Are
you going gluten-free? If so, you are in
good company. Many Americans are
reducing the gluten in their diets. Some
are doing this because they have a confirmed diagnosis of Celiac disease, some
are gluten sensitive, and others are finding that reducing gluten aids them in
weight loss.
What is gluten? Gluten is a protein found
in certain grains such as wheat, barley, rye, spelt and semolina. It not only gives baked goods their
characteristic texture and chewiness, but it is also used in the processing of
many other foods to add thickness, flavor and added protein.
If
someone has Celiac disease, they have a condition in which the body experiences
an immune reaction when gluten is eaten.
The result is damage to the inside of the small intestine, which impairs
absorption of nutrients. Gluten
sensitivity is different in that the reaction to gluten is less severe and less
damaging to the small intestine, but physical symptoms are still present, such
as nutritional deficiencies, gastro intestinal difficulties and headaches. In
spite of their differences, both conditions are treated by removing gluten from
the diet.
It
is not just those who have a diagnosed sensitivity to gluten who are removing it
from their diets, though. Many healthy
people are reducing gluten, usually because they are interested in reducing
carbohydrates in their diets. Most
breads, pastas and baked goods contain carbohydrates, because they contain
wheat. If you are interested in lowering
your carb intake, going-gluten free is one way to do that because traditionally,
many baked goods are made with wheat, which is high in gluten. When you remove wheat from your diet, you
have fewer choices when it comes to carbs.
But
“fewer choices” does not mean “no choices.”
With the explosion of interest in gluten-free products, food
manufacturers have stepped-up the production of baked goods that look, taste
and feel like traditional, gluten-containing foods, but are in fact,
gluten-free. From breads to cinnamon
rolls to pastas, there is a gluten-free food to satisfy nearly any craving you
might have.
This
is good news for those who need alternatives, but it is also bad news, because
it is easy to mistake gluten-free for
carb-free. The two are not the same. Carbs are found in many other grains and
foods, and are often present in significant amounts in gluten-free
products. It is tempting to think that
because a cracker or brownie is gluten free that you can eat as many as you
want. You can’t. Those crackers
and brownies are likely to be very high in carbs and calories, as well as other
unhealthy ingredients, such as sugar.
When you eat these foods, you are simply trading one carb source for
another. If weight loss through carb
restriction is your goal, this will slow down your progress.
Your best defense is to be
informed. Know what you are eating. Before you eat a gluten-free product, read the
label. Check the ingredients, the carb
and sugar count and the number of calories it contains. And stay on the lookout
for foods that are both low in carbs and
low in gluten. And of course, practice
moderation. Too much of anything is
seldom healthy.