Is Gluten Free Actually "Healthier?"
Written by Erica Kessler, Nutrition Intern
What’s the deal with gluten free, anyway?
I’m sure you’ve seen a more widespread variety of gluten free products being offered at your local grocery store, or any grocery store really. This may raise a lot of questions in addition to projecting a lot of misconceptions about how following a gluten free diet is considered healthier than a diet containing gluten. That’s actually NOT the case.
If you don’t have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, fully eliminating gluten from your diet can actually do more harm than good. It can cause nutritional deficiencies - specifically B vitamins, such as folic acid, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and MANY more vitamins and minerals to count!
Only 5% of the population actually gets the recommended fiber in their diet everyday. If you’re eliminating gluten unnecessarily, you’re most likely decreasing your fiber intake even more. Whole wheat bread is a great source of fiber, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t be eating it, if you’re able to, of course!
If you DO need to follow a gluten free diet, some gluten free grains like buckwheat amaranth, millet, quinoa, and teff are all great sources of fiber to add into your diet!
Adequate fiber consumption is super important whether you’re gluten free or not - fiber helps reduce the risk of developing cancer and cardiovascular disease, and also helps you go to the bathroom on a regular basis!
Consuming whole-grain carbohydrates actually serves as beneficial to our bodies and has heart healthy benefits for people without Celiac disease.
Gluten free will not help you lose weight if you have Celiac or if you don’t have Celiac disease.
Gluten is NOT the cause of your health problems if you do not have Celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity.
If you have Celiac disease, going gluten-free is medically necessary. If you don’t have Celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity and you’re thinking about going gluten free, what the heck are you doing?!