The Harmful Gluten-Free Diet Myth
Why you should not buy into the harmful gluten-free diet myth. As each one of us is different, the “ideal diet” may not be the same for each person. The interest and enthusiasm surrounding the gluten-free food movement is remarkable. Not long ago relatively few people had ever heard of gluten. Few even knew what it was.
Even now, in spite of all the buzz this humble protein is getting, although many have heard the term, few people really understand what gluten is. Be all that as it may, what matters is: will restricting gluten in your diet improve your health? Will it improve how you feel?
Let’s Define Some Terms: Gluten
Gluten is a protein found in many grains, including wheat, barley and rye. It is common in foods such as bread, pasta, pizza and cereal. It has no flavor and provides no essential nutrients, where it comes into play is in the chemistry of baking. When making dough that has as a base a grain flour, said dough is re-hydrated with the addition of some form of moisture, oil or fat, yeast (a living bacteria that feeds off the sugars and releases gas which causes the dough to “rise”), and is subsequently “kneaded”.
This kneading is a physical working of the dough once all the ingredients have been incorporated into the grain flour. The more kneading the dough experiences, the more the gluten in the dough gets a “workout”. Gluten in dough is the single ingredient responsible for the dough’s elasticity and the finished baked product’s tenderness and mouth feel. What baker’s call the “chew”. It is what will make or break a good pizza dough.
People with Celiac disease have an immune reaction that is triggered by eating gluten. They develop inflammation and damage in their intestinal tracts and other parts of their body when they eat foods containing gluten. Current estimates are that up to 1% of the population has this condition. A gluten-free diet is necessary to eliminate the inflammation, as well as the symptoms.
Learn more details about Celiac disease by downloading this Celiac Fact Sheet from Calgary Celiac, a Canadian non-profit organization.
But far more that 1% of Americans have adopted the gluten-free diet. According to a survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center published in 2014 a full 63% of Americans believe that a gluten-free diet could improve their mental or physical health. And up to a third of Americans are cutting back on their gluten intake in the hope that it will improve their health or prevent disease.
Locking it Down: Fact or Myth
Before we can call something a myth, first we must define the term. The non-scientific definition of a health myth requires most of the following:
- Many people believe it.
- No compelling scientific evidence to support it.
- At least some scientific evidence against it.
- There is a pseudo-scientific explanation that may have intuitive appeal (for example, enemas to “detoxify” the colon).
- The idea defies standard understanding of biology or has no reasonable biologic explanation. E.g.: a diet that is said to help you lose weight despite increasing your caloric intake and reducing exercise.
Three other features of many popular health myths often include are:
- The possibility that it can actually harm you.
- A profit motive (by those promoting the myth).
- Celebrity endorsement.
From this definition, the notion that a gluten-free diet will improve health is a certifiable health myth.
Who Should Really Avoid Gluten
There is at least some truth to the idea that gluten can be harmful. People with Celiac disease avoid illness and maintain better health by following a gluten-free diet. For them, a gluten-free diet is essential.
Then there are people described as “gluten-sensitive”, they make up only about 10% of the population. Their tests for Celiac disease are negative, yet they experience symptoms (including bloating, diarrhea or abdominal pain) whenever they eat foods that contain gluten. One cause for this can be a wheat allergy, a disorder that can be diagnosed with a T.R.U.E. (Thin–Layer Rapid Use Epicutaneous) skin patch test. Some have begun calling this allergy “non-celiac gluten hypersensitivity,” a poorly defined condition about which there is little to no reliable scientific information. Avoiding gluten makes sense for people with a wheat allergy.
And Everyone Else
There is no compelling evidence that a gluten-free diet will improve health or prevent disease if you don’t have Celiac disease and can eat gluten without trouble.
The Popularity of Gluten-Free Diets
I suspect the popularity relates to a combination of factors like:
- Intuition—It just seems like a good idea.
- Logic—If gluten is bad for people with Celiac disease, maybe it’s bad for me.
- Celebrity endorsement—If eliminating gluten is encouraged by someone I admire, maybe I should give it a try. Remember: they’re getting paid to say this.
- Anecdote—Testimonials can be powerful. Hearing about someone with bothersome symptoms that finally went away after eliminating gluten is difficult to ignore.
- Marketing—Never underestimate the power of persuasion. Those selling gluten-free products or books about gluten-free diets can be convincing even if there’s little science to back it up. Remember: they’re trying to sell something.
Here is The Downside
Actually, any health intervention comes with some risk. Before you buy into the gluten-free lifestyle, be aware that it may not help, it may worsen things and it’ll likely be costly. While many people in the Consumer Reports survey thought gluten-free diets were more nutritious and contained more vitamins and minerals than conventional foods, the opposite is often true.
Gluten-free foods are commonly less fortified with folic acid, iron and other nutrients than regular, gluten-containing foods. And gluten-free foods tend to have less fiber and more sugar and fat. Several studies have found a trend toward weight gain and obesity among those who follow a gluten-free diet (including those with Celiac disease). Gluten-free foods tend to be more expensive than conventional foods. There is little or no proof that these foods are actually better for you.
For Gluten-Conscious People
If you feel well and have no digestive symptoms, enjoy your health and don’t worry about gluten. But if you have symptoms you think might be related to gluten, and if these are significant or unexplained, talk to your doctor. Symptoms of Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity include: diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss and poor appetite, bloating or feeling full, an itchy rash, and growth delay (in children).
There are reliable tests to diagnose Celiac disease. These include blood tests (to detect certain antibodies), genetic tests and intestinal biopsies. The results can help you understand which, if any foods, you should avoid. It may be lactose (the sugar in milk), not gluten, that’s causing you trouble. Or, it may turn out to be a common condition, completely unrelated to gluten, like Crohn’s disease or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
The Bottom Line
Heightened gluten awareness is a good thing, but only if you have Celiac disease. I think it’s a major step forward that people who truly have food allergies can avoid those foods more easily than in the past as more common allergens in foods are labeled clearly. But the “dangers” of gluten have been way overstated—and oversold. Don’t be swayed by an elite athlete or movie star when there’s no medical reasons back up their claims. It is ultimately up to you and (maybe) your physician—not a celebrity or a book author—to take care of your health.
Sources:
Medical Article published “Harvard Health Publishing,” Harvard Medical School by Robert Shmerling, M.D.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/ditch-the-gluten-improve-your-health
Published: May, 2015, Updated: November 8, 2019
Canadian Celiac Association – Calgary Chapter
http://www.calgaryceliac.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/celiac-disease-myths-facts.pdf
Photo credit: minoandrian/Getty Images