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While necessary for some, many people eat gluten-free diets because they believe they'll gain certain health benefits, but these beliefs are not all supported by research, a University of Florida nutrition expert says.
Those with celiac disease, or about 1 percent of the U.S. population, must follow a gluten-free diet because it's the only treatment for their condition, said Karla Shelnutt, a UF assistant professor in family, youth and community sciences. But gluten-free diets can lack essential nutrients if a person does not eat a balanced diet and/or take a multivitamin supplement.
Unlike their conventional counterparts, refined gluten-free foods, for the most part, are not enriched or fortified with essential vitamins and minerals. "If I'm a college student, and I want to lose weight, and I read on the Internet that a gluten-free diet is the way to go, I may start avoiding products that contain essential nutrients such as those found in cereal grains fortified with folic acid," Shelnutt said. "The problem is you have a lot of healthy women who choose a gluten-free diet because they believe it is healthier for them and can help them lose weight and give them healthier skin."
The $10.5-billion gluten-free food and beverage industry has grown 44 percent from 2011-13 as the rate of celiac disease diagnoses increases, along with awareness of gluten-free foods, according to Mintel, a market research company. Mintel estimates sales will top $15 billion in 2016.
One of Shelnutt's doctoral students, Caroline Dunn, wanted to know if gluten-free labeling has any impact on how consumers perceive the foods' taste and nutrition. In a one-day experiment on the UF campus in Gainesville in February, 97 people ate cookies and chips, all gluten-free. Half were labeled "gluten-free"; the other half labeled "conventional."
Participants then rated each food on a nine-point scale for how much they liked the flavor and texture. They also filled out a questionnaire, said Shelnutt, a faculty member with UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
About a third of participants said they believed gluten-free foods to be healthier than those labeled "conventional," a figure she thought would be much lower. While avoiding gluten-containing foods can reduce carbohydrate intake, thus helping some lose weight, many health experts say a gluten-free diet is no healthier than a conventional diet except for those with celiac disease.
originally posted by: rickymouse
I don't have problems with gluten but I do have a problem with lots of breads. I think it is something to do with my hypoglycemia. A multigrain bread seems to work all right and I designed a bread that I can tolerate better. Now I am not quite sure what the problem is, maybe the type of yeast used in many store breads or maybe something else.
It is really hard to test this as there are so many variables. It also may not apply to many other people.
I do feel there is something wrong with many of our commercial breads here in America though, it is a problem area. Is it the gluten or the source of the vitamin enrichment of the bread. Chemicals excreted by yeasts in too much abundance. Or is it the yeast used in these commercial breads or another additive. Is it that many people have a magnesium deficiency and magnesium is necessary for breaking down starches. By avoiding gluten they are lessening their starches and also lowering glutamine levels.
There are a lot of possibilities. different people could be having different reasons for feeling better yet ea lot of people are thinking it is the gluten. Some people can have an intolerance to this but it could be more than just the gluten.
originally posted by: bbracken677
a reply to: knoledgeispower
My youngest daughter has the gluten sensitivity, and frankly I am fine with people without the sensitivity wanting gluten free products. The more people request them, the more available and wide spread they are. A decade ago no one, hardly, knew what gluten was.
originally posted by: woodsmom
a reply to: knoledgeispower
Being a part of that one percent, I would like to repeat a sentiment made by another poster. The interest in this diet makes food that I medically need available for me even in Podunk Alaska. I agree that many of the fads that come around need to be researched before people decide to follow them, just like any new fad. Many thing have their own pros and cons, but the popularity of this particular fad has made some resemblance of my former life possible. I know that it is incredibly selfish, but after vomiting for 24 hours from being contaminated I have had to become that person when it comes to food that even enters the front door of my house.
On the other hand you are right about fewer nutrients in processed food, but that holds true in general. Many gluten free diets consist mostly of fresh foods since they are safe. In my case I have even traded out my cheesecake crust to one made out of almond flour and flaxseed meal, it's the first time in his life that my husband actually voluntarily eats flax in any form.
Mindfulness about what we consume in general would solve a lot of problems, but please don't be so fast to discount the minority when thinking about adherents to these fads. Supply and demand is a very real phenomenon.
originally posted by: bbracken677
a reply to: knoledgeispower
First of all, I would dispute that "our bodies are not made to handle meat" as our teeth are not those of an herbivore but, rather, an omnivore. We have canines....to what purpose if not to rend meat?
I make my own bread often. I enjoy it as a hobby, as I also make cheese and love to cook. If you wish to test whether it is commercially made bread that causes problems try making your own. Use your own bread for a few weeks and see if you can tell a difference in the way you feel. Of course, discounting the placebo effect will be problematic since you may feel better without a true cause. On the other hand, if you feel better who cares why?
I agree & hate it when people say "our bodies aren't able to handle meat". I always counter with "Really, cause last time I checked we've always hunted animals & ate their meat. The only difference is how some eat a lot of meat & the quality of meat is way different"
I've been very lucky that with my IBS like symptoms that I am still able to handle breads & they've become a huge part of my diet because of not having tons of money. Eggs & toast mmmmm or just toast on it's own. If I couldn't eat bread products, that would toss a huge stone in our (bf & mine's) diets & we'd have to spend a lot more money on substitutes.