Gluten-Free Diets

SOME PEOPLE MUST AVOID GLUTEN, BUT DOES EVERYONE BENEFIT FROM FOLLOWING THE TREND? 

In the past few years, gluten-free eating has become the hip way to eat healthy (gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley). From the rising number of gluten-free products on the shelves at the local grocery stores, to books contending that wheat is a genetically- modified poison, to the celebrities touting that cutting the grain helped them get bikini ready, gluten is taking a beating. While there are people who need to be gluten-free, like those with celiac disease, gluten allergy, or gluten intolerance/sensitivity (about 7% of the population in total), 1.6 million Americans unaffected by these conditions are still eating G- free. So why do they do it? Is it just another fad, or does it work? Are there harmful effects from eating gluten? Are there harmful effects from not eating gluten? This discussion will consider one of the most popular books advocating a gluten-free lifestyle, Wheat Belly by William Davis, M.D, followed up by some thoughts on whether or not eating G-free is a healthy diet for the general population.

WHEAT BELLY AND ADVOCATING A G-FREE LIFESTYLE

Dr. Davis, in Wheat Belly, provides a provocative examination of the evolution of grain and wheat as people recognize it today and its impacts on the body and various health problems. He calls modern-day wheat a “Frankengrain” that the human body has simply not adapted to eating. Frankengrains and the gluten in them cause all sorts of health problems, including and not limited to high blood sugar, inflammation, neurological disorders, and diabetes. Additionally, he claims that wheat, as an appetite stimulant, eventually causes weight gain and obesity. His loaded language and alarming terminology will have you throwing your bread and cookies in the trash from pure fear! But perhaps why it has becomes so popular is not only because it inspires change, but its message is surprisingly optimistic and simple: gluten and wheat make you sick, but if you cut them completely from your diet you can get healthy. He repeatedly claims, “lose the wheat, lose the weight”. His anecdotal stories discuss patients being cured simply from slashing out gluten, and it provides hope that all is not lost even if you once ate gluten at every meal and snack.

While Davis does supply a convincing argument about potential health dangers and benefits, in some senses Wheat Belly is simply a repackaged diet book with promises that aren’t quite what they seem. While the book hammers in that abandoning wheat cuts the number on the scale, he concludes by advocating not only removing wheat and grain, but also cutting down carbs, limiting dairy and fruit intake, and eliminating sugars. It is essentially another low-carb diet.

Additionally, the evidence he uses to argue his point can be troublesome. Many of the studies he cites have not actually been carried out on humans, but are based on animal studies from which he extrapolates theories. His most convincing evidence is largely anecdotal. While anecdotal evidence is important and often significantly more inspiring, it needs to be taken with a grain of salt; these success-story patients may not be representative of the general population. His book is written with a noble purpose: to persuade readers to get healthy by cutting out an ingredient he believes to be harmful. But there are two sides to every story: there is ample research showing the benefits of certaintypes of grain for the general population, even if it has gluten, just as there are some studies that show its potential harm.

THE QUICK AND DIRTY: PROS AND CONS OF GLUTEN

Why Eat Wheat: The International Journal on Food Sciences and Nutrition published a study in 2012, a year after the first edition of Wheat Belly was published, that discusses the externalities from consumption of wheat. This article states that eating whole wheat generates positive effects, like reduced rates of obesity and diabetes, and general reduction in disease incidence in the general population. Whole grains (not refined!) can improve diet quality and nutrition. This is echoed in other evidence that indicates that grains play an important role in gastrointestinal health, weight control, and lowering risks for chronic disease (Brouns et al. 2013; Gaesser and Angadi 2012; Jonnalagadda et al. 2011). Cutting out gluten may actually result in a diet deficient in important nutrients, fiber, and starches that are necessary for gut health. Products labeled “gluten-free” are also sometimes higher in sugar and unhealthier than the original wheat-based product.

Cut The Carbs: Celiac disease (an inflammatory condition in the intestine caused by gluten) is now four times more common than it was 50 years ago. Celiac patients who consume gluten are placed at higher risk for diseases like GI cancers, anemia, and diabetes. Most of the people with Celiac do not know they have it, and so unknowingly ingest a substance their body cannot process. Additionally, people with gluten sensitivity who consume gluten put themselves at increased risk. In some cases, the only way to diagnose these conditions or relieve symptoms is to eat gluten-free. Every piece of research discussing positives or negatives of gluten consumption strongly advocates that those who are sensitive or intolerant to gluten need to cut it out of the diet or risk dangerous health consequences.

For those without gluten sensitivity but who suffer from a different condition like diabetes, adopting a G-free diet can potentially have a positive effect (Metzgar 2012). Moreover, it has been argued that eating gluten-free can be beneficial in the general population purely because it requires that better attention is paid to consuming healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, fish, and nuts.

SO WHAT’S THE SCOOP?

Overall, according to the majority of research, the relationship between gluten and various diseases is not yet fully understood. Despite how Wheat Belly and other similar books are framed, correlation between gluten and certain conditions like obesity does not indicate causation. For the general population, there is very little valid scientific evidence for thenecessity of adopting a G-free diet, though there are thousands of anecdotal cases describing drastically improved lifestyles from making the change. Going G-free, especially if you are gluten sensitive, may indeed help you de-bloat, lose some pounds, and feel generally better*. You choose what works best for you! At Vital Choice, all of the products are naturally gluten- free and so can still provide you with better nutrition regardless of your decision. Of utmost importance is maintaining a healthy, balanced diet, however you do it!

*In choosing whether or not to go G-free, make sure to consult your doctor. A trial period of eating without wheat can be extremely helpful in determining if you are sensitive to wheat or simply feel better without it, but only by following up with a medical practitioner can you be sure that you are not actually covering up some other, more serious condition, and that you are getting all the necessary nutrients for your body to function at its prime.

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