Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
ResearchCommentaryGluten-Free Diet: Imprudent Dietary Advice for the General Population?
Section snippets
Indications for a Gluten-Free Diet
Gluten is a protein composite consisting of gliadins and glutenins, and is found in foods processed from wheat and related grains such as barley and rye. There is a spectrum of gluten-related disorders, including celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and wheat allergy.1, 2 Wheat allergy is an adverse immunologic reaction specific to wheat proteins.1, 2 Prevalence of documented wheat allergy is quite low, estimated at only about 0.1% of individuals in Westernized countries.1 Because wheat allergy
Gluten-Free Diet and Weight Loss: Where is the Evidence?
Despite the growing popularity of gluten-free diets and celebrity endorsements of the merits of a gluten-free diet for weight loss,4, 5 there are no published reports showing that a gluten-free diet produces weight loss in persons without celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. There are a number of studies of patients with celiac disease that reported weight change as an outcome measure following a gluten-free diet.17, 18, 19 Strict adherence to a gluten-free diet in celiac disease generally
Wheat and Gastrointestinal Health
Naturally occurring fructan-type resistant starches in wheat, such as oligofructose and inulin, are beneficial for creating a healthy composition of gut bacteria,21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and these diet–microbe interactions in the colon may protect the gut from some cancers, inflammatory conditions, and cardiovascular disease.27, 28 Wheat is the most widely consumed grain in the United States, and contributes approximately 70% to 78% of the oligofructose and inulin in typical North
Gluten and Health
Gluten itself may actually be beneficial to the diets of individuals with dyslipidemia without celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. In 24 adults with hyperlipdemia, increased consumption of wheat gluten for 2 weeks on a weight-maintenance diet reduced serum triglycerides by 13%.34 In this randomized crossover study, subjects consumed diets that differed with respect to gluten, wheat fiber, and bran content. The higher gluten content of the diet was achieved by having subjects consume bread
Conclusions
Gluten-free diets are clearly indicated for patients with celiac disease or for persons with gluten sensitivity, and may be beneficial for individuals with other chronic autoimmune disease conditions such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes.12, 13 With the substantial growth in the gluten-free products market,2 a greater number of food choices are now available to individuals for whom gluten avoidance is essential. There are many gluten-free grains available to help
G. A. Gaesser is a professor, Exercise and Wellness Program, Healthy Lifestyles Research Center, School of Nutrition and Health Promotion, Arizona State University, Phoenix.
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2020, Clinical Nutrition ESPENCitation Excerpt :It was possibly caused by the adoption of a “new diet” because weight loss was similar between those that initially received GLU-M or GF-M. Based on our results, we concluded that the adoption of GFD for a short time (4 weeks) was ineffective in reducing body weight or improving fat and fat-free body mass. Regarding the risk and benefits of GFD, it has been described that it is associated with lower consumption of protein and fiber and a higher intake of total and saturated fat [1,20–22]. The main causes of this nutritional imbalance seem to be the intake of gluten-free commercial preparations, frequently containing more lipids and less fibre than the natural gluten-containing foods [23].
Oral processing and dynamics of texture perception in commercial gluten-free breads
2020, Food Research InternationalCitation Excerpt :Over the last decade, there has been a growing demand for commercial gluten-free products, resulting from the increase in the detection of different gluten-related disorders including coeliac disease, wheat allergy, non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (Henggeler, Veríssimo, & Ramos, 2017; Sapone et al., 2012), and the wrongful conviction that a gluten-free diet is healthy (Christoph, Larson, Hootman, Miller, & Neumark-Sztainer, 2018; Gaesser & Angadi, 2012).
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G. A. Gaesser is a professor, Exercise and Wellness Program, Healthy Lifestyles Research Center, School of Nutrition and Health Promotion, Arizona State University, Phoenix.
S. S. Angadi is a postdoctoral scholar, Exercise and Metabolic Disease Research Laboratory, Translational Sciences Section, UCLA School of Nursing, Los Angeles, CA.
FUNDING/SUPPORT Preparation of this article was supported in part by a grant from the Grain Foods Foundation.
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST G. A. Gaesser is chairman of the Grain Foods Foundation Scientific Advisory Board.