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Who Needs to Go Gluten-Free?
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Do You Really Need to Go Gluten-Free?

A gluten-free diet is a must if you have celiac disease and may be helpful if you have non-celiac gluten sensitivity, but, if not, it could harm your health and your wallet.

Nutrition & Movement

HealthDay News

MONDAY, Jan. 29, 2018 (HealthDay News)—It seems like "gluten-free" labels are popping up everywhere, including on foods that never had any gluten to begin with. Is this a health bandwagon you should jump on … or shy away from?

Gluten is a protein found mostly in wheat, barley and rye. A gluten-free diet is a must for the 2 percent of the population diagnosed with celiac disease, to avoid serious intestinal inflammation.

Some people have a lesser condition called non-celiac gluten sensitivity and may feel better on a gluten-free diet.

What to avoid when you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity:

  • Wheat in all forms including durum flour, farina, graham flour, semolina and spelt.
  • Barley and products with malt.
  • Rye.
  • Triticale.

But for everyone else, gluten-free may just be costlier and could negatively affect digestive health because you're missing out on fiber. Consumer Reports also found that some gluten-free foods have more fat, sugar and/or salt than their regular counterparts and are short on nutrients like iron and folic acid, which are in foods with enriched-wheat flour.

Many products also replace wheat with rice. This is a concern because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been monitoring rice and rice products for the presence of small amounts of arsenic, which finds its way into rice from both natural and human sources. So, it's important not to overload on this grain, even whole-grain brown rice.

If you must cut out gluten, get fiber from other whole grains like amaranth, kasha, millet and quinoa, and from fruits, vegetables and nuts. And always read labels to be sure you're not replacing gluten with sugar and fat.

Learn More: How to Eat More Whole Grains

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