Are you following a gluten-free diet by choice?

You've probably seen it posted all over social media: ?GLUTEN-FREE,? ?DON?T EAT GLUTEN.?

Unfortunately, publicising inaccurate information or dodgy statistics is way too common in our society. The false notion that gluten is 'unhealthy', is being pushed out by many companies, essentially allowing them to increase demand and charge more for their ?gluten-free? products. More and more companies are jumping on the trend and slapping a gluten-free label on the front of their products; including on the front of foods which have the potential to mislead unsuspecting consumers into thinking that these kinds of foods are healthier for themselves and their families. Many of these companies are taking advantage of the public's lack of understanding in order to increase profits.

What's worse, is that in the US, the 'gluten-free' label doesn't even necessarily truly mean that the food is free of gluten; it just means that it has less than a certain level of gluten (less than 20 part per million). So there are many companies out there that are claiming to be 'gluten-free,' despite only narrowly meeting the minimum legal requirements to do so (i.e. their products still contain small levels of gluten). This idea is further backed by a study published in the scientific journal: 'Food Chemistry', which inspected 186 foods with no apparent gluten ingredients (albeit, without the 'gluten-free' label), and found that nearly 20% of them had gluten levels above the legal US level, with 10% having gluten levels above 100 parts per million (over 5 times the legal level for gluten-free foods).

How Big Of A Problem Is This?

So how big of a problem is this really? Are there actually many people out there that choose to go gluten free out of choice, rather than out of necessity?

Well consider the following: Dr. Peter Green, director of Columbia University's Celiac Disease Center in New York, estimates that close to 90 percent of dieters remove gluten from their diet "as a food fad, or as a weight reduction thing." Furthermore, in a survey undertaken by the NDP Group, it was found that 30 percent of American adults said they wanted to "cut down or be entirely free of gluten."

These statistics are especially worrying, when you consider that only an estimated 1 percent of the population has celiac disease. This number does not nearly account for the 30 percent of Americans who are now purchasing gluten-free products, 65 percent of whom are doing so because they believe these products are healthier. A further 2014 survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center found that 63 percent of Americans believe that a gluten-free diet could improve their mental or physical health. This just serves to further highlight the huge issue of misinformation and false advertising in an attempt for food manufacturers to turn celiac disease and gluten sensitivity into a population wide profit opportunity, rather than a legitimate medical condition.

To put the size of this market into perspective, between 2013 and 2015, the gluten-free food industry grew by 136%, with almost US$12 billion in sales in 2015, before reaching $15.5 billion in sales in 2016. This growth has been fuelled by various factors, including, but not limited to, social media and traditional media coverage, aggressive marketing tactics adopted by manufacturers, and reports in the medical literature and mainstream press of the benefits of gluten avoidance.

So yes, I would personally consider this to be quite a sizeable problem that needs rectifying. And if you haven't already guessed, as a clinical nutritionist, my professional opinion is that a vast majority of people should not be cutting gluten out of their diets.

What If I Have Celiac Disease Or Am Hypersensitive To Gluten?

I want to make it crystal clear that those who suffer from celiac disease or who are hypersensitive to gluten, should not being consuming gluten at all.

Celiac disease is an auto-immune disease, which severely impairs one's ability to digest gluten. If someone with celiac disease consumes gluten, they may be destroying the lining of their small intestine, which can lead to malnutrition and nutrient deficiencies (due to weakened absorption). If you think you do have celiac disease, please go get yourself tested, and do not self-diagnose!

This post is, instead, targeted towards those who have decided to cut gluten out of their diet as a 'health kick' or to try and lose weight.

What Actually Is Gluten?

Most people associate gluten with foods such as bread or pasta; but I'd be willing to be that few people actually know what it is.

In summary, gluten is a protein that is found in grains such as spelt, wheat, barley and rye. It can also be found in other foods (such as soy sauce and processed foods). Gluten acts as a binding agent and is important when it comes to holding foods together (such as pizza bases); whilst also giving some foods (again, think pizza bases) their 'stretchy' quality that stops them from tearing so easily.

If you do not have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, then there is no reason to be avoiding gluten. In fact, it should be a part of your healthy, balanced diet.

The Importance Of Gluten In Our Diets

Let?s look at the science behind gluten for a minute, and the importance it holds in our diets.

First of all, it's important to understand that gluten doesn?t necessarily have its own role in the body; however, it can assist probiotics in helping build up the healthy bacteria in your gut. When gluten is taken out of a food, other binding ingredients need to be added. Some of these other ingredients are not beneficial to our health, and others even have adverse side effects. Unfortunately, many gluten-free foods are also highly processed, meaning that they're high in calories, saturated fat, sodium, sugar and low in nutrients. This doesn't mean that all gluten-free foods are like this; however, many gluten-free baked good like cookies and brownies are higher in calories and sugar than their regular gluten-filled alternatives. Once again, this problem stems from the erroneous 'health properties' that gluten-free foods supposedly have.

Those who unnecessarily cut gluten out of their diets may do so at the expense of their health, since whole grains (which typically contain gluten) are a great source of minerals, vitamins and fibre. Often, you'll find that gluten-free products are made without refined grains and are low in nutrients. Thus, it's no surprise that various studies have shown that those who follow gluten-free diets are more likely to be deficient in fibre, iron, folate, niacin, thiamine, vitamin B12, phosphorus, riboflavin, zinc and calcium.

It's certainly possible to eat a healthy-balanced diet without gluten; but it requires a certain level of knowledge that most people simply don't have.

Are There Any Benefits To Cutting Gluten Out Of Your Diet?

For those who do not suffer from celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, there is currently no data that demonstrates any specific benefits in adopting a gluten-free diet, especially if refined gluten-free products become the centre of one's diet. In fact, studies of celiac disease patients who turn to a gluten-free diet indicate an increased risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Whilst there is not yet a widely agreed upon answer as to why this is, it is speculated that it's because of the low nutritional quality of processed gluten-free foods that often contain refined sugars, saturated fats and have a high glycemic index.

Furthermore, it is often stated that a gluten-free diet decreases your risk of heart disease. However, in a 2017 study of over 100,000 participants without celiac disease, researchers discovered no correlation between long-term gluten consumption and one's risk of heart disease. In fact, the results actually indicated quite that opposite; that is, non-celiac individuals who avoid gluten could increase their risk of heart disease, owing to the potential for reduced whole grain consumption.

Gluten-Free Diet For Weight Loss

You've probably heard multiple claims that going gluten-free can actually help you lose weight. However, this is by no means true. There's absolutely no evidence that removing gluten from your diet will help you lose weight.

Those who lose weight on a gluten-free diet often mistakenly attribute their weight loss to going gluten-free; but more often than not, there are other factors at play. Nutrition consultant and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Heather Mangieri, confirmed this, and stated that "there's nothing magical about eliminating gluten that results in weight loss. Instead, those that lose weight on a gluten-free diet are typically able to do so because they eat more whole, unprocessed foods (such as vegetables, legumes, fruits and lean meats). These foods are often healthier and lower in calories, which, of course, helps you naturally lose weight over time.

However, this gluten-free weight loss phenomenon doesn't happen for everyone. In fact, as I've already touched upon, quite the opposite is true. That is, quite a few studies have actually found a trend toward weight gain and obesity amongst those who follow a gluten-free diet (including those who follow a gluten-free diet by necessity i.e. those who suffer from celiac disease).

If you're someone who's looking to shed some kilograms, then there are much better, more sustainable methods to weight loss than cutting out gluten (or just dieting in general). If you're interested in finding out more about my nutrition and weight loss services, then feel free to check them out here.

Do You Experience Bloating After Eating Gluten?

At this point, you may be thinking something along the lines of: "okay, what you've said makes sense.... but I still often experience bloating after eating foods that contain gluten." This phenomenon is completely normal and more common than you may realise. In fact, did you know that 10 to 25 percent of healthy people regularly experience bloating?

So let's break it all down and work out how to reduce or even eliminate bloating after eating foods that contain gluten.

When it comes to bread and pasta, I constantly hear people saying that it makes them bloated. Straight away, they link it to gluten and cut gluten out of their diets completely. And whilst this may or may not be the case, it's important not to jump to conclusions, and instead, consider all possibilities. For example, in today's world, it is becoming more and more common for our wheat to be genetically modified. Our bodies haven't fully adapted to deal with genetically modified foods as of yet, so some people may be a little sensitive to it, which therefore, causes the bloating effect.

If you think that you may be experiencing something like this, then I'd suggest having bread/pasta every other day, instead of every day. A common western diet usually includes some kind of bread or pasta every day e.g. toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch or pasta for dinner. So if you're experiencing some bloating, I'd recommend reducing your intake of these kinds of foods by simply eating them one day, and then not eating them the next. I've personally found that it's important to strive for this balance if possible; and rather than cutting gluten out of your diet completely, mix things up and keep your diet varied.

Nutritionist's Final Thoughts About Going Gluten-Free

So to recap, if you do not have to follow a gluten-free diet out of necessity, you could be doing more harm than good to your health by avoiding gluten. Not to mention that you're severely limiting your food choices for little to no reason; and since gluten-free foods tend to be significantly more expensive than conventional foods, you're also throwing away your hard earned cash.

If you think you may be gluten-intolerant or have celiac disease, please get tested before you cut it out completely. And if bread or pasta is giving you grief, try to only consume it every other day, and see how you feel. Just remember, gluten should be an important and healthy part of our diets.

If you loved this post, be sure to check out my post where I delve deep into the science and give my informed opinion on the keto diet (and other high carb, low fat diets) by clicking here.