Why is the gluten-free diet so popular?
Is gluten-free good for you even if you don’t have celiac disease?
Ten years ago, gluten intolerance was not common and it was rare for a person to be diagnosed with celiac disease, which is the main reason a person would follow a gluten-free diet. Five years ago, gluten intolerance was a little more common; as a supermarket dietitian, I helped someone with a new diagnosis about once a month.
Now, I help someone starting on a gluten-free diet about three times a week. Is it because celiac disease and gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity are more prevalent, or are we just becoming more knowledgeable about the disease and getting better at recognizing it?
We have a whole aisle in the Health Market section of our store dedicated to gluten-free (GF) foods and five whole freezer sections set apart for gluten-free frozen foods. I have an eight-page list of foods that are GF throughout the store as a reference for people following a GF diet.
According to the market research firm Packaged Facts, sales of gluten-free foods in the United States hit $2.3 billion in 2010, more than double the amount in 2006. The firm surveyed 277 consumers of GF products in 2010. About half said they perceived GF products as “generally healthier.”
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. It’s also present, by contamination, in oats (unless they are marked as gluten free). Gluten is not high calorie, high fat or “bad” for you. Eating gluten-free does not mean you’re consuming fewer calories or eating “healthier.” It simply means substituting foods made from wheat, rye or barley with those made from gluten-free flours such as rice, potato, quinoa and tapioca and avoiding foods with gluten ingredients.
It’s not my job to diagnose a gluten intolerance or to recommend whether a person should follow a GF diet. I have, however, made an extra effort to educate myself about gluten intolerance and to understand how food intolerances, in general, affect the body. I also have learned not to dismiss a person’s frustration with nagging digestive issues or with a lack of a definitive diagnosis.
Customers who follow a GF diet tell me they’ve experienced relief from a variety of symptoms, including abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, depression or “brain fog,” fatigue and “just not feeling like myself.”
Some people get tested for celiac disease and find it’s negative, but decide they feel better following the diet. Some people have tested negative and later gotten a positive test and express frustration with the years of symptoms they’ve experienced and medicated with little to no relief. Some people turn to alternative medical advice and follow a GF diet because they feel better when eliminating gluten.
The term gluten sensitivity has more recently been used to recognize people who have symptoms of gluten intolerance but whose blood tests negative for the antibodies typically present in celiac disease. Because there’s currently no biomarker (blood test or biopsy) that can officially diagnose gluten sensitivity, there’s confusion and disagreement about diagnosing and treating it. Experts in celiac disease research are working to find a more definite diagnostic marker.
Scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Center for Celiac Research have shown that gluten sensitivity is different from celiac disease in both immune response and effect on the gut.
In celiac disease, the proteins found in wheat, rye and barley trigger the immune system to attack cells of the small intestine. If not diagnosed and treated, celiac disease can lead to other autoimmune disorders, bone loss, infertility and neurological conditions.
With gluten sensitivity, researchers have found that while gluten does not cause such serious reactions, it does cause annoying symptoms, such as abdominal pain similar to that of irritable bowel syndrome, and fatigue, headaches, “foggy mind” or tingling of the extremities. Evidence also indicates that some people with schizophrenia and children with autism might be affected by gluten sensitivity.
Scientists estimate that about 1% of the U.S. population has celiac disease and that about 6% are gluten sensitive, a significant increase over the past several years. While we do know more about how to recognize gluten intolerance and sensitivities, but we have more to learn about diagnosing them. Many people need a gluten-free diet, and it’s not always “just their imagination” if symptoms exist.
It’s worth repeating, however, that a gluten-free diet is not “healthier.” It can actually be low in recommended amounts of fiber, B-vitamins, magnesium and iron. A gluten-free diet is typically higher in refined grains, making it fairly common for a person following it to gain weight. Talk to your dietitian about ways to avoid weight gain with a gluten-free diet.
Source: www.umaryland.edu University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers identify key pathogenic differences between celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, March 2011.
