Is Gluten-Free Really a Healthier Way to Be?

Lately it seems that we hear more and more about gluten-free diets.  But what is gluten?  Why would an individual need a gluten-free diet?  Does a gluten-free diet have any health advantages?  Are there any risks to a gluten-free diet?  Why are we hearing more and more about gluten-free foods?  Let’s take a look.

What is Gluten?

Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley, and rye.  It is the protein that helps make baked products more elastic, providing it with a chewy texture when eaten.  Think about making bread from scratch.  When the dough is kneaded it seems pretty elastic and stretchy.  Gluten is the substance that makes the dough this consistency.  Gluten is also the protein that keeps the gases that are released during fermentation in the dough, so baked goods such as breads are able to rise prior to baking.

Why would an individual need a gluten-free diet?

A gluten-free diet is used to treat celiac disease, an autoimmune digestive disease.  Gluten causes inflammation in the small intestines of people who suffer from celiac disease, and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food.  Eating a gluten-free diet helps people with celiac disease control their signs and symptoms and prevent complications.

Does a gluten-free diet have any health advantages for individuals who do not have celiac disease?

Ironically, people who are going gluten-free to lose weight may end up disappointed. Gluten-free products tend to be higher in fat and sugar than other foods. Many gluten-free products have extra sugar or fat mixed in to substitute flours such as white rice flour or potato starch to make them more palatable. It’s not uncommon for someone with celiac disease to gain 20 or 30 pounds when they start a gluten-free diet. The best way to avoid weight gain when you’re eating a gluten-free diet is to focus on unprocessed foods such as fruits and vegetables.  In addition to celebrities, some parents who have children with autism are eliminating gluten from their diet with the hope that they’ll see an improvement. There’s no conclusive research that shows a gluten-free diet helps children with autism, but it’s something that’s being studied now.

What are the risks to following a gluten-free diet?

People who follow a gluten-free diet may have low levels of certain vitamins and nutrients in their diets.  Many grains are enriched with vitamins, and avoiding certain grains with a gluten-free diet may mean fewer of these enriched products.  Ask your dietitian to review your diet to see if your getting enough of the following:

• Iron
• Calcium
• Fiber
• Thiamin
• Riboflavin
• Niacin
• Folate

Is the incidence of Celiac Disease increasing?  Why are we hearing more about gluten-free diets?
Research studies in the United States and Europe show that celiac disease is significantly more common now than it was a few generations ago. Recent research at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, shows that this shift reflects an actual increase in prevalence, not merely a new awareness of the disease and more accurate diagnostic tools. The investigators at Mayo Clinic found that celiac disease is four times more common today than a half-century ago. The increase cannot be a result of changes in the genetic factors that underlie celiac disease, it’s far more probable that the increase is due to an environmental change, and the most likely factor is a change involving the grain in our diets. Consumption of wheat has increased steadily over the past 50 years, but it still is less than what it was a century ago, so the issue is not simple consumption, it more likely involves the wheat itself, which has undergone extensive hybridization as a crop and undergoes dramatic changes during processing that involves oxidizers, new methods of yeasting, and other chemical processes. There is no way to know what effect these changes may have on the immune system.

 

A second environmental factor that may be contributing to the increase in celiac disease is what is known as the “hygiene hypothesis”.  This theory proposes that the developing immune system has to be stimulated by exposure to infectious agents, bacteria, or parasites in order to develop properly. An increasingly clean environment reduces the number of factors that challenge and stimulate the developing immune system, making infants and children more susceptible to immune disorders and allergic diseases. The hygiene hypothesis may account, in part, for the increases observed not only in celiac disease, but in other allergies and immune disorders.

What about the cost of going gluten-free?  

Lets compare!!

Banana Bread

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

...versus...

Gluten-Free Banana Bread

2/3 cup light or dark bean flour
2/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 teaspoon xanthum gum
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/3 cup soft butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mashed banana (ripe)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray or grease a 9 x 5 bread pan. In a bowl combine the bean flour, cornstarch, tapioca flour, xanthum gum, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and cinnamon. Mix together with a wire whisk. In another bowl combine the soft butter and the brown sugar, slowly add the egg substitute and beat till fluffy. Add in the vanilla and mashed banana. Mix well. Add in the flour mixture till smooth. Pour into the prepared bread pan and bake for 50 - 55 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing and cool on a wire rack.

How do these recipes compare?

The average unit cost of the gluten-free product - $1.71
The average unit cost of the gluten containing products - $.61
Gluten-free foods, on average, cost a whopping 242% more than regular, gluten containing foods!

So, what is the take home message?

If you don't have celiac disease, keep that gluten in your diet!!!