I can guarantee that nearly every single person reading this article has heard about gluten-free diets, the most recent lifestyle trend. Though some people do have coeliac disease and others are actually diagnosed as gluten intolerant, a large proportion of people who are gluten free are doing so as a voluntary ‘healthy lifestyle’ choice. So why has gluten free become the most recent diet trend? And what actually is a gluten free diet? Is its fad status fact or fiction?
What is gluten?
A gluten-free diet is when someone avoids gluten, a protein composite that is found in wheat, and other grains, such as barley and rye. Foods that contain gluten include: pasta, bread, cakes, cereal, beer and even some more surprising foods – for example, certain brands of sausages have gluten in them.
The gluten-free fad:
Within the last few years gluten-free diets have become increasingly popular. A range of stick thin celebrities have voiced their love of this current lifestyle choice, including the likes of Miley Cyrus and Victoria Beckham. Judging by their slim figures it is no wonder that so many people have chosen to attempt to mimic their diets.
Despite this, there are currently no proven medical studies that show avoiding gluten will lead to either weight loss or a healthier lifestyle. Though some people claim to feel better from avoiding it in their diets, in some examples it actually leads to a worse diet. Gluten-free foods can be higher in calories, fat and carbohydrates leading to people actually gaining weight.
Dr. Daniel A. Leffler, Director of a Clinical Research Centre in Boston and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, warns individuals against the latest trend by stating that; “People who are sensitive to gluten may feel better, but a larger portion will derive no significant benefit from the practice. They’ll simply waste their money, because these products are expensive.”
Ultimately it would appear that a gluten-free diet is not all it’s cracked up to be and is deserving of its status as a ‘fad’ diet for the most part.
Edited by Mackenzie Orrock
Sources:
http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/benefits-and-downsides-gluten-free-eating
http://www.skinnygossip.com/community/threads/miley-cyrus.3484/