How to NOT Become a “Gluten Fashionista”
I read an interesting study recently (yes, that’s what I do…) and found this stat: Currently, around 25% of the population reports keeping a gluten-free diet, and many of them don’t understand what it means.
I wondered what that meant, I mean, a gluten-free diet is a gluten-free diet. Not so hard. But I read on and learned a lot. This blog post is about what it means for all of us who are gluten-free or want to be gluten-free.
Have you ever gone to a dinner and a dining companion orders a gluten-free meal but then digs into the cake for dessert? The authors of the journal article: Navigating the Gluten-Free Boom: The Dark Side of Gluten Free Diet, call these people “Gluten Fashionistas” because going gluten free has become so mainstream, especially in Western populations around the world. It’s like today’s fashion trend, they counter. And they believe that most of us on a gluten-free diet really don’t know all the facts.
I believe in bio individuality. What diet works for one person, may not work for another. And we all need different diets at different times in our lives. So, you may be one of those people on a gluten free diet because it makes you feel better. Lots of people report improved health and increased energy. And that’s great. But as the article explains, you need to know all the facts about going gluten-free, whatever the reason. Don’t be a fashionista.
Going completely gluten-free is hard: Because. Gluten is EVERYWHERE. So if you are on a gluten-free diet, like me, you’ve probably cheated. Maybe you’ve eaten the cake. Studies show that even Celiacs, who need to be on a gluten-free diet, have an exceedingly difficult rate of compliance. Reasons like social pressure, expense, misleading food labels, taste and bad advice were cited in this article, Gluten Free Diet, as reasons why it’s such a difficult diet for to follow.
And there’s this: gluten is considered a “universal food additive”. It’s used as a thickener, flavor enhancer, filler, or emulsifier in many processed food products. So if you are considering a strict gluten-free diet for any reason, processed food is a no-go.
Wheat is relatively healthy food:
Wheat is one of the building blocks of nutrients for a well-rounded diet. Here’s what wheat provides:
Dietary fiber
B Vitamins (especially B1, B2, B3, B6, B9)
Minerals, notably iron, zinc and selenium
According to our authors, wheat, along with barley, provides 81% of your oligo fructose and inulin average for North Americans. Those are prebiotics. Prebiotics act like fertilizers that stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut. So if you want a healthy gut (and you should), you need to find your prebiotics from different sources. Try foods such as onions, leeks, garlic, asparagus, artichokes and unripe bananas.
Going gluten-free doesn’t automatically make you healthy:
In fact, it may make you less healthy. (What? Ugh. I was hoping that my new diet would change my health overnight!)
There’s a common misnomer that gluten-free foods are healthy and there’s really no evidence for that according to the authors. While it’s true that gluten free foods remove a major irritant to many of us, as I stated before, nutrient replacement is a must. Here’s some studies that point to the nutrients we miss from being on a gluten-free diet. And it’s not just because we are abstaining from wheat.
The authors studied gluten free breads in particular and found that they were lower in protein. Only 5% of the studied breads were fortified with the four mandatory fortification ingredients: calcium, iron, niacin and thiamin. Lost nutrients.
And gluten-free menus are “significantly lower in protein, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E, folate and sodium, along with being lower calcium and higher fat.” (From this study: Gluten-Free Diet) Ugh.
Another study showed that a gluten-free diet is deficient in fibers, proteins, folate, iron, potassium and zinc, while higher in fat, carbs, sugars, FODMAPs (we will discuss in a future blog post) and sodium. Learn more here: Gaps in Gluten-free diet.
And here’s another interesting stat: After an average of 12 years on a gluten-free diet, 31% of celiac patients still have increased inflammation. (Study: The gut) Isn’t gluten-free supposed to be healing? Perhaps not in the way we thought.
So there’s something about a gluten-free diet that is still not completely “healthy”. It feels counter-intuitive, doesn’t it?
A Gluten-Free Diet May Not Be Great for your Mental Health
There have also been studies around the effects of a gluten free diet on mental health. While the strongest association has been around depression, there is also a suggestion that a gluten free diet, like many other restrictive diets, may be associated with an eating disorder. (This Study). More studies need to be done on these connections.
A Gluten-Free Diet is Toxic?
It could be. Common substitutions of fish and rice by many people on a gluten-free diet could cause an increase in heavy metals in your body. This study, Heavy Metals showed that people who were on a gluten-free diet, whether celiac or not, had increased blood levels of mercury, lead and cadmium compared to persons consuming gluten. Another study showed that the accumulation of toxins was related to the gluten-free diet, not to other ramifications of celiac disease. Learn more here: Gluten Free Fad.
There is also a suggestion that some enzymes used as food additives in gluten-free products are factors driving the development of celiac disease. More study needs to be done here, but the suggestion is interesting.
So Now What?
I may have dashed your hopes that your gluten-free diet will solve all your problems. And I admit, I was shocked reading this study and that’s why I wanted to bring it to you. But the authors don’t leave us hanging. Here are their suggestions for both celiac patients, people with autoimmune conditions and really, anyone who wants to rid gluten from their diets.
1. Educate yourself on the gluten-free diet.
Understand where gluten resides, especially in processed foods and restaurant foods. Difficult, I know. If you are interested in a future blog post on where that stealthy gluten is found, reach out!
2. Reduce your reliance on gluten-free processed foods.
Which are high in calories and low in nutrients anyway.
3. Rely on healthy foods to increase nutrition, reduce toxicity and other conditions that may be associated with a gluten-free diet.
The authors suggested the Mediterranean diet as it’s one of the most studied and successful one as it relates to chronic diseases. They go on to say that it also affects your microbiome favorably, which is something we will cover in a future blog post. My note is that any diet rich in vegetables and quality proteins and fats will be a great boost to your health.
4. Consult a Dietitian, Nutritionist or Health Coach
I didn’t add that, it was actually in the study, ha! The authors do mention that a professional would help you increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, help you rebalance your microbiome, and keep you up to date on education around your particular condition and the nutrient values of gluten free products.
The Bottom Line
A gluten-free diet is an “approved therapy” according to the authors for celiac disease and other gluten related conditions. Like autoimmune. I’m currently gluten-free and expect to continue to be so for the foreseeable future. So I’m not telling you to ditch the gluten-free diet, especially if it makes you feel better.
If you are on a gluten-free diet, one thing you can do is grab a journal and start a food diary. Write down everything you eat for a week, then review it. Think about what you are eating on a regular basis and what you might be missing from your diet.
And of course, if you want to talk it through…write me at barwellness@comcast.net.
To A Healthier You!
Bev