'Gluten-free diet’ aka the new fad. Many people are trying to go gluten-free because they think it’s healthier, may treat their ‘sensitivity’ to gluten, or possibly even because it’s trendy. But unless you have been diagnosed with a condition in which gluten is clinically deemed as harmful, a gluten-free diet does not make much sense. In fact, people who choose a gluten-free diet just end up spending more money for something that is not beneficial to them.

In 2013, the gluten-free fad made Americans spent $10.5 billion worth of gluten-free food products. And in the past four years, gluten-free products sales have increased from $11.5 billion to more than $23 billion.

Gluten and Your Health

In general, gluten is not exactly beneficial or detrimental to our health. However, gluten can be harmful to people who suffer from celiac disease, a chronic digestive disorder that occurs with gluten consumption and leads to damage in the small intestine. These people cannot eat gluten at all. When people with celiac disease eat gluten, the protein is treated as an invader by the body. This in turn triggers an immune response which attacks and damages the small intestine. As a result, the small intestine is unable to absorb nutrients. 90 percent of the digestion and absorption of food occurs in small intestine. Without this essential function, a person can suffer from nutritional deficiencies.

There are many other people who choose to cut out gluten from their diet as a result of being ‘gluten-sensitive.’ This is often referred to as non-celiac gluten sensitivity. However, this is generally a poorly defined condition. People who claim to be gluten-sensitive do not have celiac disease, yet they suffer from similar symptoms of the disease such as bloating, cramps, and diarrhea after eating foods that contain gluten.

Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free

People who have been diagnosed with celiac disease should avoid gluten. But for people who do not have celiac disease, or claim to be gluten-sensitive, there is no strong evidence suggesting that a gluten-free diet will improve your symptoms or your overall health. In fact, a gluten-free diet may even be less healthy or just cost you more money.

Many people believe that gluten-free foods are healthier because they have more minerals and vitamins than foods with gluten. However, this is usually not true. Gluten-free foods often have less iron, folic acid, iron and other nutrients compared to foods with gluten. They also often have more sugar and more fat. There have even been studies that suggest gluten-free foods may cause weight gain and obesity. Additionally, many gluten-free products contain rice flour, which may contain higher levels of arsenic.

Studies Around Eating Gluten-Free

A previous study indicates that, with the exception of people with celiac disease, the issue is not gluten at all. This would mean that there is no such thing as gluten-sensitivity or intolerance. Researchers believe that the culprit for the associated gastrointestinal issues may be caused by FODMAPs, which are short-chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine.

The study showed that the presence of absence of gluten was not a reliable trigger for gastrointestinal distress. FODMAPs, specifically fructan (which is also found in wheat) may be the real trigger. FODMAPs are rapidly fermented by bacteria in the bowel as they are not absorbed. This causes fluid retention and the buildup of gas, leading to gastrointestinal symptoms. When the researchers removed FODMAPs from the participants’ diet, the symptoms improved.

It is important for people to know that “gluten-free” does not mean more natural, healthy or lower in calories. Many times whole grains, vitamins, and minerals that gluten is combined with are essential to health. If gluten is cut out from your diet, you must find ways to properly supplement those vitamins and minerals. Gluten is the component of dough that gives it its elasticity which helps it rise, gives it shape and texture. When gluten is removed from foods, additional fat and sugar is added in order to bind materials together and maintain gluten’s usual function.

Be Aware of Google

The bottom line is that being aware of gluten is essential if you have been diagnosed with celiac disease. But if you haven’t, it is not necessary to be on a gluten-free diet. The potential “dangers” of gluten are mostly over-marketed and not based on sufficient scientific evidence. Don’t let these fad diets trick you.

Fortunately, it seems as though we are getting closer to understanding what causes gastrointestinal symptoms in people without celiac disease. The most important thing you can do is not to be concerned with whether you should be gluten-free or not, but instead try to eat a clean and healthy diet on a regular basis. Avoid, or at least limit, processed foods and foods that are high in fat and sugar. Listen to your body. If certain foods are causing you to be symptomatic, cut them out from your diet. Rather than self-diagnosing yourself with a poorly understood condition such as ‘gluten-sensitive,’ ‘gluten-intolerant’, or ‘non-celiac gluten sensitivity’, simply figure out what foods work best for you and go from there. Until one of these conditions can be scientifically confirmed, that is the best and smartest thing you can do for your health, mind, and wallet.