Why Shouldn’t You go Gluten-Free? Part 2
If the gluten free diet is so popular, why shouldn’t you go gluten free, too?
Last week I wrote about gluten free dieting and how popularity has attracted a lot of people to this diet. People have adopted the GFD thinking they are attaining a healthier eating lifestyle.
Only less than 1% of the population is actually allergic to gluten, which brings up the question . . .
Why do so many people go gluten-free? The simple truth? It’s popular.
So let’s take a look at what gluten-free means before we go too much further.
The gluten-free diet (GFD) is a diet that strictly excludes gluten, which is a mixture of proteins found in wheat, spelt, gamut, and triticale, as well as barley, rye and oats.
I actually just learned about the oat thing myself. Apparently, there’s a lot of controversy pertaining to oats being, or not being, gluten-free because of cross contamination in agriculture. (insert the I don’t know emoji here haha)
So basically that is the WHAT in a nutshell. (Above)
Celiac disease is one disease that true gluten-intolerant people have. Going on a GFD is absolutely necessary in this case.
But. . . celiac disease has not risen in numbers, although the number of people that have gone gluten-free has tripled, though the disease itself has not increased at all.
On foodnavigator-usa.com an article written by Elaine Watson said:
“According to a June 2013 survey of 2,000 adults commissioned by Mintel, 247 people said they ate gluten-free foods for reasons other than celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
Of these, 65% said they do so because they thought gluten-free foods were healthier, while 27% did so because they felt gluten-free foods assisted in weight loss.” (To read the whole article, click here)
Remember part 1 of this blog post last Wednesday, we talked about gluten being a protein, not a fat? Going gluten-free isn’t healthier and doesn’t encourage weight loss.
“Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Coeliac UK, which represents people with a coeliac, an autoimmune disease, admits that the industry has a problem with higher fat in gluten-free bread and bakery products.” ~ the dailymail.co.uk
A 2013 study found that 65% of American adults think gluten-free foods are healthier. 27% choose gluten-free products to aid in weight loss.
Although the gluten-free diet has been claimed to aid in weight loss for those with celiac disease, it may actually cause weight gain.
Weight gain has also been found in children on a gluten-free diet. A study of children on the gluten-free diet for at least 1 year found that the proportion of overweight children rose from 11 to 21%.
People think gluten-free eating is healthier. It’s difficult when everything we see on social media and TV promote health and gluten-free dieting all in the same place.
Manufacturers are appealing to consumers who identify the GFD (gluten-free diet) as natural and healthier.
With the market capitalizing on these false assumptions, there’s a huge market in providing gluten-free foods. These foods are typically found in health food stores and on the health food isle. Unfortunately, this leads to the common beliefs that these foods are healthier.
The fact is, there is zero research that affirms the beliefs that gluten-free foods are healthier.
75% of consumers who do not have celiac disease or sensitivity to gluten simply eat these foods because they think it’s healthier, despite the lack of scientific research to confirm the validity of this theory. (Also bits and pieces quoted from above article by Elaine Watson.)
It makes sense that women like the GFD idea if they believe it promotes weight loss. Most people that are gluten free are women ranging between 20-39 years of age, but interestingly enough, the average age of gluten allergy diagnosis ranges between 40-60. (Yeah, I just found this out today. Kinda interesting!)
As far as overall health goes, aside from the fact that it’s not a weight loss thing, gluten-free dieting isn’t that healthy!
As a result of so many people going gluten free, there has been a rise in vitamin and mineral deficiencies and a rise in other diseases now because of the imbalanced diet.
Gluten-free processed grain products (e.g., breads, cereals, and crackers) are often lower in fiber, iron, zinc, and potassium. The gluten-free diet also may increase the risks for nutritional deficiencies, especially in B vitamins, iron, and trace minerals.
A 2005 survey by Thompson and colleagues did studies that showed that many gluten-free foods are not enriched and may be deficient in several nutrients, including dietary fiber, folate, iron, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamine. Other studies evaluating the nutritional composition of processed gluten-free products have demonstrated higher levels of lipids, trans fat, protein, and salt compared to their gluten-containing counterparts. (Ref. here)
In fact, gluten avoidance may be associated with adverse effects in people without proven gluten-related diseases, including the possibility of coronary artery disease. (But I will add that this is still being studied and is non-conclusive from what I have found).
It was also stated that there has been an increases in total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, fasting glycemia, and body mass index in a gluten-free diet.
The authors also found a greater-than-2-fold decrease in protein content of gluten-free products across more than 50% of all food categories.
In 2016 an article published by the US National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health, said that there was a group of 82 people that were self-proclaimed celiac intolerant and had been “gluten free” for 6 years. They were asked to take a questionnaire to identify 17 common foods that should be avoided. Most of them (55%) reported strict adherence. No participant correctly identified the gluten content of all 17 foods.
I just want to remind you that I am not talking directly to those of you who are gluten intolerant or allergic. This is primarily written to point out that the gluten-free diet is not for the general population trying to find a healthier better lifestyle, or to lose weight.
. . . There are better, safer, healthier ways to feel better and lose weight. Gluten-free dieting isn’t the answer.
For those of you who are on a GFD and are allergic and now aware of the imbalance of nutrients in these foods, I want you to know that there are ways to still be healthy. If you are allergic and have to be on a gluten-free diet, carefully choose foods that can go along with your GFD that make up for the lack in the GFD.
A good sources of fiber in the gluten-free diet include fruits, vegetables, beans, and gluten-free grains, in particular buckwheat, quinoa, millet, sorghum, and teff.
Also, as a side note, people with diabetes who inquire about adopting a GFD should be informed about the potential nutritional risks of the diet for those who do not absolutely require it for the treatment of celiac disease or NCGS.
At the end of the day, if you are really wanting to go gluten-free, you should not experiment with the GFD without proper testing to rule out celiac disease. Talk to your doctor and educate yourself on how to have a balanced diet within your restrictions.
A GFD alone is not balanced.
balance in all things is key to success.
If you are gluten-intolerant, and have to be on a GFD, be sure you’re eating a balanced diet that includes what I mentioned above. (Fruits, vegetables, beans, and gluten-free grains).
If you are not allergic, I strongly suggest looking into what a balanced lifestyle really is. Read my articles; I will be giving some pretty good balanced diet suggestions for a healthy lifestyle and weight control, as well as mental and spiritual health. (We haven’t covered everything yet, but stick around, it’s coming!)
If you have comments or questions on this topic, or anything else, reach out! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life, so wherever you like to hang, you can reach me!