Gluten is bad for you

Gluten-free options might be offered on every menu now, but is gluten actually an enemy for all?

It’s clear that many people with food intolerances, and especially those with coeliac disease, benefit from following a gluten-free diet. However, noncoeliac-related intolerances have surged in recent years.

Michael Sam-Yorke says the idea that gluten is inherently bad is wrong. “Unless you suffer from coeliac disease or have been diagnosed as being sensitive to gluten by a doctor, it is not bad for you. Gluten is a wheat-based protein, a key part of a healthy diet, and provides you with soluble fibre, protein and nutrients.”

Part of the perception around gluten is thought to be linked to industrially processed bread with additives.

Opting for better quality bread can make a big difference if you suffer from intolerances. But by cutting gluten out completely, you might be missing out on potential health benefits, adds Hussain Abdeh of Medicine Direct: “A study has shown that eating gluten is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Research has also found that people who eat gluten are at a lower risk of coronary heart disease, too.”