Should we all go gluten free?
Beyond those sensitive to the protein, there can be both risks and benefits
A growing number of Canadians have adopted a gluten- free diet in recent years. But there’s still plenty of skepticism and questions about whether it is of any measurable benefit to many of those who have decided to follow it. We consulted with a dietitian and a nutritionist about gluten- free diets and what it means to go gluten- free, the benefits and risks, as well as some important lessons we can take from it. Gluten is a protein found in wheat and other grains, including barley and rye. It acts as a binding agent: for instance, it’s the component of wheat that gives bread its chewy texture — a property that makes it a popular additive in many processed foods.
According to the Canadian Celiac Association, it’s estimated that one in 133 Canadians suffers from celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder whereby gluten damages the absorptive surface of the small intestine, rendering the body unable to absorb nutrients from food. For celiac patients, gluten makes them seriously ill. They cannot eat it and must find alternatives.
Many others suffer from varying degrees of gluten sensitivity — although the diagnosis isn’t entirely clear. “Not as much as known about gluten sensitivity,” says Holly Kerr, a registered dietitian in Toronto. “But we know that while the symptoms may be similar — abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea and gas — a gluten sensitivity is not celiac disease.
People with gluten sensitivity will benefit from a gluten- free diet, but if they consume gluten, they do not damage their small intestine.” Is there any benefit to the broader public in adopting a gluten- free diet? Kerr doesn’t generally recommend it.
“A common mistake I see people make is that in an effort to go gluten- free, they end up increasing their intake of processed foods — something that virtually all of us could probably use less of,” she says. “Instead of eating whole foods, they shop for processed foods displaying the label ‘ gluten free,’ many containing too many calories and sodium, and not enough fibre.”
Another problem with a glutenfree diet, Kerr adds, is that it can be more complicated than it looks. Those who need to remove it from their diets, she notes, discover quickly that it’s more than simply cutting out bread or grains. This is because gluten can be found in places they might not expect — including medications and as an additive to processed foods. It becomes crucial to look more closely at food labels.
But there are other risks. As Kerr points out, if someone isn’t careful to maintain a balanced diet in the absence of gluten, they may wind up with nutrition deficiencies.
“Instead of cutting out any one category of food,” she says, “focus on eating unprocessed, whole foods.”
Meghan Telpner, a nutritionist and author of The UnDiet Cookbook ( Random House, 2015), takes a different view. She acknowledges the risks for those who think they can go gluten- free simply by picking up processed foods with the “gluten- free” label, as well as the importance of a balanced diet. But she argues the risks are minimal, provided someone is fully committed to their gluten- free regimen. Finding substitutes is not difficult, nor is it necessarily expensive.
“If you’re mostly eating from the perimeter of the supermarket, they’re all gluten- free anyway,” says Telpner. “Your meats and proteins, lentils and beans, rice, all of that is naturally gluten- free. So it can also be a question of, ‘ OK, we’re not going to eat buns with dinner anymore. Or we’re not going to have pasta, we’re going to have rice.’ Making some of those switches to your daily staples could mean there’s no difference in cost at all.”
But while it’s possible for anyone to adopt a gluten- free lifestyle, there’s no intrinsic benefit to it unless you’re doing it out of necessity.
“If you think about gluten- containing foods, you don’t need to have them,” Telpner says.