How many people are mad at me after just reading the title? How dare I suggest that the gluten-free crazy is the newest fad in the diet and healthy eating world, right? Well, hear me out…
I started looking into this topic after noticing how gluten free products are skyrocketing in availability and consumption. In fact, the gluten free market has grown 28% since 2004 and is estimated to be worth $2.6 BILLION by 2012. Seeing how many people were eating gluten free had me wonder… should I be eating gluten free, too?
Let’s start with the basics… what is gluten? Gluten is a type of protein found in rye, wheat and barley. People that have celiac disease must eliminate all gluten from their diet, otherwise they suffer from bloating, cramping, diarrhea, flatulence, pain, decreased energy, etc (similar to people that are lactose intolerant). Studies show that about 1% of the US population has celiac disease.
However, from my own observations, it seems that a lot more people are jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon than 1% of the population.
Of course, some may argue that there is a whole other group of people that are gluten-sensitive. From my googling, it appears that this means they don’t have full blown symptoms, but feel better and have more energy when they stay away from gluten. To play devils advocate… is it possible that people who eat gluten free (who are not celiac) feel better because they are staying away from all the crap that usually goes along with gluten foods? Think about it… rye, barley and wheat are commonly found in pizza, breads, pastries, beer, pasta, cakes, cookies, muffins, cereals, etc. If you eliminated most of these foods from your diet, what would you be eating more of? Fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, dairy, brown rice, quinoa… much healthier selections, don’t you think? Could it be that the better food choices (not the absence of gluten) are making non-celiacs feel better?
I wasn’t able to find any overwhelming evidence that eating gluten free if you aren’t gluten intolerant offers any kind of benefit. However, I know people that are not gluten intolerant but use phrases like “my dinner was healthy. I had gluten free pasta and marinara.” Then they can’t figure out why they aren’t losing weight. So what if they had 3 cups of pasta… it was gluten free. 😉
Statements like the one above concern me because I feel like people are being misled into believing gluten free foods are healthier for them, no matter what the actual product is.
Similar to when people say “I had a cookie, but it was an organic cookie.” It’s still a cookie. And probably still full of junk your body doesn’t need.
To sum it all up, I think the growing selection of foods available for people with gluten intolerance are wonderful! I’m just wary that it is becoming the new silver bullet of healthy eating. Since I haven’t been able to find any information to convince me otherwise, I’ll still be chowing down on my homemade whole wheat pizza with a Blue Moon to wash it all down 🙂
Thoughts?
Holly @ couchpotatoathlete says
“is it possible that people who eat gluten free (who are not celiac) feel better because they are staying away from all the crap that usually goes along with gluten foods? ”
Brittany I think this is totally possible. Eating gluten free for one person may mean cutting out the pasta and bread, and for another it may mean cutting out the sugary cereals, donuts, crackers, cookies, etc. I think anyone cutting out the sugary junk will feel much better — whether or not they have an intolerance to gluten.
John J. says
Brittany, I will join you with the pizza and Blue Moon (with a healthy orange slice bobbing in the froth!)
ashley7357 says
Britt,
Mom and I have celiac disease and have had to be GF for years….although we both refuse to give up beer. (GF beer is good…RedBridge is my fave) 🙂 I’m not as intolerant as she is. I still eat it some, even though I shouldn’t. But from knowing how bad my mom’s gluten intolerance is I’m getting back to a GF diet. The long term effects of celiac include the breaking down of your small intestine lining. Not good. As far as people who are not intolerant to gluten…I wouldn’t recommend being GF. Just because if you don’t have gluten for 6 months and then all of a sudden you want a stuffed crust pizza from Pizza Hut, you will be incredibly ill. Your body isn’t used to breaking down gluten and therefore completely reject it. According to my doctor and other reasearch I’ve done once you go completely GF you should stay that way forever. There’s lots of great websites out there for gluten intolerant people. For example: http://www.celiac.com/ and http://www.celiac.org/. Great topic Britt! 🙂
Nichole says
Read.my.mind. This is fantastic. I love your devil’s advocate POV. This is amazing!
Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen says
I totally agree with everything you said. I have known a few people with celiacs who legitimately needed to ban gluten from their diets, and it can be REALLY hard. One of my friends still comes to my dinner parties and brings his own food, and is adapting SO well. Yet, he realizes that gluten-free doesn’t necessarily mean “healthy” as revealed when he offered me a gluten-free cupcake and said, “There are probably more calories in this one bite than in your whole meal.”
I don’t eat gluten-free, and I don’t always eat organic (unless it happens to be something I like, come from the farmers’ market, or is on sale)…if you have to or else you are in danger of harming your body, then take advantage of the plethora of new options for you in the markets. [My local grocery store is even having a gluten-free sale week this week!]
But everyone else? Just eat a healthy diet, my friends. A little of this, a little of that….lots of fruits, veggies, and whole grains…and yes, that includes wheat ;).
Brittney says
Great post Brittany! I think you said what a lot of people have been thinking. I’ve wondered why so many people have hopped on the gluten-free bandwagon. It seems a little unnecessary unless you have celiac but I think everything we eat is a personal choice. If someone feels great eating gluten-free, as long as they are getting the nutrients they need, than good for them. I’m with you though- a whole wheat pizza and a Blue Moon sounds great 🙂
Maria @ Oh Healthy Day says
I agree with the analogy to Atkins. Remember when they came out with low carb tortillas and chips? Those things cannot be good for you! I think we can agree that regardless of your special “diet” whether it be gluten-free, vegetarian, or omnivorism, that moderation is key. Someone which Celiac disease can OD on gluten-free muffins just as easily as I can, with wheat breads. Great post!.
Pure2raw Twins says
Interesting and eye opening post little lady 😉 You know that I eat a gluten free diet but do not have celiac. I totally agree with you on that just because it is gluten free does not mean it is healthy for you, that goes the same with ‘whole-grain’ products and vegan products. They all still can be made with heavy processed and not the best for you ingredients. Like I said before I think getting a variety of grains (gluten free or not) is the way to go. Because gluten free grains like quinoa are great for everyone to eat not just celiac people. But I do agree that I wish people did not look at as a diet because it is not. They are just going to be setting themselves up for failure in my opinion. It is all about finding the right balance and finding out what works for each person individually. I hate that gluten free is getting such a bad wrap these days and confusing people. Ok, that is enough I could talk about this topic for hours 😉 LOL
Sarah for Real says
I totally agree with your first statements! In fact, yesterday, when you mentioned you were working a post on gluten free, I had that exact same thought. Groan… It is definitely the diet-pedaling companies saying, “well, if carbohydrates aren’t evil, maybe is just the gluten!” Eureka!
I especially hate that many of the gluten-free options are super weird and taste horrible.
Great post!
Lindsay @ The Ketchup Diaries says
I eat gluten and lots of it! I 100% understand those that fall ill when eating it staying away, but you’re right when you say there’s a lot of misconception. It makes me sad that our society does not take the time to educate themselves on proper nutrition and, therefore, falls victim to marketing claims that things are “healthy”, such as the organic cookie you mentioned.
Sarah W. says
I like your post but you need more research. While I agree the gluten free “craze” has gotten a little out of hand, I believe that it is necessary, like you said for Celiacs.
But what you failed to mention is that gluten is inflammatory and inflammation has been linked to most chronic illnesses and pain syndromes.
For instance, my last blood test noted an elevated Sed Rate and C-reactive protein – those tests measure inflammation in the body. It doesn’t tell you where the inflammation is, but it just notes that I do HAVE inflammation.
My doctor is ASSUMING I have Crohn’s Disease, because of my family history and my father has a mild case. She believes that my intestines are inflamed because of the disease. The only way to diagnose is through a colonoscopy which she didn’t want to do right now because I am so young and my symptoms are mild.
however, what if she goes into the body and finds no evidence of crohns or other digestive issues?? then there is something inflaming my body. do I want a bunch of tests, OR could I theoretically eliminate gluten from my body and maybe my inflammation will go down and my levels would go back to normal?
I tested negative for Celiac, but I’m not above eliminating gluten from my diet if it will make my body less inflamed 😉
I’m just merely pointing out another argument. Who the hell knows. 🙂
Melissa says
Great information! I was wondering what all the hype about gluten-free yada yada was all about. I knew it was for those who had Celiac, but wasn’t sure why everyone else was going without it. My sister was diagnosed with Crohn’s a few years back and then the diagnosis was changed to ulcerative colitis. I wonder if she were ever tested for Celiac and could it merely be her diet causing all of the symptoms. Definitely something I’ll need to share with her. Thanks for the info!
Alexa @ The Girl In Chucks says
Wow. This is really interesting. I hadn’t really thought about the gluten free issue before.
I think that with all eating styles that get coined “healthy”, people will jump on the wagon. People in this country are determined to live healthy without actually knowing what healthy even means. I see the same thing with vegetarianism/veganism. So many people I know went veggie at some point, telling me how much healthier they were. They may’ve not been eating meat, but the stuff they were eating wasn’t good for them either.
In my life, sometimes I eat vegan dishes. I probably would eat a gluten free meal, even though I am not intolerant. But appearances of wheat pasta, toast and beer aren’t going to stop anytime soon!
Blond Duck says
I TOTALLY agree. I’ve thought this for a long time.
Paige says
I definitely appreciate your points about how people like to jump on the bandwagon when it comes to new health fads. I’m sure that part of the reason sales for gluten-free food is increasing is because people are just going along with it without understanding why.
At the same time, though, my understanding is that gluten can be challenging for a lot of people to digest. So while they may not have a full-on gluten intolerance, they may very well feel better when cutting gluten out of their diets simply because it isn’t so hard on their digestive processes.
(Though you’re right–it may be because they also are cutting out harmful processed foods too…an added bonus!).
While I don’t think everyone should run out and buy gluten-free pasta, I do think gravitating away from gluten and moving towards other grains (like quinoa, rice, oats, etc.) can be a positive move for many.
araceli @ Araceli Saborea says
Very interesting post! And I absolutely agree with you!
Jane says
Great thought provoking post today Brittany!
Emily @ For Sweets Sake says
In high school I had stomach issues and told by my doctor to avoid gluten because he thought it was an allergy (turned out it was my BC making my hormones nutso and giving certain food sensitivities) but I had a really hard time finding food that was gluten free! Now, I agree with you, it’s everywhere. Which is great. But it’s the same as saying you’re vegetarian so you eat healthier. Ice cream is vegetarian. You still can’t expect to eat a vegetarian diet and lose weight if you’re eating a pint of ice cream a day. I think it can be a healthy option, but just because something is gluten free does not mean less calories, more nutrients, etc.
Mo@MommyRD says
I agree that gluten free is the new Atkins. I think people are always looking for the new ‘cure all.’ I like seeing more choices available, but on the other hand I think what 90% of the population out there needs, is just more balance in their diet, instead of always going one direction or another.
Kelly Olexa says
Hey! Just found your blog (LOVE IT and my brother and his family literally have the twin brothers to your dog, LOVE them!) and what a great post. I’ve had some type of tummy issue for a long time (maybe I’m just a drama queen, sure….) and I did try Gluten-Free to see if would eliminate the issues. Not so much. and I totally see your point about “low-Carb” or “lo-Fat” or “organic” or “raw” or Gluten-Free. You can still eat too much and move too little. People are always looking for a quick fix and there really isn’t one. I have a friend that has colitis and she does everything the doctors tell her to do and she STILL has issues…..I count myself very thankful that for me it takes cutting dairy for the most part to be tummy happy.
Angela (the diet book junkie) says
hmm….maybe it’s the word “free” that people assume makes something healthy. (fat free, sugar free, now gluten free.) i tell ya, i feel very forunate to have the option in my diet. must be annoying to have to avoid something so prevalent.
Dawn says
Hi Brittany,
Daniel was recently diagnosed with Celiacs. This will be a challenge for our family but now we know why he has been in so much pain over the years. Frustrating since his symptoms have been going on since he was a toddler and I was told each and every time I brought his symptoms up that he just needed more fruits, veges, and water in his diet. It was easy to sell my on this because he does not consume any of these items as he should. My biggest concern is the long term results of him consuming gluten when he should not have been. We will know the answer to that question in the next few weeks
I too would see the gluten free products and wondered why they were popping up in the stores. Now I know but did not buy them.
I do not agree that gluten free is the new Atkins. I think people see the gluten free items and assume they must be better for you without researching it. Similiar to seeing sugar free or fat free but not looking at the nutritional information and comparing the differences.
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