Why is everyone adopting a Gluten-Free diet?

Gluten intolerance is a fairly common concern. It’s characterized by adverse reactions to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye.

Gluten is common in foods such as bread, pasta, pizza, and cereal. Gluten provides no essential nutrients. People with celiac disease have an immune reaction that is triggered by eating gluten. They develop inflammation and damage in their intestinal tracts and other parts of the body when they eat foods containing gluten. A gluten-free diet is necessary to eliminate the inflammation, as well as the symptoms. Grocery stores and restaurants now offer gluten-free options that rival conventional foods in taste and quality; in years past, it was much harder to maintain a gluten-free diet.

So, perhaps, it should come as no surprise that people would embrace the gluten-free mantra. And embrace it they have. According to a survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center published in 2014, a full 63% of Americans believe that a gluten-free diet could improve their mental or physical health. And up to a third of Americans are cutting back on it in the hope that it will improve their health or prevent disease.

There is at least some truth in the idea that gluten can be harmful. As mentioned before, people with celiac disease avoid sickness and maintain much better overall health if they stick to a gluten-free diet. For them, a gluten-free diet is nothing short of essential.

And then there are people described as "gluten-sensitive." Their tests for celiac disease are negative and yet they get symptoms (including bloating, diarrhea, or crampy abdominal pain) whenever they eat foods that contain gluten. One cause is a wheat allergy, a disorder that can be diagnosed by skin testing. But for many, the diagnosis remains uncertain. Some have begun calling this "non-celiac gluten hypersensitivity," a poorly defined condition about which we have much to learn.

Avoiding gluten makes sense for people with celiac disease, wheat allergy, or those who feel unwell when they consume gluten.

What About Everyone Else?

There is no compelling evidence that a gluten-free diet will improve health or prevent disease if you don't have celiac disease and can eat gluten without trouble. Of course, future research could change this. We may someday learn that at least some people without celiac disease or symptoms of the intestinal disease are better off avoiding gluten.