These Are the Facts about Gluten Everyone Should Know ...

Neecey

When you hear “gluten-free” it’s hard to know if this buzzword is just a fad or a genuine issue as wide as the media makes it out to be. I know it is genuine because I have a very good friend who has had celiac disease since they were born. So let’s be real, the genuine celiacs out there have a serious issue with gluten – it can make them very ill indeed. However, how much of the proliferation of people deciding they need to follow a gluten-free diet needs to be scrutinized. Bread has been “the staff of life” for millennia – ever since man decided to do things with food other than just eat what he could pick and grow. Yet here we are with a mass of the population saying they need to be gluten-free. So what do you need to know to help you decide on this issue?

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1. Gluten Can Be Good for You!

Not all gluten is bad for you or will make you gain weight; some types can actually be good for you. Whole grain foods that contain gluten are a fantastic source of fiber and contain a whole host of nutrients. Introducing whole grains into your daily diet will help you get the balanced and healthy diet that you need. If you are jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon then make sure that you are getting these nutrients from something else so that you don’t miss out and end up unhealthy.

2. It Does Not Cause You to Gain Weight

Shocked at this fact about gluten? So many people assume that gluten prevents you from losing weight and makes you gain a couple of pounds if eaten regularly. In fact, gluten-free products tend to contain more carbs and sugar than food containing gluten. By avoiding gluten and shopping for gluten-free foods when you are not gluten intolerant, you could actually end up gaining weight!

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3. Gluten Helps to Keep You Full

If you feel like you can’t stop nibbling all day then it is probably the case that you do not have a diet high enough in fiber or protein. Gluten is a protein and also contains fiber, helping to keep you fuller for longer. If you cut out gluten you might feel the constant need to snack, causing you to eat unnecessarily, leading to weight gain. If you are feeling peckish then have a snack high in fiber that contains vitamins and gluten.

4. Gluten is Protein

We all know the importance of protein in our diets, and many of us find our protein sources from gluten. Foods containing protein from gluten include oats, pasta, bread, breakfast cereal, couscous and grains. If you don’t eat gluten you might struggle to get your recommended daily intake of protein, leading to low blood pressure, anemia and weak muscles.

5. Gluten is Perfect for Baking

If you’re a foodie and love your desserts and sweet treats then it is probably gluten that’s making the food taste so good. Flour containing gluten causes the dessert to rise and thicken, resulting in a tasty texture. Gluten-free desserts are usually thicker, crumbly and heavy. This is due to the fact that gluten-free flour can’t work in the same way regular flour can when baked. Also, gluten-free desserts are often higher in sugar and carbs, so if you’re choosing gluten-free to be healthier it doesn’t really makes sense to bake gluten-free.

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6. Gluten is Not Bad for You

Gluten-free is marketed as a healthy version of food, and with celebs following the gluten-free diet and looking fantastic it has caused people to think that gluten is harmful. You must remember that gluten-free products are often stripped of their healthy and essential nutrients, causing you to have an unbalanced diet.

7. Gluten-free Doesn’t Mean Good for You

If you do not have a condition that causes you to be intolerant to gluten then you should really consider the facts before you chose a gluten-free diet. People who avoid gluten in their diet often find it tough to find a balance, causing deficiencies in essential nutrients. If you want to remove gluten from your diet then you need to ensure that you get all the minerals and vitamins from other sources. This requires a little knowledge about nutrition and conscious eating. If you don’t do your research when you go gluten free you can actually become pretty unhealthy. If your heart is set on going gluten free for whatever reason, make sure you buy a couple of books and read up on maintaining a balanced and healthy diet.

I’m not a nutritionist, but I have researched these points carefully. While I have presented factual information I don’t think anyone should make a decision based on an article. If you think you are gluten intolerant, then have it confirmed medically. If you want to cut out gluten in the belief it will make you healthier, consult a nutritionist or dietician.

Resources:
activebeat.com
whfoods.com
ift.org

Feedback Junction

Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge

There are food sensitivity tests that tell you what kinds of food you can't tolerate. This is very important especially for autoimmune diseases. But if you're healthy, don't just follow any and all trends for no real reason!!

@Natalie - well you might fail because you are very incorrect. You are misinformed about gluten and what it is....

My sentiments exactly!

As someone who gets migraines from eating gluten, I can't help but roll my eyes when people think it's just some trendy weight-loss fad. Maybe I should show them this next time someone says they want to be gluten-free to be healthier haha

This sounds like an article written by General Mills as part of the Save the Grain Campaign. I want on the Wheat Belly diet just hope to lose a few pounds. In 10 days I lost the 'arthritis' in my knees that had been plaguing me for 18 years. I can now sprint barefoot down the beach like a teenager.

Gluten isn't bad. Gluten from GMO wheat is. Most corn, soy and wheat is GMO. Know where your food is coming from and it will serve you better. Organic is better in this case. Also, moderation helps. Looking at the ingredients in foods and seeing gluten added to everything is kind of ridiculous. Cutting out gluten won't kill you or cause any kind of malnutrition. All grains do not contain gluten. Expanding our diet is healthy, limiting it to just one kind of wheat, fruit, vegetable etc is unhealthy and boring.

I actually questioned my family physician on the subject of gluten. He said that only about 4 % of the population in the US suffers from celiac disease which can only be diagnosed by the presence of at least 2 out of 3 markers in a blood test and a positive intestinal biopsy. He said that this gluten free diet fad is actually not healthy because people are avoiding an entire food group that has necessary nutrients. People who insist on this diet need to make sure to cover the missing nutrients with specialised supplements.

If you can eat gluten, eat it. If you can't, then don't eat it. If you don't want to eat gluten, then don't. It's that simple.

Maybe next time you should research how gluten is made and processed today! How the majority of the healthy nutrients our processed out leaving you with enriched wheat that is just useless carbs leading to us craving more of it because it's not giving our body what it needs. So maybe I can take one of my research papers for school and write an article clarifying how gluten is unhealthy.

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