Should You Go Gluten-Free?

That's the question on many people's minds considering everyone from The New York Times reporters to Miley Cyrus are pondering the merits of a GF diet. But the answer, it turns out, isn't so simple.

For some people, about 1% of the population with celiac disease, eating foods with gluten causes severe damage to the lining of their intestines, which can lead to a host of uncomfortable symptoms as well as an increased risk of cancer. For them, avoiding gluten is crucial and no amount is safe. Families living with someone who has celiac disease have to take special precautions to avoid cross-contamination, say by devoting a toaster to gluten free foods and by taking care not to use the same serving utensils for dishing out foods that contain gluten along with foods that don't.

Far more people suffer from gluten sensitivity, a condition with complaints that range from headaches to fatigue to diarrhea. Doctors aren't sure why, but these people also feel better after removing gluten from their diet. Since there is no evidence of any actual damage, like the intestinal damage seen in celiac disease, these people don't need to be as hyper-aware of things like cross contamination.

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Then there are those who believe that giving up gluten is an enlightened way of eating. The boon of gluten-free products on the shelves and the celebrity following inspire this thinking, but in my view-and one I share with many experts-giving up gluten is akin to giving up fat in the 90s. Who else remembers going through a sleeve of Snackwell cookies simply because they were fat free? Years later, we learned that we were in sugar shock and calorie overload! Apply that logic to GF diets. If you're trading in whole wheat breads for GF versions, you may be falling into a calorie trap! I found some shocking examples, which I shared with Dr. Oz.

Related: 8 Ways to Cheat-Proof Your Diet

If you're looking to lose weight, a better way to go is to look at the ratios on your plate. Grains, whether they contain gluten or not, should generally occupy about a quarter of the space-about a half-cup worth of things like quinoa and brown rice (both gluten free) or whole wheat pasta and couscous. Fill half your plate with veggies and the remaining quarter with some lean and filling protein, like skinless chicken breast, flank steak, eggs, or tofu. And scale back on chips and baked goods, whether or not they contain gluten. (I know, a no-brainer, but still…)

What are your thoughts on going gluten-free? Let me know in the comments!


-By Samantha Cassetty, M.S., R.D.

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