Gluten-Free Foods are Unhealthy
Today, “free-from” foods are one of the most popular trends. Some examples of “free-from” foods are sugar-free, gluten-free, diary-free, and fat-free which are the foods that have restrictions on the certain ingredient. Among “free-from” foods, the best-selling products are gluten-free. According to the article “Against the Grain” published by The New Yorker, the author Michael Specter reports that “sales of gluten-free products will exceed fifteen billion dollars by 2016, twice the amount of five years earlier” (Specter, “Against the Grain”). The purpose of gluten-free foods is to prevent celiac disease patients from exposing into serious conditions, but the purpose is mistakenly perceived. The general perception of gluten-free foods is that gluten-free foods are designed to promote healthy eating choice and weight loss. According to the data from Rhodi Lee’s article, “63 percent of Americans believe that a gluten-free diet could boost their health” by “[avoiding] food that contains gluten” (Lee, “Gluten-Free Diet Isn’t Always Healthy: Here’s the Hidden Risks”). A large proportion of gluten-free practitioners are suffering from celiac disease, but blind believers of gluten- free foods. In contrast to general expectations, current researches reveal that gluten-free foods contribute to weight gain and bring adverse health outcomes.
An essential point of understanding the concept of gluten-free foods is the relationship between gluten and celiac disease. Two main components of gluten are Gliadin and Glutenin. A unique characteristic of gluten is that gluten cannot break down into amino acids which are the smallest chain of the protein. Instead, gluten dissolves itself into a compound called peptides. The problem begins when those peptides reach the small intestine of the celiac disease sufferer because peptides are identified as dangerous germs that cause serious damages to the body. As a protection of the body, villi stop its function to absorb the nutrients in the blood stream of the small intestine and prepares to attack peptides. Thus, regardless of the quantity of gluten consumed, disorder of immune system will occur and result in inadequate absorption of nutrients. Furthermore, the small intestine is damaged or destroyed during the defending process. The gluten is not only critical on small intestine of disease sufferer, but also develops complications such as diarrhea, anemia, osteoporosis, and lymphoma. Since gluten places patients into various life-threatening conditions, it is inevitable for celiac disease patients to choose gluten-free foods.
Gluten-free foods can be a life-saving choice for celiac disease sufferers. But it is not only practiced by sufferers but also non-suffers. Surprisingly, the majority number of gluten-free foods consumers are non-suffers. Many non-sufferers believe that since gluten-free foods efficiently maintain celiac disease patients’ health, elimination of gluten will also be beneficial to non-sufferers. In the same theory, people assume gluten as a harmful element, and this negative image of gluten more popularizes when a famous cardiologist William Davis publishes a book “Wheat Belly.” In his book, he “blame[s] gluten for everything from arthritis and asthma to multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia” (Specter, “Against the Grain”). Although his statements are not scientifically or medically proven, people firmly believe the statements as truths. These incorrect information fuels anti-gluten movement in public, lead people to blame the cause of bad physical conditions on gluten. In Michael Specter’s article, “Against the Grain?”, an interviewer explains the reason of him becoming a gluten-free food consumer. The interviewer lists the symptoms he had before going gluten-free, “I would have headaches, nausea, trouble sleeping” (Spector, “Against the Grain”). The interviewer claimed disappeared in symptoms after eliminating the gluten from the meals. When the curse of gluten became widely spread in society, and people choose to go “gluten-free” to prevent themselves from becoming cursed.
The misconceptions of gluten and gluten-free foods are leading people to eliminate the gluten from their meals. In fact, many research record that going gluten-free is dangerous because it causes nutrient deficiencies, metal intoxication, and obesity. The University of Camerino conducted an experiment with gluten-free dieters to evaluate the impact of gluten-free on nutrient consumption. The research demonstrates that gluten-free dieters are showing deficiencies in many nutrients especially in vitamins, minerals, and fibers. A representative of gluten food is whole grains. Whole grains are abundant in nutrients such as “fiber, iron, zinc, folate, niacin, thiamine…vitamin B12 and Phosphorous” (Tallmadge, “The Dangers of Going Gluten Free”). Since the base of gluten-free foods is starches which do not contain nutrients above, people are not able to consume sufficient amount of nutrient. Thus, if one chooses to become gluten-free, it is inevitable to intake extra vitamins or other dietary supplements.
Gluten-free foods not only lower nutrient intakes but also increase the risk of being intoxication. Research from the University of Illinois reports the discovery of a higher concentration of toxic metals from the blood of gluten-free foods participants. The collected data published through FoxNews.com with the title “Toxic Metals at Higher Concentration in Gluten-Free Food?” shows that “arsenic levels were nearly twice as high and mercury levels were 70 percent higher in the gluten-free participants” (“Toxic Metals at Higher Concentration in Gluten-Free Food?”, 2017). The consequence of high-level toxic metals begins when gluten-free product producers substitute whole grains flour with rice flour. Rice usually contain the high concentration of toxic metals, because it easily absorbs metals from fertilizers, soil, and water. These toxic metals in the rice remain even after processing into food products. Therefore, an accumulation of toxic metals in the blood stream is unavoidable for the consumers of gluten-free food which causes “cardiovascular disease, cancers, and neurological problems” (Mole, “Potential Risks of Gluten Free”).
Besides the negatives impacts explained above, gluten-free foods have a significant contribution to weight gain. People commonly understand gluten as a synonym of carbohydrate, and this misunderstanding often lead people to go gluten-free because reducing consumption of carbohydrates can help people to lose weight. Many athletes and body builders go less carbohydrate dietary because it is an effective weight loss methods in a short period. Carbohydrates are sugars, and it is the primary source of energy in the body. Reduction in consumption of carbohydrates leads the body to burn down the stored fat, and weight loss is happening in this process. However, gluten is not carbohydrates. Thus, the portion of carbohydrates in the food never changes, and sometimes, even more amount of carbohydrates are found in gluten-free foods. More surprisingly, a large amount of sugar, fat, and sodium are added to the food to maintain the flavors. According to a gastroenterologist Norelle R Reilly from Columbia University, high density of sugar and sodium in gluten-free products is the primary cause of “obesity, overweight, new-onset insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome” (Fenton, “Gluten-Free Diets Could Be Harmful for Those Who Don’t Need Them, Expert Warns”).
Despite the initial purpose of gluten-free which is a treatment, gluten-free is considered as one of a “healthy choice” for many people and becomes a popular trend in the society. People believe in positive impacts of going gluten-free without supporting evidence. However, studies that are conducted on gluten-free foods reveals that gluten-free can do harm than good. Before choosing gluten-free foods, people should be aware of downside effects of gluten-free foods in order to be a wise and healthy consumer.
Works Cited
Mole, Beth. “Potential Risks of Going Gluten-Free—High Arsenic and Mercury Levels.” Ars
Technica, 13 Feb. 2017, arstechnica.com/science/2017/02/potential-risks-of-going-
gluten-free-high-arsenic-and-mercury-levels/. Accessed 9 Mar. 2017.
Fenton, Siobhan. “Gluten-Free Diets Could Be Harmful for Those Who Don’t Need Them, Expert
Warns.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 13 May 2016,
www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/gluten-free-diets-
could-be-harmful-for-non-coeliac-sufferers-expert-warns-a7028261.html. Accessed 9
Mar. 2017.
Lee, Rhodi. “Gluten-Free Diet Isn’t Always Healthy: Here’s the Hidden Risks.” Tech Times, 23
Nov. 2014, www.techtimes.com/articles/20793/20141123/gluten-free-diet-isnt-always-
healthy-heres-the-hidden-risks.htm. Accessed 9 Mar. 2017.
Specter, Michael. “Against the Grain” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2014,
www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/11/03/grain. Accessed 9 Mar. 2017.
Tallmadge, Katherine. “The Dangers of Going Gluten-Free (Op-Ed).” LiveScience, Purch, 12 Aug.
2015, www.livescience.com/51826-gluten-free-diets-can-be-unhealthy.html. Accessed 9 Mar. 2017.
“Toxic Metal at Higher Concentrations in Gluten-Free Food?” Fox News, FOX News Network,
www.foxnews.com/health/2017/02/17/toxic-metal-at-higher-concentrations-in-gluten-free-food.html. Accessed 9 Mar. 2017.