Just as trends come and go, gluten is the latest dietary demon held responsible for many food-related concerns. You may have noticed that in this age obsessed with healthy living, the supermarket shelves have becomed stacked to the ceiling with gluten-free alternatives, as the enthusiasm for a gluten-free diet continues to increase. According to The Gluten Lie: And Other Myths About What You Eat the popularity around going gluten-free is set to rise from 'around $4 billion, and is projected to reach nearly $7 billion by 2019’.
The term ‘gluten’ is vague and is dubiously thrown around without scientific understanding. So, we have refuted the prevalent myths surrounding it and answer the cricial question - is gluten bad for you?.
Firstly, What Is Gluten?
Gluten is a mixture of proteins found in wheat, rye and barley, which acts as the glue to hold food together so that it maintains its shape. Gluten is most commonly found in bread, pasta, breakfast cereal, pizza bases, cakes and biscuits, but can also be found in processed foods, bulgar, cous cous and spelt. Even oats carry the risk of containing gluten through contamination.
Myth: Going Gluten-Free Will Help You Lose Weight
People are misplacing their faith in that the removal of gluten from their diets is the sure-fire way to being healthy. It may be easier to have a dietary quick fix when embarking on the journey to achieve personal fitness goals, but cutting out gluten should not be done lightly and not without knowing the facts.
It must be noted that 'gluten-free' doesn't necessarily mean 'low-calorie' or 'healthy'. In fact, gluten-free foods are often more unhealthy than foods that contain gluten, due to them being packed with sugar, fat and salt to compensate for flavour and texture. So, contrary to common belief, eating gluten-free bread will not trim your waistline.
Gluten-free alternatives are also much more expensive - one Canadian study compared 56 grocery items and found that gluten-free products were 242 per cent pricier. Your purse will thank you for thinking twice about this lifestyle shift if it's not absolutely necessary.
It is commonly believed that leading a gluten-free diet will make the pounds drop off. Actually, as one study highlights, undertaking any dietary change is catalyst to altering how we approach food and healthy living in a broader sense; if weight loss is the goal, actively cutting out gluten will most likely go hand in hand with eating less fatty foods, yet gluten is often the scapegoat term held accountable for success (or failure).
Cutting out all gluten is not the fast-track to a slimmer waist, and if you're not intolerant to it you may be missing out on key vitamins and minerals, including fiber, calcium, iron and vitamin B. The prevailing and age-old rule for losing weight still stands: eat more nutricious, organic foods and exercise more.
Myth: Gluten Is Bad For Everyone
It is true that gluten is highly dangerous for people who suffer with celiac disease - when the body cannot digest gluten which in turn causes the small intestine to become damaged, and can lead to an increased risk of bowel cancer, infertility, acute gastrointestinal pain and osteoporosis. Yet, only 1 per cent of people actually suffer with this autoimmune disease.
Aside from celiac disease, it is believed that many people are sensitive to gluten to varying degrees, experiencing pain and discomfort when digesting it. This is referred to as non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), and although this condition is not yet widely researched, sufferers are said to experience intestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea and abdominal pain, or extra-intestinal symptoms such as headaches, fogginess and lethargy. NCGS is considered to be similar to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS); a sort of sub-category of the condition. Unlike those who are celiac, individuals who are sensitive to gluten can tolerate it in small quantities and not feel ill.
It should be noted that everyone else who does not react badly when eating gluten will not gain any health benefits by going gluten-free, but will instead lose out on nutrients. Cutting out whole food groups in general will most likely cause deficiencies, and you may experience fatigue, becoming irritable or even feeling depressed from the lack of vitamin B you are consuming. Also, the lack of fiber in your diet can play havoc with your bowels, making your visits to the toilet unpredictable.
So is gluten bad for you? The general consensus is that if you absolutely cannot consume gluten because you are either (a) celiac, or (b) highly sensitive to it, it's more of a health risk to cut it out of your diet completely, than it is a health benefit.
READ MORE: This Is Why Turmeric Should Be In Your Kitchen Cupboard