Are Gluten-Free Diets More Nutritious than Normal Diets?

Gluten can be a dietary irritant for lots of people, triggering uncomfortable gastric symptoms such as cramps, gas, and diarrhea. Gluten-free diets use alternatives available in supermarkets. Nowadays, more restaurants are offering gluten-free meal options for those who can't digest gluten, Live Science reports.

Gluten

Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye, and barley that is used to make starchy foods like couscous, bread, and pasta.

Dr. Marion Sloan, a GP and Chair of the Primary Care Society for Gastroenterology in the UK, pointed out that gluten is a protein in the seed. Avoiding wheat, rye, or barley will enable a gluten-free diet. However, the diet might be tricky to maintain as gluten sneaks into lots of foods in preparation and cooking as it's an inexpensive ingredient.

Gluten can be digested and passed through most people's systems without issue, but those with celiac disease, a wheat allergy, or gluten intolerance have trouble processing it.

Gluten-Free Diet

To control the symptoms of celiac disease, wheat allergy, or gluten sensitivity, a gluten-free diet eliminates or replaces gluten. While there are many gluten-free alternatives to wheat-based foods, a gluten-free diet that works best focuses on other grains like rice and corn, as well as starchy vegetables like potatoes and yams.

Gluten-free foods tend to be heavily processed to imitate products like bread and pasta, so for general health, it can be better to find fresh alternatives and eat as many unprocessed foods as you can. However, processing can also cause contamination and some gluten-free alternatives are made in factories that still handle wheat products and may therefore contain trace amounts of gluten.

For most people, however, eliminating processed foods is not feasible. Pasta and bread are quick and easy to prepare, making them a good staple when you don't have much time to cook.

Benefits

Going gluten-free can be life-changing for those who are avoiding gluten due to intolerance or celiac disease. Gluten causes damage to the small intestine in people with celiac disease, which can lead to nutrient deficiencies as a result of malabsorption. By removing gluten from the diet, the condition can be managed and the gut is given a chance to heal.

Eating gluten won't harm those with non-celiac gluten sensitivity, but it may make it difficult to digest it, causing symptoms like bloating, diarrhea, and gas. Because these symptoms can be excruciating, following a gluten-free diet can help these people stay symptom-free and happy.

Because non-celiac gluten sensitivity is more of an intolerance than a disease, the level of gluten sensitivity may be lower.

Risks

According to a study published in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, following a gluten-free diet is pointless unless you have celiac disease, IgE-mediated allergy, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

Jessica Fishman Levinson, a registered dietician, pointed out that gluten-free food is not always healthier, lower in calories, or lower in fat.

Sloan also mentions the cost of gluten-free branded products, implying that a gluten-free diet could be more costly.

Another disadvantage of going gluten-free is missing out on a balanced, healthy diet. The experts emphasized the importance of raising awareness about gluten-free eating without relying too heavily on special products or processed foods.

Levinson adds that substituting highly processed gluten-free foods like pastries and energy bars for gluten-containing foods may result in weight gain rather than weight loss.

The Mediterranean diet, which includes plenty of fresh fish, meat, fruits, and naturally gluten-free vegetables, is a good place to start for those who are new to the gluten-free lifestyle.