by Jessica Geiger, RD
Gluten. We all hear words or phrases such as “gluten-free” or “low-carb.” Today I want to clear the air on one of the biggest nutrition myths out there, that “gluten-free” is healthier. An often centrally held belief is that everyone should follow a gluten-free diet. So, what even is gluten? Gluten is a protein made out of two little amino acids, glutenin and gliadin. These amino acids are found in wheat products, and through the manipulation of a dough bread, these amino acids form gluten. Gluten is responsible for providing the elastic texture of dough. The more manipulation that occurs to the dough the more gluten that will be present. This is why hard breads like sourdough that require a lot of kneading contain higher levels of gluten than a cupcake which requires minimal manipulation. So what does this all mean?
Being a protein, gluten is digested and absorbed in our bodies just like any other protein. There is nothing special or different about gluten that would affect one’s health unless you have celiac disease. A person with celiac disease is unable to make the enzyme that normally would help break down the amino acid, gliadin, which helps form gluten. This inability to break down this portion of gluten results in an immune response attack on the villi of a person’s small intestine causing damage. Villi are important because they increase the body’s absorption of nutrients. This damage to the villi may lead to overall poor nutrient absorption which can then cause nutrient deficiencies and other disorders. When a person with celiac consumes a product containing gluten they may experience abdominal pain, bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, weight loss, fatigue, anemia, arthritis, skin rash, infertility, depression or anxiety. In order to have a confirmed diagnoses of celiac disease your doctor would conduct an endoscopic biopsy of the villi of your small intestine and analyzed the sample for potential damage. There is also a condition called non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) or non-celiac wheat sensitivity (NCWS) which is when a person exhibits similar symptoms to celiac disease but tests negative for celiac during the endoscopy. These people whom test negative yet show improvement when following a gluten-free diet are diagnosed as NCGS or NCWS.
With all that being said, unless you have the above conditions gluten is not harmful to you. It’s okay to eat and is recommended you eat products containing gluten. In fact, most wheat products in the US have been made with fortified wheat flour which contains important vitamins and minerals including iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid. Often times, people who follow a gluten-free diet either by choice or medical reasons can become deficient in these important nutrients. In addition, it is not uncommon for special marketed “gluten-free” products to cost more money than non-gluten-free items. These gluten-free items were originally created to cater to people suffering from celiac disease. It wasn’t long until the term “gluten-free” started to be marketed as “healthier” getting the general public to jump on the band wagon and purchase these products in mass quantities which, in turn, has increased the prices. The last drawback from consuming gluten-free products is that because there is no gluten the product is usually higher in fat and calories than it normally would be. The reasoning for this is to help make the products taste and function similar to wheat containing products. Companies will add in additional ingredients like starch, gums, oils and syrups to achieve this.
If you already follow a gluten-free diet due to medical reasons, personal preference or are considering starting it I hope this article was able to answer some questions and clear some things up for you. Make sure to consider every possibility before changing your diet, speak to your doctor and always weigh the pros/cons! If you found this article interesting, or want to learn more about diet and nutrition, feel free to set up an in-person or virtual nutrition consolation with the Clinical Nutrition and Psychotherapy Institute to speak with a Registered Dietitian!
Works Cited The Celiac Disease Foundation. (2021, October 7). Celiac Disease Screening and Diagnosis. Retrieved from Celiac Disease Foundaiton: https://celiac.org/celiac-disease/understanding-celiac-disease-2/diagnosing-celiac-disease/ UChicago Medicine Celiac Disease Center . (2021, October 7). Celiac Answer Back. Retrieved from UChicago Medicine Celiac Disease Center : http://www.cureceliacdisease.org/faq/why-is-gluten-free-food-so-high-in-calories-and-carbohydrates/
