Gluten Free, A Diet Fad?

As I'm sure you know, if you know me at all, I try to eat healthy 95% percent of the time. So, naturally, I'm always reading articles with titles like 10 Diet Splurges and 7 Supplements That Melt Fat. Recently I've been coming across blogs that feature gluten-free recipes, this intrigued me. I like the recipes because, for most of them, aside from being gluten free they're recipes using non-processed, healthy ingredients. What got me wondering was the emphasis the bloggers placed on the recipe being gluten-free. What is so special about gluten?

What is gluten?

Gluten, a combination of gliadin and glutenin, is a protein found in wheat and is what gives elasticity to dough. Gluten can be found in flour, bran, bread crumbs, couscous, wheat bran, wheat germ, wheat flour and more.

Why would you avoid gluten in the first place?

The biggest reason people avoid consuming gluten is that they suffer from Celiac Disease. When people with CD consume gluten their immune system damages their small intestine. More specifically, the villi(tiny finger-like protrusions lining the intestine, picture a sea anemone) which normally allow nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Without healthy villi an person will become malnourished no matter what or how much they eat.

Others may suffer from gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity. Gluten intolerance is not an immune mediated response. Sufferers may experience cramping, bloating, diarrhea and flatulence. Gluten sensitivity is a less severe form of intolerance and does not cause damage to the intestinal villi. 

But won't I lose weight if I cut out gluten products?

Sure, at first. However this is not solely because you are riding your diet of gluten. Think about some major products that contain gluten, like pasta or bread. These products usually have a high calorie count for a small portion size. So cutting them completely from your diet is going to reduce the number of calories you consume daily. Combine that with general healthy eating and exercise and it's easy to see how one could lose weight. Like I said though, the weight loss will not be because of excluding gluten but rather from trimming out calories. 

It's also important to note that quitting products like bread and pasta cold turkey often results in intense cravings and ultimately when the cravings are too intense, binge eating. My suggestion? Switch to whole wheat products and if you consume breads and pastas daily or even every other day, try to replace a few of those meals with a healthier option. This way you still get the smaller calorie intake and you're not depriving your body of the things it likes. 

All in all, I firmly believe that gluten free diets should be left to those who truly suffer from eating gluten-containing products. As for the rest of us? We should count ourselves lucky and enjoy what we can. 

That being said, I still can't wait to tear into these bad boys ASAP.  

I hope you found this both educational and as interesting as I did! I love reading about all the latest health trends. If you want to read more, I based most of my blog on these articles: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/18/should-go-gluten-free/ and http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Allergies/gluten-free/story?id=17832435

Thanks for reading!

Lauren