Gluten-free foods have become prominently featured in many restaurants and grocery stores. Celebrities endorse gluten-free diets and websites with gluten-free recipes abound. All of this hype leaves many consumers confused and concerned, is this a new fad or should gluten be eliminated from the diet altogether?
What is Gluten?
Gluten, derived from the Latin word for glue, is a protein which gives bread dough elasticity and helps it to rise. In itself, it has no nutritional value. However, it is found in many foods that are nutritious.
Who Should Eliminate Gluten from Their Diet?
Doctors recommend a gluten-free diet for patients suffering from Celiac disease. This disease causes damage to the small intestine when a product containing gluten is eaten. Since gluten is in a broad range of foods, this can limit the diet significantly. Gluten is also found in some cosmetics, medications and vitamins.
Celiac disease can be difficult to diagnose because of the broad range of symptoms. These include abdominal pain, bloating, chronic diarrhea, constipation, irritability, canker sores, depression, anxiety, skin rash, vomiting and un-intentional weight loss. A person who suffers from Celiac disease may have only one of these symptoms or a combination of several of them. The digestive symptoms are often mistaken for irritable bowel disease, causing Celiac disease to be misdiagnosed and untreated.
The best method for accurate diagnosis is a blood test, which will identify the antibodies associated with Celiac disease. If the patient tests positive, a biopsy of the small intestine will be performed for confirmation of the diagnosis. Until the diagnosis is confirmed, the patient should continue to eat a diet containing gluten or the tests may show a “false negative.”
Should Everyone Eliminate Gluten?
Currently, Celiac disease affects only one percent of the population. However, it remains one of the most under and misdiagnosed diseases in the United States. While the cause is unknown, it does appear to have a genetic connection and can be common among individuals who have type I diabetes.
Although many celebrities are touting a gluten-free diet for weight loss, there is little scientific evidence to support this. Most are losing weight simply because they have eliminated heavily processed, convenience foods from their diet. Gluten-free foods can contain a lot of sugar and other calorie dense ingredients which can actually cause weight gain. Fortified cereals and enriched breads, forbidden on a gluten-free diet have important vitamins and minerals. If eliminated unnecessarily, this can cause a deficiency which will cause more problems than consuming gluten.
Those who are symptom free,have no family history of type I diabetes or Celiac disease do not need to worry about gluten. For those who have been diagnosed with Celiac disease or have symptoms of gluten intolerance, they have more options than ever before.
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License: Creative Commons image source
License: Creative Commons image source
Ever since Janet Punzalain was diagnosed with MS, she has been living a gluten free lifestyle. After reading and learning from a multiple sclerosis book, she has truly been living a symptom-free life.
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