Gluten free products have hit the market hard and it is easy to mistaken gluten free for healthier alternative with the amount of media attention to these products. Unless you are celiac or have gluten intolerance this is certainly not the case as many gluten free products tend to be lower in fibre making it more difficult to stay satisfied over an extended time period and as a result making maintaining healthy weight difficult. So why is there a need far beyond a fad to have a diverse range of gluten free products? The reason is for people who are gluten intolerant or have celiac disease have an immune related response in their guts when exposed to the proteins in wheat, rye, barley and controversially oats. An exposure over a very small amount (about a tenth of a piece of bread) can lead to damage of the intestinal wall of those who are celiac and a little slip up say having a custard slice is really not ok.
Products which contain wheat, rye, barley and oats are full of whole grain goodness which include fibre to help your guts stay healthy, keep you fuller for longer and help maintain a healthy weight as well as contribute to a healthy relationship with the bathroom. Wholegrains help you maintain healthy blood cholesterol levels by lowering overall cholesterol levels and triglycerides, this helps reduce your risk of heart disease. Wholegrains also contain additional nutritional benefits like:
- B vitamins needed for your body to make energy from the food you eat.
- Iron (non-haem or animal form) which is needed to transport oxygen around your body.
- Good source of protein which is important to help your body create new cells like muscle cells.
- Zinc to help your immune system work at its best.
- Magnesium for healthy teeth and keep your muscles fuelled optimally.
If you aren’t celiac there is no harm in removing gluten right? Well not necessarily. If you remove gluten from your diet the body can lose its ability to digest gluten and potentially make you more sensitive to gluten if you reintroduce it to your diet again. This limits your ability to enjoy foods with gluten as a consequence which is a sad consequence for long term enjoyment of gluten containing foods and beverages.
Take home message: If you do feel you may have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity see your doctor who can refer you onto the appropriate diagnostic tests to ensure it is the case. If you are identified as someone who is celiac or have gluten sensitivity see an Accredited Practicing Dietitian who can help you manage your diet to be able to meet all your needs for health. It may seem ‘cool’ to follow a gluten free diet but the consequence to your health if not needed is not completely risk free for overall gluten sensitivity. Enjoy a range of foods as variety gives your body different nutrients and ability to enjoy gluten foods should be enjoyed and celebrated rather than condemned over a fad trend.
