by Vickie Austin
There was the grapefruit diet, then the Atkins diet… then, suddenly, gluten-free eating became a craze. While people have definitely lost weight when they switch to meals that don’t include gluten, that’s usually because they are eating fewer carbohydrates and more fruit and vegetables.
But doctors warn that “going gluten-free” is not to be taken lightly as a fad: it’s a serious treatment for some serious diseases.
Selvi Rajagopal, M.D., MPH, writes: “There’s a lot of buzz around going gluten-free, with everyone from celebrities to pro athletes touting the benefits… but these diets aren’t for everyone.” In the Health column of Johns Hopkins Medicine, Dr. Rajagopal defines a gluten-free diet, explaining why skipping out on gluten may be the wrong choice for you.
Who benefits?
People who have medical conditions like celiac disease and gluten allergies or sensitivities are the obvious beneficiaries of going gluten-free.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune system response causing the body to attack the small intestine. By eliminating gluten in any form, the person allows the intestine to heal. And for those people, it becomes a source of creative meal-planning to make sure they can participate without missing the fun — only the gluten.
Although celiac disease is sometimes hard to diagnose, it’s estimated by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases that two million people in the United States have the disease. Anyone allergic to wheat should avoid certain foods that also contain gluten, but it’s the wheat that triggers a response, not gluten. Barley and rye are still on the table for them.
What are the risks?
For someone who does not have celiac disease, there are risks to going gluten-free.
Whole grains, fiber and micronutrients are important for balanced nutrition, and some foods that contain gluten also are a source of vitamins or minerals such as B vitamins, iron and magnesium. Although carbohydrates have gotten a black eye in the weight loss world, nutritionists recommend 55% to 60% of a healthy diet be made up of carbs. The addition of whole grains and fiber is good for cardiac and digestive health.
The No. 1 reason to go on a gluten-free diet is the proper diagnosis of celiac disease, which should be done by a qualified health team. To someone with the disease, even a very small amount of gluten can trigger an attack on the small intestine. If symptoms like bloating, constipation or diarrhea, gas and stomach pain are ignored too long, the intestine stops absorbing vital nutrients like calcium and iron. Nutritional deficits can result in osteoporosis, anemia, fatigue, infertility and in some extreme cases lymphoma.
So before you hop on the gluten-free bandwagon, make sure you’re making the right decision and your diet includes all the nutrients you need to support a healthy body.