For the average eater, the words gluten-free are horribly confusing
This protein made up of the peptides gliadin and glutinin is found in grains such as wheat
semolina, rye, and barley. It's known for giving bread its airy and fluffy substance and dough its sticky texture
But recently, it's become notorious for sending dieters, restaurateurs, and the medical community
into a tailspin. Why? Because every time you eat a cronut or a turkey sandwich, your body either decides to break
the gluten down and absorb it or produce antibodies to attack it
The latter is known as celiac disease, and to a lesser extent, non-celiac gluten sensitivity
Avoiding gluten completely is, as of now, the only known treatment to help heal these conditions
But what about the rest of us who haven't been diagnosed? What really happens to the body when you give up gluten
You could lose key nutrients While gluten itself does not contain unique nutritional benefits, the whole grains that
contain the protein often do. Wheat-containing products like sandwich bread and cereals are fortified with B vitamins and
iron, but many gluten-free food options are not. Which means that, for people who keep to a limited diet of eating just cereal, sandwiches
and pasta, wheat is often the most nutritious thing they eat all day
Dietitian Andrew James Pierce, in-house nutritionist for the app Sugar Checked, warns that traditional
Gluten-free diets often rely heavily on highly processed and low-nutrient-dense starches, such as white rice, potato, and tapioca flours
He told us, It is certainly not impossible to meet the fiber and other nutrient needs on a gluten-free
diet — it just requires a higher level of diligence. Diligence could come in the form of B-vitamin-rich legumes, calcium-rich cottage cheese, iron-rich
turkey, and a whole bunch of vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables. You could have a calmer, happier stomach
Whether you believe in gluten diets or not it is scientifically proven that out of all the carbohydrates whole grains are the hardest to digest In a blog post for The Healthy Home Economist certified nutritional consultant Monica Corrado talks about five ways that whole grains can wreak havoc on your tummy
From the presence of sugars that are difficult to digest, to the theory that grains were
not meant to be ingested in the first place, she believes that temporarily eliminating all
grains can help heal the gut. Margaret Romero, an integrative nurse practitioner, finds most of her patient's stomach symptoms
improve with a gluten-free diet, even if they don't have celiac disease. She told The List
"...if a patient has no signs or symptoms, I don't put them on a gluten-free diet
But even minor symptoms, such as a little gas or bloating or persistent diarrhea constipation
is more likely to be improved on a gluten-free diet." You may have a more upset stomach
While Romero sees improvement for patients who ditch gluten, it's not the same for everyone
An article in U.S. News & World Report explains that, typically, Gluten-free foods, especially processed gluten-free foods, do not contain as much fiber as grain-based foods
And according to a study in the Journal of Nutrition, more than 90 percent of Americans
are not meeting the recommended daily amount of fiber. Fiber keeps things running smoothly
It's the roughage that your body can't digest that helps bulk up your poop
That same U.S. news article cites fiber as essential for maintaining regular bowel movements
preventing colon cancer, and supporting friendly gut bacteria. Thankfully, fruits, vegetables, potato skins, and legumes are all great alternative sources
of fiber. If you decide to go gluten-free, make sure to stock up on those
Anti-inflammatory benefits Medical News Today defines inflammation as the body's attempt to bring more nourishment
and immune activity to a site of injury in the body. In other words, it's a healing response
The problem, however, is when inflammation persists without reason. Chronic inflammation is at the root of America's most prevalent illnesses — heart disease
cancer, Alzheimer's, and a whole host of autoimmune conditions. According to Romero because gluten creates inflammation in the bodies of those who have allergies or sensitivities to it they quickly notice a significant reduction in symptoms when they remove gluten from their diets
These can include rashes, GI issues such as IBS, autoimmunity, and pain-slash-fibromyalgia
Withdrawal One of the first things that members of Food Addicts Anonymous give up is gluten
They recognize that eating wheat tends to spark compulsive eating. A scientific review from the Food Addiction Institute showed that self-assessed food addicts
in Overeaters Anonymous were successful in losing weight by dealing first with physical craving
and abstaining completely from their major binge foods, like the ones that contain wheat
Some food addicts cannot stop binging until they eliminate all wheat from their diet
Believe it or not, Dr. Leslie Korn goes so far as to suggest that detoxing from gluten
can be almost as difficult as getting off heroin. In her book, Nutrition Essentials for Mental Health, A Complete Guide to the Food-Mood
Connection, she talks about the prominence of people suffering from psychosis that are gluten-sensitive
She told us, This is not good news, given so many of these individuals are homeless and eating at shelters
serving gluten-rich foods. Fluctuating processed food intake With a gluten-free diet comes plenty of pre-packed, sugar-packed, crunchy, crispy, ooey-gooey
gluten-free treats. So, it's quite easy to feel like your choices for processed foods are justified as soon
as you see the gluten-free label. As a result, your processed food intake may rise higher than you expected
Pierce puts it this way, At the end of the day, a gluten-free cookie is still a cookie
But not all people reach for the brightly colored boxes of gluten-free munchies
Some people find themselves spending more time in the kitchen, roasting vegetables
chopping salads, and blending smoothies. evidence comes from the many food bloggers out there sharing their journey and cooking
up a storm of unprocessed gluten-free food. Protect yourself from leaky gut syndrome
According to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, the cells in your gut form tight
junctions that determine what comes in and what stays out They the gatekeepers if you will They keep out pathogens antigens and toxins and welcome in nutrients and water If not treated properly those gatekeepers develop holes that keep them from doing their job
This allows microbes, toxins, proteins, and partially digested food particles to get through
and flow freely into your bloodstream. This is what the scientific community has come to call leaky gut syndrome, and it's as
gross as it sounds. According to another study published in PubMed.gov, continually eating gluten will keep your junctions
open and your gut leaky. Your body may mistake your own tissues for gluten and remain in a chronic state of inflammation
which could lead to a host of autoimmune conditions. Cutting out gluten reduces this risk
You could clear your head. There isn't a whole lot of scientific evidence to support it, but the anecdotal evidence
is all over the internet. According to sources such as Allergic Living and Entrepreneur, many people report clearer
thinking after they give up gluten. The reason being? While they were ingesting gluten, they were experiencing brain fog
Although there is no official medical definition, people describe it as feeling tired, lethargic
and fuzzy-headed. And often, they didn't realize how bad they felt until they gave up gluten and started
thinking much clearer. One study found an increase in depression symptoms with a diet containing gluten
Another found that when they gave participants a pill containing gluten or placebo, their
symptoms were more severe when they swallowed the gluten-containing capsule. To gluten or not to gluten
So, what's a gluten-fearing girl to do? In the current war-torn state of the food industry, you're not going to get a clear answer
But if there's one thing that you can always rely on, it's yourself. Blindly eating whatever's within reach, without paying attention to its nutrition label or
how it's making you feel, is setting you up for heartache and heartburn
Does your Wednesday night spaghetti frequently end in tummy aches? Do you feel a lot better after eating a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal than a bowl of Cinnamon's
World cereal? Then follow your stomach. It's trying to tell you what to do