Nowadays, the term “gluten-free” is thrown around all the time. Health gurus swear that a gluten-free diet is the key to a long and healthy life and “foodies” avoid gluten-heavy foods at all costs. Huge corporations have been milking this trend and capitalizing on the opportunity to boost their profits. Since 2008, General Mills has added 600 gluten-free products to its inventory. Clearly, companies like General Mills are catering to a growing market. Over the past four years, sales of gluten-free foods in the United States have increased from $11.5 billion to more than $23 billion.
Although some people avoid gluten because they suffer from celiac disease, many others adhere to a gluten-free diet just because it is “healthier.” While it’s tempting to jump on the gluten-free bandwagon, completely eliminating this mixture of proteins from our diet will have few, if any, benefits for most of us. In fact, taking such a drastic approach could actually be detrimental.
What exactly is gluten? Composed of two storage proteins gliadin and glutenin, gluten is found in many grains, such as wheat and barley, and gives dough its elastic texture. Gluten essentially helps foods retain their shapes.
People who follow a strict gluten-free diet claim to feel healthier and more energetic overall. In addition, many believe that a gluten-free diet promotes weight loss. However, this is largely a misconception. Many junk foods — cookies, cupcakes, candy, cake — contain gluten. Of course, cutting these foods out of our diet will result in weight loss. Contrary to popular thought, gluten isn’t to blame for weight gain. It just so happens that many foods containing gluten are also high in fat and calories. Bottom line — you could just cut junk foods out of your diet, without foregoing gluten altogether.
Gluten-free diets, often more concerningly, contribute to unhealthy eating. Many, illogically, associate “gluten-free” with “healthy.” Indeed, some people feel better eating gluten-free donuts than regular ones. Yet, many gluten-free junk foods are just as unhealthy and fattening as regular junk foods. Overall, most people lack a thorough knowledge of nutrition and the effects of certain foods on our bodies.
Whole grains, that are good sources of minerals, proteins and fiber, also contain gluten. As a result, adherents of a gluten-free diet steer clear of whole grains and miss out on their health benefits. Worse yet, studies have shown gluten-free diets to be lacking in fiber, iron, folate, niacin, thiamine, calcium, vitamin B12, phosphorus and zinc. Many gluten-free pancake mixes and pastas contain significantly less fiber and protein, and more sodium. In this way, following a gluten-free diet could actually do more harm than good.
Recently, a movement has formed to counter the gluten-free fad. “Bread Face Blog” is just one of many examples. The web page features an anonymous woman who smushes her face into loaves of bread, making her love for gluten comically clear. Science has also backed the silly blog postings, as many health experts are now warning people to avoid a gluten-free diet.
While I won’t be smushing my face into bread or starting my own blog anytime soon, I will continue to enjoy my bread and whole grains. I encourage everyone to do the same and think twice before committing to a gluten-free diet.
