Is Gluten-Free Better?

Gluten is the protein found in wheat, rye and barley which causes an adverse reaction in people with certain health conditions. 
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​More and more people are going gluten-free by choice but are their lifestyle choices evidence-based? Does going gluten-free yield any benefits at all? ​​

Unless you have been diagnosed with coeliac's disease/gluten intolerance/sensitivity, in which case a G/F diet is NECESSARY to ensure adequate nutrient absorption and to prevent damage to the gut

First we need to understand why some believe that gluten is bad or unhealthy. Those beliefs often arise because a small amount of gluten can trigger an autoimmune response and in addition to damaging the lining of the small intestine, making the body unable to absorb nutrients and causing nutrient deficiency, growth problems and weight loss, complications such as multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis and neurological conditions may also arise.  

BUT
what if you don't fall under the above categories?

Gluten-free diets are often boasted as a "healthier" way of living and a weight loss diet. Yet, on so many levels, these claims are unfounded and lack supporting evidence. ​​

Weight Loss

• Whether gluten is present or not has no correlation with the quality of someone's diet. The essential criterion is the overall quality of the diet, determined by the person's food choices in general. 
• if people lose weight after going gluten-free, it is probably because they have excluded a wide range of food items from their diets (this is especially true if the person eats a huge amount of bread and pasta before) and hence cutting calories from their normal diet.The intake of excess calories is the reason why people gain weight and gluten has little to do with this
• it should also be noted that gluten-free items tend to be higher in calories (to make up for texture and flavor loss)
• worse still, gluten-free options are lower in protein (because gluten is a protein), higher in fat and carbs, not ideal for weight loss

Health

• As mentioned above, the quality of someone's diet determines their health 
• if someone decides to go gluten-free and gives up pasta, bread etc and replace these options with fruit and veg, it is likely that the person becomes healthier
• but if they just buy the gluten-free/free from substitutes, it doesn't make any difference. In fact they might even be taking in more calories because as mentioned, they tend to be slightly higher in energy
• ready-made (store-bought) gluten-free options tend to be lower in fiber and vitamins and minerals and higher in salt

Taste and Texture

• many people don't like the gluten-free texture (gritty, rubbery, less airy/fluffy bakes because gluten holds the structure)

Financially

• Without doubt, gluten-free alternatives definitely cost more than normal counterparts unless you are choosing wholefood or oats (oats are naturally gluten-free but they might be processed in equipments that handle gluten)