Going gluten free has been a pretty popular trend for a while now but should you do it? While everyone is certainly allowed to follow whatever diet they choose, there are only a few solid medical reasons to go gluten free. Let’s talk about those and then bust a few myths about this diet trend that won’t seem to go away.
Celiac disease -- People with this condition cannot eat gluten because it triggers an immune response that damages the lining of their gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This causes inflammation in the small intestine and makes it hard for the body to absorb nutrients from food. Symptoms can include bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. Some people develop dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) , an itchy inflammation of the skin. If undiagnosed and untreated, it can cause osteoporosis, anemia, weight loss, malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies. Only about 1% of people in the world have celiac disease.
Gluten sensitivity -- People with gluten sensitivity do not have celiac disease but eating gluten can cause many of the same symptoms as in celiac disease, without the intestinal damage.
Gluten intolerance -- This describes people who have symptoms and may or may not have celiac disease. Symptoms include cramping, bloating, nausea, and diarrhea.
Your health care provider can help you figure out what’s going on if you have any of these chronic symptoms.
Gluten/carb confusion
Most foods that contain gluten also contain carbs and some people choose to avoid gluten kind of mash it up with avoiding carbs in order to lose weight. But whole grain foods are healthy, and carbs are not the enemy. In fact, your diet should be made up of about 50% carbs. People who go gluten/carb free without the help of a health care practitioner can develop other health issues due to deficiencies in things like calcium, fiber, folate, iron, niacin, and riboflavin. So don’t ditch the carbs entirely, just know which to choose and which to avoid if you’re going gluten free or looking to lose weight.
Gluten-free whole grains
· Quinoa
· Brown rice
· Wild rice
· Buckwheat
· Sorghum
· Tapioca
· Millet
· Amaranth
· Teff
· Arrowroot
· Gluten-free oats
Grains to avoid if going gluten free
· Rye
· Barley
· Triticale
Common foods to avoid if going gluten free
· Bread and other baked goods
· Pastas
· Cereals
· Crackers
· Beer
· Soy sauce
· Seitan
· Breading
· Battered or deep-fried foods
· Oats (unless the packaging indicates they are gluten free)
· Packaged frozen foods, soups, and rice mixes
· Salad dressings, sauces, marinades, and gravies
· Some candies, licorice
· Some medicines and vitamins (gluten is sometimes used to bind ingredients together)
Basically, any highly processed canned, boxed, or otherwise packaged foods tend to contain gluten.
Fresh fruits and veggies are naturally gluten free, as are unadulterated dairy products, meats and cheeses, beans, nuts, and seeds.
While going gluten free may actually be a great choice for some people, don’t necessarily give up gluten because you think it will control health problems such as headaches, depression, chronic fatigue, and weight gain. These claims, while popular, have yet to be proven to be related to a gluten-free diet.
If you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance or a gluten sensitivity, a gluten-free diet will help control your symptoms. It also helps prevent further health problems, like DH, in people with celiac disease. As always, talk to your doctor or trusted health care practitioner if you’re thinking of making any major changes to your diet.
Revan Health provides welcoming, respectful family medicine for all from infants to geriatrics. We understand the pain and frustration that comes with not feeling heard by your family care provider. We believe access to respectful care is key to improving medicine adherence and overall life satisfaction for our patients. Like us on Facebook or visit us at revanhealth.com.