Gluten-Free Diets – A Closer Look

I was visiting a friend from college, and we decided to spend the afternoon making birthday treats for one of our friends. We made over a dozen cupcakes, half using wheat flour, and the other half with a gluten-free mix (one of our friends has celiac disease and does not eat gluten). Walking through the grocery store to pick up more sprinkles (a must for cupcake decorating), I was amazed at the variety of “healthy,” gluten-free products that are available.

Have you noticed how many food brands today are marketing to consumers about their new “healthier” gluten-free products? General Mills^®, a company that makes Betty Crocker^®, Cheerios^®, Pillsbury^®, and Chex^® is just one mega-brand taking advantage of the latest diet fad: gluten-free.

Consumers spent nearly $2.5 billion dollars over the last few years on gluten-free products. Celebrities like Gwenth Paltrow and Oprah, along with NFL players and recording-breaking cyclists, have tried going gluten-free to improve their health or lose weight. So, after my afternoon of cupcake baking, I was very curious: is a gluten-free diet a.) healthier, and b.) does it lead to long-term weight-loss?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley and mainly gives foods an elastic quality—making breads and other baked goods soft and chewy. Unless an individual is diagnosed with celiac disease, an autoimmune disease effecting more than 3 million Americans, a gluten-free diet is not necessarily a “healthier” diet.

For those diagnosed with celiac disease, ingesting foods that contain gluten can irritate the small intestine and lead to many different health problems. Unfortunately, there is no cure for celiac disease. However, an individual with celiac disease can alleviate many of the disease’s related symptoms by avoiding foods that contain gluten.

For individuals without celiac disease, gluten-free products are not necessarily healthier lower-calorie options. Many gluten-free products are not fortified to include important nutrients, like thiamin, riboflavin and folic acid. In addition to missing out on important vitamins and minerals, even healthy-sounding gluten-free foods often contain more calories than their gluten containing equivalents.

In 2011, The American Dietetic Association confirmed “there is no scientific evidence supporting the alleged benefit that a gluten-free diet will promote weight loss.” Gluten-free products are not always low calorie foods, and ultimately are not “weight-loss” tools. Surprisingly, gluten-free products can actually be higher in calories than foods that do contain gluten. Gluten-free bread can be 1.5 times the calories of regular wheat bread, and gluten-free crackers can be up to 3 times the calories of the same size serving of wheat-based crackers. Though gluten is found in many high-calorie foods—pizza, cookies, cakes, and breads—gluten-free versions of these foods are not healthier, or more diet-friendly.

Overindulging in gluten-free birthday cupcakes will (sadly) not provide any more health benefits, and are not a low calorie, safe “diet” alternative. While our friend was very thankful we thought to make her special cupcakes, they did not contain any special health benefits or low calorie ingredients.
 

Ultimately, to improve one’s health and lose weight, making significant lifestyle changes—eating a low-fat, low calorie diet, having at least 5 fruits and veggies each day, and completing physical activity—has the greatest long-term results for weight loss. For more information on how to pick a diet, click here.

For more information about gluten-free diets or celiac disease, check out these sites:
http://www.celiac.org/
http://www.bidmc.org/celiaccenter
 
 

by sailGirl on 03/14/2012 | Share Story With a Friend

tags: nutrition