my friends bragging about their results.
The first thing that stood out – in all of the articles I read – was that it’s important before going on a G-free diet that a physician evaluate you. You shouldn’t just go G-free. I know that will fluff some feathers, but if you’re trying to eat healthier, shouldn’t you have a professional opinion before deciding you should leave these important nutrients, vitamins, and fiber out of your diet? Besides the hassle, you can end up with some serious nutritional deficiencies. Research suggests that those who abstain from gluten might also be missing important nutrients such as iron, B vitamins, and fiber.
Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye, and triticale (a cross between wheat and rye). A G-free diet excludes the protein gluten found in those particular grains. A gluten-free diet is used to treat people with Celiac disease or who have been tested for gluten sensitivity.
Gluten itself doesn’t offer special nutritional benefits, but the many whole grains that contain gluten do. They’re rich in an array of vitamins and minerals, such as B vitamins and iron, as well as fiber. Studies show that whole grain foods, as part of a healthy diet, might help lower risk of heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer. A report from the American Diabetes Association warned that G-free products are low in important nutrients.
Because wheat is everywhere in our diets, completely eliminating gluten requires a whole new diet. Most of us unknowingly love it because it gives our favorite foods that special touch: It makes pizza dough stretchy, gives bread its spongy texture, and is used to thicken sauces and soups. When going G-free, you have to give up most breads, crackers, breakfast cereals, conventional pastas, pastry goods, and a wide array of foods made with gluten.
Unfortunately, not all the foods marketed as being gluten-free are healthy. Some are high in saturated fat or cholesterol; others may be high in calories but contain very little in the way of nutrition. In addition, the overwhelming numbers of herbal remedies that have hit the market to ease gluten sensitivity have proven to be of little help.
There’s also the idea that a gluten-free diet is the ticket to speedy weight loss. But, says Mark DeMeo, M.D., director of gastroenterology and nutrition at the Adult Celiac Disease Program at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, “there’s nothing magical about a gluten-free diet that’s going to help you lose weight.” What’s really happening: “Gluten-free dining can seriously limit the number of foods you can eat. With fewer choices, you’re a lot less likely to overeat,” says Shelley Case, R.D., author of “Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide” and a medical advisory board member for the Celiac Disease Foundation.
Some people try G-free diets in response to feeling tired, bloated, or depressed, and find reducing gluten correlates with feeling better. However, that outcome is more likely because they’ve eliminated the extra calories in many flour-based snack foods, and they mistakenly credit feeling better to gluten-free.
With this popularity push, people have latched on to avoiding gluten as a cure-all for many conditions including migraines, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome. While some have found relief, that doesn’t mean a gluten-free diet will work for everyone.
Consult with appropriate specialists, such as an allergist and a gastroenterologist. If you have a wheat allergy, you must avoid wheat, but you do not have to avoid gluten. If you have celiac disease, you must avoid gluten — even the tiniest amounts.
So why were my friends feeling better and losing weight, despite the fact that neither had been evaluated for Celiac disease or a wheat allergy? I’m not sure, but my opinion would be that it was not so much the elimination of gluten causing them to feel better as much as it was that they were eating healthier, and virtually eliminating starches, processed foods, and soft drinks. That’s a healthier diet for anyone, and most everyone could lose a bit of weight.
The bottom line: If you think you might have a problem with gluten, do some research and then get tested.
Research for this article from: www.WebMD; www.mayoclinic.com; www.Wikipedia.com; www.glutenfreeliving.com; www.women’shealth.com; Celiac Disease Foundation, American Journal of Gastroenterology.