Are you gluten-free? This was the subject line in an email I received from Open Table, the online restaurant reservation people. The anti-gluten movement has become so mainstream that many restaurants are now recreating their menus to accommodate its adherents, and Open Table is letting its subscribers know that they’re on top of this.
Why have so many gone gluten-free? This protein found in wheat, barley and rye has been labelled toxic by some, and blamed for everything from weight gain to chronic fatigue syndrome. According to one website:
“If you suffer from acne, ADHD, autism, fibromyalgia, asthma, cronic fatigue syndrome, rheumatiod arthritis, constipation, or even depression it may be recommended to follow a diet containing no gluten. Research is also showing that patients who suffer from autism may benefit from a gluten free casein free diet.” http://www.the-gluten-free-diet.com/what-is-gluten.html
The belief that gluten isn’t good for us has also caught on in the sports world, where some athletes hope that avoiding it will help reduce the inflammation and gastrointestinal discomfort that plagues some eating the high carbohydrate diet recommended for sports performance. A recent study published in the respected International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found that 41% of athletes ranging from recreational to Olympic medalists avoid gluten at least 50% of the time (Lis et al 2015).
Many nutrition professionals are concerned about this trend, noting the restrictive nature of gluten-free diets. Whole grains are known to contribute to healthy bacteria in the gut and are associated with lower rates of heart disease and some cancers. For an athlete, avoiding gluten makes it even more difficult to get enough carbohydrate in the diet to pack muscles full of glycogen, the storage form of sugar which is needed for activities ranging from bench presses to marathons.
In an opinion piece in the New York Times on July 4th titled “The Myth of Big Bad Gluten,” science writer Moises Velasquez-Manoff suggested that our entire diet of foods high in sugar, fat, and antibiotics is responsible for an increase in immune activity which causes intolerance to gluten and other auto-immune conditions. He states that the contention that many are intolerant to gluten because it wasn’t eaten by early hunter-gatherers is not supported by scientific evidence which shows that we can adapt fairly quickly to new foods. According to Velasquez-Mannoff, focusing on gluten minimizes the scope of the problem.
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Some gluten avoiders may not be responding to an intolerance, but simply believe that gluten is unhealthy. This, too, is not supported by research. Massive studies have repeatedly shown that people eating diets high in whole grains, fruits and vegetables are healthier than those who don’t include these foods. True, if other whole grains are substituted for gluten this benefit will still be realized, but the eruption of gluten free products on the market suggests that many are reaching for gluten free breads, pastas and cookies that use processed flours. In fact, in a recent Australian study, 3200 food products were analyzed and no difference was found in nutritional quality other than that the gluten free varieties were lower in protein, to be expected as gluten is a protein.
The bottom line is that science does not support a health benefit for avoiding gluten except in cases of celiac disease or a true gluten intolerance, both of which are fairly rare. How do you know if you are intolerant to gluten? Do a gluten challenge. Avoid all gluten for 1 week, then add gluten foods back in for one week while carefully observing symptoms. Note energy levels as well as gut symptoms. You must repeat this procedure 1-2 times to make sure that gluten is causing your symptoms, and be careful to keep the rest of the diet the same over this time period, otherwise it might be another food substance causing your problem.
If you are avoiding gluten, how is this changing your over-all diet? Are you eating fewer processed foods? If so, this may be why you feel better. If not, check the ingredients and make sure the gluten-free products you’re using haven’t simply replaced processed white flour with other processed flours while leaving unhealthy ingredients such as sugars and saturated fats.
Remember that whole grains, including whole wheat, rye and barley, provide a host of essential nutrients. They also help colonize our gut with beneficial bacteria. If you’re an athlete, they provide an essential source of fuel. So think twice before jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon. It’s not a panacea, any more than fat-free was. Your diet as a whole is what will determine whether you are eating in a way to enhance your health or harm it – not a single food substance.