In the 21st Century, it’s always about the latest
and hottest trends. In the past few
years, one of the most increasing trends is being on a gluten-free diet. You see the phrase “Gluten-free” everywhere,
it can be in the grocery store, on the news, celebrities deciding to go on the
diet, but what even is gluten? Gluten is
the substance in cereal grains, like wheat, that is responsible for the elastic
texture of dough. Well, that doesn’t
seem too awful, but for someone with Celiac Disease or sensitive to gluten, it
could cause a variety of adverse effects.
The thing is, not everyone has Celiac Disease, but tons of people follow
this diet, why?
Gluten can trigger an immune response that damages the small
intestine, interfering with the absorption of nutrients from food which could
lead to other problems like nerve damage, osteoporosis, seizures, and
infertility in a person with Celiac Disease.
If a person is non-celiac gluten sensitive, they could develop similar
symptoms to celiac disease, but without the intestinal damage. However, a gluten-free diet has become a “fad
diet” where people are uninformed on how to balance their diet without an
intake of essential whole grains. For
this reason, I believe people should not follow a gluten-free diet unless they
have Celiac Disease, gluten sensitivity, or have done extensive research on it.
Going gluten free can cause a
variety of nutritional deficiencies.
Fortified breads and cereals are major sources of vitamin B, which a
person would be lacking if they went on a gluten-free diet. One of these essential vitamins is folate
which prevents birth defects. Whole
grains like wheat, barley, and rye are linked to reduced risk of coronary heart
disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic diseases. According to a study published in the journal
Epidemiology, a gluten-free diet puts
people at risk of increased exposure to arsenic and mercury. The National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey found, “That people
who said they were eating gluten free diets had higher concentrations of
arsenic in their urine and mercury in their blood than people who were not
avoiding gluten,” (Gregor). Not only does it have
the potential for nutritional deficiencies, following a gluten-free diet is
time consuming, expensive, and restrictive.
It takes more time to find foods that don’t contain gluten, most of the
time those foods are more expensive, and you’re going to be restricted on what
foods you can buy/eat. There was
a study out of Spain that found in a month on a gluten-free diet may hurt a
person’s gut flora and immune function, potentially setting those on
gluten-free diets up for an overgrowth of harmful bacteria in their intestines (Gregor).
No, I’m not saying being on a
gluten-free diet is the worst decision someone could make. The diet could improve cholesterol levels,
promote digestive health, increase energy levels, and it cuts out a lot of
unhealthy foods. If you’re thinking
about going on this diet, make sure to eat a variety of foods to receive all the
necessary nutrients. However, because
the gluten-free diets are being popularized by social media and celebrities,
the odds of participants understanding how to replace the nutritional deficits
is slim. Therefore, the gluten-free diet
should be reserved for people that have Celiac Disease, gluten sensitivity, or are
passionate about nutrition.
Greger, M. (n.d.). How a Gluten-Free Diet Can Be Harmful. Retrieved March 26, 2018, from https://nutritionfacts.org/2016/02/23/how-a-gluten-free-diet-can-be-harmful/
Jones, D. N. (2018, March 20). Is a gluten-free diet good for you - if there's no medical reason for it? Retrieved March 26, 2018, from https://chicago.suntimes.com/lifestyles/is-a-gluten-free-diet-good-for-you-if-theres-no-medical-reason-for-it/
Strawbridge, H. (2018, January 08). Going gluten-free just because? Here's what you need to know. Retrieved March 26, 2018, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/going-gluten-free-just-because-heres-what-you-need-to-know-201302205916
As you know, I’ve recently had to cut gluten out of my diet and it’s not an easy thing to do and still have balance. It would seem that half the food out there is wheat or a byproduct thereof. What I didn’t know, was the link to potential toxicity. For someone with a digestive issue, cutting gluten out can be a great choice, but I agree with you that for most other people it makes eating a proper diet a lot harder than it needs to be.
ReplyDeleteGoing gluten free has certainly become quite popular. Most people who eat gluten free diets do so because they believe its a healthier lifestyle. I find it interesting that there can be so many adverse health affects to unnecessarily cutting out gluten. It would seem that going gluten free when you do not need is actually worse for you than eating a normal diet.
ReplyDeleteI think, as with every diet, it is extremely important to inform yourself and ensure you are intaking the correct amount of nutrients. I didn't know avoiding gluten could be so detrimental! Just like vegetarians need to watch their iron and protein levels, gluten-free people need to watch their whole grains. I know a lot of people, girls especially, who avoid gluten to lose weight, following the fad. But, I think if they were aware of the possible effects, they would quickly add gluten back into their daily life.
ReplyDeleteThis was really interesting! Personally, a lot of my family has recently switched over to gluten free diets, and I really wasn't sure what the benefits could be. You plainly laid out the pros and the very dangerous cons that can come with diets like these if we're not careful-- those toxins aren't to be fooled around with. I'll be looking a lot closer at my own diet's balance now, and hope to be able to let them know as well just how important careful monitoring can really be for things like this.
ReplyDeleteGreat discussion! Just like Leah said, any change in diet has the potential to cause serious deficiencies. Participants, whether by choice or due to Celiacs disease, need to be well informed on what nutrients they must compensate for when they cut out the necessary foods. It is amazing to me how this diet has become such a "fad" when it was initially introduced to care for a serious GI disorder.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think I follow your reasoning on why non-celiac individuals should avoid going gluten free. If anything, the increased demand for gluten free products should provide more options to the people who need them most. Just because a particular food item is a good source of a nutrient such as vitamin B does not mean it cannot be found elsewhere, such as in multivitamins. How restrictive or expensive somebody’s diet is is and should be a personal choice. While particular diets can be difficult to balance, that is not a reason to avoid them altogether. For example, I don’t eat meat and I still find sources for essential amino acids. However, I would be quite interested in where the gluten-free diets got higher arsenic and mercury. As a dietary restriction, it clearly requires more conscious effort, but that alone isn’t a strong argument against somebody choosing to adopt it. We all need better education on diet and nutrition and gluten is no exception.
ReplyDeleteHere are a couple quotes from an article regarding your question in the comment.
Delete"Gluten-free products often contain rice flour as a substitute for wheat. Rice is known to bioaccumulate certain toxic metals, including arsenic and mercury from fertilizers, soil, or water..."
"People who reported eating gluten-free had higher concentrations of arsenic in their urine, and mercury in their blood, than those who did not. The arsenic levels were almost twice as high for people eating a gluten-free diet, and mercury levels were 70 percent higher."
Here is the link for that article if you want to look into it further. https://today.uic.edu/gluten-free-diet-may-increase-risk-of-arsenic-mercury-exposure
I think we can all agree on how dangerous fad diets can be and even more so how pointless some diets are. Gluten-free diets are obviously needed by some, but in regard to those who do not need to have these dietary restrictions, I agree that information is so important so one does not put themselves in danger. But there is a huge benefit to this fad: that it raises awareness to gluten free diets by raising demand for gluten-free products in grocery stores and awareness in restaurants. Sure there is potential individual harm if you are uninformed, but the only person accountable for your safety is yourself. I think the gluten-free fad has been more of a benefit in general.
ReplyDeleteI've known a person who had a severe case of celiac disease, and it is very hard to avoid gluten at all costs: I'd say that cuts your food options by like 80%. As his case was severe, he'd get rushed to the ER if he accidentally ingested some gluten. So it's incredibly important for people with this condition to have some selection of gluten-free foods and have labels on products, indicating whether they contain gluten or not. It may be useful for some other digestive issues, I looked into this at some point, and it could be helpful for some people. I think, however, that being on a gluten-free diet because it's "trendy," or to lose weight, or for some other nonsensical reason is disrespectful to people who do have to suffer from this condition daily.
ReplyDeleteThis is so true, so many people go along with the fad diet without doing proper research on the long term effects it could have. It is so important to get proper nutrients, no matter what diet you are on. However, I did not know that abstaining from gluten could have such negative effects on a person's health.
ReplyDeleteYour post contains several strong arguments against the "fad diet" of going gluten free. Growing up, I was surrounded by people who were gluten free. Most of them were either from those who suffer from Celiac's disease, or in the case of my mom, had other negative health effects from gluten consumption. Consequently, I ate a lot of gluten free food. Some of it was quite good. However, there is a key issue. Many people are jumping on the trend without attempting to understand why. There is a lot of misinformation in the world relating to many topics, but specifically diets. Making a choice is one thing, and can be commendable. But making a choice purely because of a social bandwagon is never something that should be encouraged or praised.
ReplyDelete