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Many Americans are considering cutting back on the amount of gluten in their diets or avoiding it altogether. However, nutritionists say that if this is not done carefully, the diet can be unhealthy.
In a recent poll, 30 percent of adults said they wanted to "cut down or be free of gluten," according to The NDP Group, the market-research company that conducted the poll. That's the highest percentage of people to report having this goal since the poll began asking the question in 2009, NDP says.
Gluten is a protein found in many grains, including wheat, rye and barley. It's found in most breads, cereals, pastas and many processed foods, according to WebMD. People who havea condition calledceliac disease develop an immune reaction to gluten that damages the intestine, and so they need to avoid the protein. About 1 percent of the population has celiac disease.
For most other people, a gluten-free diet won't provide a benefit, said Katherine Tallmadge, a dietitian and the author of "Diet Simple" (LifeLine Press, 2011). What's more, people who unnecessarily shun gluten may do so at the expense of their health, Tallmadge said.
That's because whole grains, which contain gluten, are a good source of fiber, vitamins and minerals, Tallmadge said. Gluten-free products are often made with refined grains, and are low in nutrients.
If you embrace such a diet, you'll end up "eating a lot of foods that are stripped of nutrients," Tallmadge said. Studies show gluten-free diets can be deficient in fiber, iron, folate, niacin, thiamine, calcium, vitamin B12, phosphorus and zinc, she said.
"You can eat a healthy diet without gluten, but you have to be very knowledgeable, and most people aren't," Tallmadge said. People who go gluten-free may feel better because, to avoid the protein, they end up cutting out desserts and junk foods, thus losing weight. "They mistakenly attribute that to their gluten-free decision," Tallmadge said.
Heather Mangieri, a nutrition consultant and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, agreed. "There's nothing magical about eliminating gluten that results in weight loss," Mangieri said. Any of us that eliminates or removes cookies and candies from our diets, and replaces them with fruits and vegetables is going to feel better."
Before you switch to a gluten-free diet, you should be evaluated by your family physician, and a specialist who can determine if you have celiac disease. (To be diagnosed with the disease, people should see a gastroenterologist.) Other people who may need to cut back on gluten are individuals who have a wheat allergy — they need to avoid wheat, but not all grains — and people with gluten sensitivity, who may feel better when they eat less gluten, WebMD says.
If you want to go gluten-free, "do it the right way," Mangieri said.
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35 Comments
Add CommentYou have to be kidding me right? Have you examined what a typical grain free diet might include? I great amount of veggies, meat and healthy fats instead of the paltry amount of nutrition available in grains? I dare you to compare the nutritional density of an average SAD eaters diet and average paleo diet eater.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI can assure you that my daily nutritional profile is not lacking in anything and this fear mongering attempt to scare people into not getting these "foods" out of their diet is shameful. Clearly the grain producers and the Pharmaceutical industry has paid you to mislead the world.
Name any nutrients in "whole grains" that cannot be found in fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, nuts, seeds, or dairy? What the author ignores is that *most* people who are avoiding gluten are also avoiding fast-food joints and pasta restaurants, instead choosing to prepare our own foods or eat where we can get fresh foods. (Fast-food joints are about as far from whole grains as you can get!) http://grammarparrot.com/2012/10/08/should-you-eliminate-grains-from-your-diet/
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisCeliac is not the only consequence of gluten sensitivity. Think of a Venn diagram. The celiac circle is completely contained in the sensitivity circle, but is much smaller. Many other disease circles overlap the sensitivity circle to a greater or lesser extent, and most of them are autoimmune diseases. For some reason gluten intolerance has the ability to trigger autoimmunity. Lupus is above 90% congruent with gluten intolerance, and thus over 90% of lupus sufferers will have remission if they go gluten free. Rheumatoid arthritis is maybe 50% congruent. Depression, type one diabetes, and others less so, but may still be linked.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDon't try to talk people out of sensible decisions. Advise them on good alternatives.
(And what the heck has B12 got to do with gluten, pray tell? It's only found in animal products, and possibly microorganisms.)
@thinkitthrough I think they fortify grains with B12? I think naturally occurring B12 is better than fortified grains though...of course people that write these kinds of articles are trying to push us all into vegan-ism....which doesn't have a natural source of B12 as well.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisObviously 29% of the population has been brainwashed by commercial food processors who are currently pushing the gluten free trend. I find it interesting that those who embrace trend like this one are the least healthy individuals you'll find anywhere. Just go to a natural food store and look at the clientele - most appear sick. Are they sick and looking for natural food cures or are they sick because they eat that crap? Organic vegetables are filled with worms and disease - some possibly parasitic. Gluten fee foods lack the minerals and nutrients necessary for overall good health. Those who bypass the meat counter, and make stupid gestures at those of us who eat meat, lack all the necessary vitamins and nutrients for healthy brain function. Those who stick their nose up around peanuts are missing out on a healthy snack. The truly brain dead that pay $3.00 for a dozen eggs claiming to have omega-3 or less fat are fools and are wasting $2.00 a dozen. Those who only buy fee range chicken with no antibiotics are eating diseased birds and might as well pick a dead pigeon off the curb and eat it. Wake up people, its all about getting more of your hard earned money.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis article is not saying that a grain-free diet is unhealthy. They are simply explaining that going gluten-free (not grain-free), is not a necessarily healthy choice unless you have celiac or crohn's disease. And I don't feel that food is only about getting the cheapest price possible. I chose to spend less in other areas in my life in order to spend more on my personal food choices. Its not brain dead to want to support a food system that is less damaging to the environment.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this@littleredtop Organic foods have been feeding people for quite a long time...they haven't always had the chemicals we do today.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere is nothing wrong with organic vegetables...there is even an advantage to having a bit of dirt on them as the bacteria helps our immune system. Amish farm kids are some of the best in regards to getting sick and have less allergies.
Gluten free packaged foods suck but naturally gluten free foods like Fish and seafood, meats, nuts, eggs, vegetables, and fruits are good for you and have a ton of nutrition.
Birds that are fed properly are not diseased if they don't have antibiotics as they have a functioning immune system the same as us if we eat properly.
Your part about meat and getting nutrients for brain function is the only part of that post that was the least bit correct.
Commercial food producers push packaged Gluten free foods included processed grain foods, vegetable and seed oils, and other junk. They don't push organic vegetables and fruits...those interests push GMO crops that aren't organic.
Some of the comments have me totally baffled. It's lovely that you chose to follow the paleo diet and I hope you can follow that for as long as you think it works for you, but A. This article is not about a grain free diet, it's about a gluten-free diet (and there are plenty of grains that do not contain the gluten protein) and B. We have not lived like cave men in a LONG, LONG time. Do you move like a cave man moved? No. So you probably don't need eat like one. Just eat a sensible diet; eat a balance of macronutrients, a variety of REAL foods, and you'll be fine.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOne of the main problems with Gluten comes from the Gliadin subfraction or portion of the Gluten. Gliadin is a one prolamine among many.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv5RwxYW8yA&feature=youtu.be
All grains have these protein fractions called Prolamines. Wheat has the most but more than just wheat can cause problems for people.
This article makes two mistakes:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this1. It assumes that if people go gluten-free, they will substitute their bread/pasta/pizza/cakes with gluten-free versions of other cereal grains or pseudo-cereals. However, this is not always the case. Some people don't go for processed gluten-free food, but they eat more vegetables, fruits, fish, meat and healthy (non-vegetable oil) fats.
2. It assumes that only people who have gut issues should go gluten-free. First of all, 25% to 30% of all Americans have gut issues. But that's not my point at all. My point is that new research has shown that there is a HUGE amount of people who are NOT celiac, but they're gluten sensitive/intolerant. And when I say "huge", some put that number to 7 out of 10 people, and they believe that the rest 3 people will get it onset later in life anyway. Some say this is because gluten is indigestible by most humans, some others say it's because we don't ferment our grains anymore, and some others say it's because our wheat today is Frankenstein-wheat, developed in the '50s for high yield (and higher amounts of gluten). Or, it could be because of all three reasons. Consider that our pets have gotten AI diseases and IBS since the 1980s, which was the time that pet food manufacturers started putting gluten and grains into pet foods as fillers.
If you read anecdotal reports of thousands of people online who followed any of these low carb no-processed-food diets that disallow gluten & sugar for one reason or another, they had their auto-immune, inflammatory, or even mental conditions REVERSED, or, more accurately, they were made asymptomatic.
Having seen the effect on my own health (over 20 issues reversed for me), I now ask everyone around me to go gluten/GMO free, use coconut/olive/butter for oils, reduce sugars, soak their legumes for 24 hours, ferment their dairy (e.g. kefir), and use tamari for soy sauce (instead of the soy sauce we have these days which is infested with wheat). Avoid beer (go for cider and wine). A lot of diseases can be put on hold, or get reversed on such a regimen. And of course, I don't suggest that people should just go buy gluten-free breads/pasta/pizza alternatives. These are still processed foods and should be avoided completely. Eat real food.
"Eat real food not too much mostly plants." Michael Pollen
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMeaning unprocessed real foods including animals fed their natural diets such as mostly grass for cows. Also fish and seafood wild caught preferred.
Avoiding animal foods besides fish may be a benefit for a small subset of the population. ApoE gene test result of 3/4 or 4/4.
http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/atlcx-episode-35-dr-steven-gundry-high-fat-diets-good-vs-bad/17547
Mostly plants is not necessarily a requirement as there are healthy hunter gatherers who traditionally ate mostly fish and seafood with some animal fats with almost no vegetables who were robust and healthy. It most likely depends on your ancestors for what the ideal diet is and can vary.
http://jackkruse.com/brain-gut-6-epi-paleo-rx/
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis is a good example of the whole foods diet I'm talking about. Substitute non animal fats for the land animals if you get a 3/4 or 4/4 on an ApoE gene test.
Yes, wolfing down "gluten-free" processed goods is probably not the best eating strategy if one's main goal is a healthy, nourishing diet.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBut also-and just as emphatically-yes, replacing the processed foods (with and without gluten alike) the average American consumes with vegetables, lean meat, nuts, or any other type of whole food will, on balance, benefit most who try it.
Unless we're talking about the roughly 1% of the population who suffers from Celiac or Crohn's, gluten probably isn't the problem in and of itself. But for many who have made an effort to ease back on gluten only to be pleasantly surprised at their measurably improving health, the presence of gluten of serves as a reasonably good marker as to what types of foods aren't helping the effort to improve diet all that much; namely processed foods.
The problem I have with articles like this one is they operate under the assumption that the only way people remove gluten from their diet is by subsisting on sugar-laden, nutrient-free processed garbage with a "gluten-free" sticker slapped on the box. In reality, people usually end up eating foods that are more satiating, disrupt blood sugar less, and deliver nutrients without the sugar and HFCS that pervades the processed choices.
As for the two thirds of Americans who are either diabetic or who suffer from Metabolic Syndrome? Sugar and HFCS, don't hide, we all see you over there.
I was actually a little embarrassed for the author of this article. And downright ashamed of Scientific American for publishing this. I understand the revulsion to a new trendy thing being used as a marketing tool by manufacturers, but this article is fraught with unwarranted fear mongering and founded on (without stating them) poor assumptions as other commenters have noted.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"You can eat a healthy diet without gluten, but you have to be very knowledgeable, and most people aren't"
I found this to be particularly comical. I'm not one for fad diets, taking supplements that you probably don't need, and if someone wants to try out veganism, I would agree that you need to do some research and probably seek expert guidance. But gluten? If your diet consists of so much gluten, that replacing it with gluten free alternatives causes health problems; something tells me your diet is already causing you health problems. People also tend to forget that fruit and vegetables are excellent sources of fiber. You don't need gluten for fiber. And grains are not only a poor source of B12; even the fortified variety is not a reasonable substitute for an animal based source of B12.
The plural of anecdotes is not data.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"If you read anecdotal reports of thousands of people online who followed any of these low carb no-processed-food diets that disallow gluten & sugar for one reason or another, they had their auto-immune, inflammatory, or even mental conditions REVERSED, or, more accurately, they were made asymptomatic."
I believe you have it wrong. Fear was not the point. It simply stated that balance is important. If you go to extremes it has consequences. No fear in that is there?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPerhaps your diet is putting on the defensive.
I'd think if most were informed as to why they aren't eating gluten, then they'd be informed as to how to eat healthily.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMost gluten free foods aren't processed as opposed to so many processed foods than contain gluten.
I'm not celiac but have found I don't need ibuprofen or other drugs for my osteoarthritis lately since going off gluten containing foods. I make great baked foods with oats, buckwheat (which isn't wheat), quinoa, chickpea, sorghum and brown rice flours. Lots of protein and fiber in many of those. Also I seem to crave fewer carbs since reducing my intake. I did not do it to lose weight and no not one person who did it for weight loss.
I'm not going to take sides in this debate. However, for pure academic honesty,the author should have pointed out that the entire study this article is based upon comes from a paid industry shill. Notice how there is no link to the study itself, or to the NDP Group which performed the study? That is because NDP Group is not an academic research institution. It is a marketing research form which specializes in promoting specific industries. Paid shill.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIs it telling that the comments are far better informed than the original "article?" WEB MD and one dietician are your "resources" yet not a stich of critical analysis went into this piece. Let's make this simple, and since this IS SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, let's try to make things a bit quantifiable: Take 1,000 cals of any given wheat/gluten product (unfortified...it's telling again that you need to add nutrients to this stuff to avoid nutrient deficiencies). Now, look at 1,000 cals of fruit, veggies, roots and tubers.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEgads! Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and as the dietitian hand-wrung above, FIBER!!! LOTS of fiber.
SA, I've been a fan since my childhood, but please, you can do better than this. Vapid opinion pieces with not a whit of analysis....it's beneath you.
People also clung to the practice of smoking tobacco long after the evidence mounted that it was damaging their health.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe defense of grain eating rings hollow in the face of the increasing numbers of people who prove with their regained health that humans are not biologically designed to eat grain.
Our children will look back in dismay at the way we clung to eating grain despite the scientific evidence widely available of the ways it harms our human bodies (have you googled "grain" or "gluten" and "autoimmune disease" ?).
Watch Malcolm Gladwell on "How Much Proof Do We Need About the Harmfulness of Something Before We Act" to understand Scientific American's impulse to publish this vacuous, UNscientific defense of a practice that people cling to with emotional not rational behavior. http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2013/02/malcolm-gladwell-how-much-proof-do-we-need.html
The author misses the point.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI think most people can agree that it is better for optimum health to avoid processed foods in general. And that includes gluten-free foods made to imitate gluten laden foods.
I do not have celiac disease or similar, and would never have thought to remove gluten from my diet...seemed like a fad to me.
But since reducing carbs dramatically (including removing all bread/wheat products) to control my blood sugar, my acid reflux went away and I don't get sleepy after meals.
I removed too many types of foods to say definitively that removing the wheat was what helped with my acid reflux. Which is why I would LOVE for actual studies (long term if possible) to test for this.
American health has NOT been well served by pushing for more and more grains and less fat. Obesity and diabetes rates continue to rise.
I totally agree with most of the comments. I believe we are all gluten/gliadin intolerant to varying degrees. Just google "Dr. Tom O'Bryan Underground Wellness". Says it all.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI said goodbye to alopecia areata when I went totally gluten/gliadin free.
@9. Raiken3712: QUOTE: "...of course people that write these kinds of articles are trying to push us all into vegan-ism...."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI think all that B12 has impaired something up there, or the tin foil is not wrapped around tight enough.....
How did you get from "gluten-free may not be all that good for some" to vegan-pushers?
But if you are indeed concerned about health, then yeah, vegetarian diets are generally better (look at studies of comparable populations, or at some of the US studies of Seventh Day Adventists).
My son is on a gluten free diet, not because he showed any signs of gluten intolerance digestively speaking, or because he is overweight, but because there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that children with developmental delays and/or on the autism spectrum benefit from a gluten free diet. My son has motor planning problems on a global level and since putting him on the diet he has shown many improvements. I feed him very healthy foods and have tried to only replace things like pasta with store bought gluten free products. I make a ton of food from scratch and we eat loads of fruits and veg, dry beans, eggs, and yogurt. I also give him a multivitamin and fish oil. While I do realize that fad diets are dangerous, most people I know who are on gluten free diets do so not because they are trying to lose weight, but because they are trying to feel and thereby live better. Most of these people were healthy eaters to begin with. There is a very big community out here who are trying to do what is the best for our families and it's a lot of extra work and sacrifice to go gluten free. I think that should be respected and more thoughtfully considered.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis article specifically isn't pushing veganism. I was more talking about in general....those with an anti-Paleo or anti-gluten free agenda much of the time think that vegan/vegetarian diets are best for all. I could have clarified that a bit before.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisVegetarian diets that include fish Pescatarian are probably the best of those, but I find it completely unnecessary to drop meats completely as they are not unhealthy. Pescatarian depending on how it is structured is a fairly good diet. Vegan/Vegetarian diets with proper supplementation can be very good, but I'd rather eat natural meats and fish than take supplements for my DHA/EPA, B12 etc...
This article seems to blindly assume that people avoiding gluten would center their diet around PROCESSED FOODS labeled as gluten-free. What about all of those people who cook their own food and get most of their fiber from fibrous fruits and vegetables, especially assorted leafy greens? A varied diet of real food lacking gluten would not have the sorts of nutritional deficiencies this author suggests. I'm disappointed to find this sort of writing on the Scientific American website.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisCommon dietary staples such as cereal grains and legumes
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thiscontain glycoproteins called lectins which have potent anti-nutritional properties (Table 1) which influence the structure and function of both enterocytes and lymphocytes (Liener,1986; Pusztai, 1993). Wheat-germ agglutinin derived from dietary wheat products is heat stable and resistant to digestive proteolytic breakdown in both rats (Pusztai et al.1993a) and human subjects (Bradyet al.1978) and has been recovered intact and biologically active in human faeces(Brady
et al. 1978). Wheat-germ agglutinin and lectins cause damage to the base of the villi which includes disarrangement of the cytoskeleton, increased endocytosis and shortening of the microvilli (Liener, 1986; Sjolander et al.1986; Pusztai, 1993). The structural changes induced by wheat-germ agglutinin on intestinal epithelial cells elicit functional changes including increased permeability (Sjo-lander
et al.1984) which facilitates the passage of
undegraded dietary antigens into systemic circulation (Pusz-tai, 1993). High-wheat-gluten diets have been shown to induce jejunal mucosal architectural changes in normal
subjects (Doherty & Barry, 1981). Under normal circumstances, when the luminal concen-tration of intact dietary proteins is low, absorbed proteins generally elicit a minimal allergic response because of the limiting influence of T-suppressor cells. Because of their
resistance to digestive proteolytic breakdown, the luminal
concentrations of lectins can be quite high, consequently
their transport through the gut wall can exceed that of other dietary antigens by several orders of magnitude (Pusztai,1989a), and absorbed dietary lectins can be presented bymacrophages to competent lymphocytes of the immune system (Hurbyet al. 1985; Pusztai, 1989
a).Not only do dietary lectins increase gut permeability
(Sjolander et al. 1984; Greer & Pusztai, 1985) thereby
allowing increased passage of dietary and gut-derived
bacterial antigens into the periphery (Liener, 1986; Pusztai,1993), they may also cause a bacterial overgrowth which facilitates the preferential growth of gut bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus lactis
(Banwell et al. 1988)which are associated with the expression of RA because theycontain an amino acid sequence (Q(K/R)RAA) which is also
found in the gene products of the HLA system of a high
percentage of patients with RA (Auger & Roudier, 1997).
I don't understand why people take this so seriously. This isn't aimed at the enlightened, highly researched gluten free diet. It is about the "Average American" version of a gluten free diet, which is going to the regular grocery store and buying things that say gluten free instead of the gluten-full options. You would be sadly mistaken if you think even 20% of people who are "gluten-free" are replacing their breads, cereals, etc. with vegetables! Not likely, but someone is probably out there working on that research.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRegardless of what whether this article aims to participate in a culture of fear-mongering about our diets it makes an astute point. The core aim of any individual who seeks to eat healthily ought to be informing oneself about the appropriate nutrient intake required and the best foods to achieve this intake, without getting on a diet which is unsustainable. Given this premise (which is implicit in the above article, even if it is not the core focus), we can recognize that for most individuals (e.g. the majority of those 35% who wish to go gluten-free) there may not be sufficient evidence to support a gluten-free diet per se as a beneficial choice. Rather, it might be simpler (and cheaper) to seek healthy options regardless of whether or not those foods swagger through the grocery store wearing a noisy "gluten-free" label.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI can see how this critical point gets lost in the above article, which focuses more on the "risks" of going gluten-free rather than on whether or not the rationale is appropriate (e.g. by differentiating between whether gluten consumption or the consumption of foods that frequently co-occur with gluten are what causes these people to feel their diets need to be changed). Unfortunately, I think this gets lost in these kinds of debates because most people don't respond very well to statements like "your diet is unhealthy, so you need to stop eating candy and other junk food" because they've had such a difficult time following through in the past. On the other hand, novel explanations for poor health are more likely to motivate behavior change such as are emphasized by statements like "you suffer from a disorder which inflicts harm on your digestive system and can be solved by following this diet". In effect, these two statements are functionally equivalent: a systematically and persistently poor diet can be thought of as disordered eating and it certainly inflicts damage on the body. However the latter frame provides a potentially optimistic solution, even while the former no longer appears to be realistic.
Perhaps I am wrong in considering peoples' motivations, but I am otherwise puzzled to understand why so many people would seek out gluten-free diets rather than just cutting back on carbs, regardless of their gluten content.
neuroautomaton.com
I am simply overjoyed at the vast majority of responses posted here. I was beginning to think I was alone in the wilderness in so far as avoiding comestibles containing wheat/gluten. I also concur with several commentators that this article was well below SA normal standards. Yes, a big SHAME ON YOU, SA for this one. For what it's worth, I tried my first gluten free beer the other day (Sorghum based. I won't mention the brand. There are a number of brands available.) It was actually pretty good. Better than most of the swill sitting on the grocery/supermarket shelves.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat a bizarre article. I'm a vegetarian and avoid wheat. I don't eat 'crap' instead.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe essence of this article is like saying: "Don't stop smoking cigars because you will smoke more cigarettes'.
hint...there are more nutritional choices than bad choice 'a' and bad choice 'b'. I can get all the fiber I need from whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, etc.
Hi. I think you misunderstood the article. What the author said is that if you eat gluten free products only and you don't have knowledge about food in general you could have a deficit in important nutrients as niacin, iron and B12. Of course your diet is good, I am sure you know that you need to have a diet plenty of veggies etc. etc. but if you think that eating gluten free is healthier not considering a general idea of balanced and healthy diet you could do a general and nutritional mistake.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thispowertothebrain...not really. The article is written by an uninformed dabbler who knows zip about nutrition. We don't need uninformed dabblers protecting us from ourselves.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI think this article needs to be much more clear!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI myself have gluten, soy and dairy allergies. I can assure you my diet is very sound. That said I am educated on the topic and have, perhaps higer than the average bear, understanding of nutrition. If you were to replace all your current gluten products i.e. breads, wraps, cerial, sweets, sauces and thickeners with the current major brand offerings from GF providers you could indeed be worse off if you are not careful. My point on bread: Per the average American diet, you will consume bleached, enriched white flour as your mainstay for bread. This does have more nutition than white rice flour, tapioca starch and corn starch, The three main ingredients in the majority of big GF providers. Further, and unfortunately, they have a higher glycemic load. That's white for white comparison.
Your best bet is to purchase highly nutritious breads from a source like Living Free Foods, who produce Organic nutrient packed GF products that are made from amaranth, sorghum, millet etc. interstingly, stuff that other cultures have been eating and thriving on for thousands of years.
If you don't eat the junk GF foods and use smart replacement choices you will end up with a more nutritious diet that could exclude GMOs and nutrient void wheat and be free from the disastrous health issues wheat/gluten can cause.
Eat smart....to your health!
Dr. Thomas O’Bryan holds teaching faculty positions with the Institute for Functional Medicine and The National University of Life Sciences specializing in Gluten Sensitivity and Celiac Disease.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNumerous pain syndromes and Auto-Immune Diseases have been associated with an ‘alarm response’ to gluten. From peripheral neuropathies in diabetes, fibromylagia, (numbness and tingling in the arms and legs) to crippling migraines and ataxia, from acute myocarditis (inflamed heart) to chronic pancreatitis, from vitiligo (loss of pigment, resulting in white spots on the skin) to Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (Liver and Gall Bladder problems), from Multiple Sclerosis to Rheumatoid Arthritis, from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder to Epilepsy, in susceptible individuals, gluten may initiate this auto-immune response. 5,14
This response may affect tissue throughout the body and has been identified with brain and peripheral tissue 8, liver epithelial cells, pancreatic beta-cells 8, thyroid tissue 9, bone cells 10, skin tissue 11, skeletal muscle 12, myocardium 13, and the brain and nervous system. And it does not require the production of auto-antibodies to the intestines-that is, gluten intolerance can occur and be associated with other Auto-Immune Diseases without the diagnosis of Celiac Disease14. As an example, 57% of patients with neurological dysfunction of unknown cause have elevated antibodies to gliadin (a protein in wheat). Only 35% of this group also have evidence of intestinal damage (Celiac Disease). The remaining 65% have gluten sensitivity and elevated antibodies to the brain (cerebellum) or the nerves in the arms and legs, a situation analogous to that of the skin in Dermatitis Herpetiformis.14 It appears that wheat can directly stimulate an auto-immune attack on the brain and nervous system in sensitive individuals without the diagnosis of Celiac Disease. Elevated antibodies to gliadin and gluten are the immune system’s way of saying “this food is not good for me”. Many researchers have taken the position in the past, that if there are elevated antibodies to gliadin and gluten, but no Celiac diagnosis, then you don't need to avoid it. This position is historic and is in the process of changing. The idea that until the sirens are screaming, it’s ok to eat gluten containing grains, even if the immune system is saying “this is not good for me”, is a position that more and more doctors are realizing is causing unnecessary suffering.