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By Jennifer, Meachum, RDN, LD
Dear Jennifer, I’ve heard so much talk about gluten lately. Is it bad for me? Will I lose weight if I cut it out of my diet? Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten plays an important role in food science as it provides structure and elasticity to a variety of foods including breads, pastas, cakes and cereals. Surprisingly, gluten also is a hidden ingredient in many foods such as meat substitutes, natural flavorings, sauces, dressings and spices. It can even be found in medications and beauty products. To answer the question about whether or not gluten is bad for you depends on if you fall into any of these three categories: celiac disease, wheat allergy or non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
Celiac disease Gluten is very bad for people suffering from celiac disease, a hereditary autoimmune disease that attacks and damages the finger-like villi of your small intestine, interfering with the absorption of valuable nutrients. Celiac disease can only be diagnosed by a blood test and intestinal biopsy. The treatment for celiac disease is complete elimination of gluten from the diet. According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, symptoms vary. Infants and children commonly suffer from digestive issues such as diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fatty stool. Adults are more likely to experience non-digestive related symptoms such as fatigue, iron deficiency, anemia, arthritis, missed menstrual periods or an itchy rash. (Check out celiac.org for additional information.)
Wheat allergy Gluten must also be avoided for people who have a wheat allergy. Gluten and other proteins found in wheat cause an allergic reaction that can 20
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be as mild as itching to as severe as an anaphylactic reaction in the form of chest pain or difficulty breathing. There are a number of diagnostic tools that physicians use to diagnosis a wheat allergy ranging from skin and blood tests to elimination diets.
Non-celiac gluten sensitivity Non-celiac gluten sensitivity is undefined, and therefore can be challenging for physicians to diagnose. These people may experience the same symptoms as people with celiac disease but test negative for the disease. If you suspect you have gluten sensitivity, I recommended that you eliminate gluten from your diet and see if your symptoms improve.
What next? Fortunately, people that must follow a glutenfree diet are in luck with the increased availability of gluten-free foods. When I first started my career
as a pediatric dietitian, I gave parents of children diagnosed with celiac disease a small list of specialty websites where they could buy glutenfree foods that were very expensive. Now, we can walk down an aisle in any major supermarket and find large sections of gluten-free foods and products. The danger of this increased availability of processed gluten-free foods — from a nutrition perspective — is that you risk consuming more processed foods and less fresh foods such as fresh meats, dairy, fruits, vegetables and legumes. Many processed gluten-free products replace gluten with a high amount of saturated fat and/or sugar. But with that said, there is no doubt that this variety of gluten-free foods has improved the quality of life for individuals who need to avoid gluten. How wonderful to be able to buy a box of gluten-free cake mix at the store to enjoy on your birthday!
What about weight loss? Recently people are following the lead of celebrities and turning to the gluten-free diet for weight loss or what Dr. Fasano, the Director of the Center for Celiac Research, calls “jumping on the lifestyle bandwagon.” The gluten-free diet is definitely NOT a diet designed for weight loss; in fact, many people with celiac disease often gain weight after going gluten-free. The intestines begin to heal, and they are finally able to absorb nutrients. People who do experience weight loss from following a gluten-free diet can likely attribute this to the fact that they are eliminating an entire food group from their diet, which is creating a calorie deficit. A gluten-free diet can be tough to stick with however, especially when dining out. Speaking from personal experience, I was able to lose 100 pounds by eating a variety of foods including naturally gluten-free foods and glutencontaining foods such as whole wheat bread, cereals and whole-wheat pasta. To achieve and maintain your weight loss, you want to choose a healthy way of eating that you can adhere to for the rest of your life. This translates into eating fewer calories, burning more calories through physical activity and choosing more fresh foods.