{"id":660,"date":"2017-04-23T13:40:59","date_gmt":"2017-04-23T10:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/?p=660"},"modified":"2020-09-24T16:55:21","modified_gmt":"2020-09-24T13:55:21","slug":"me-i-xoris-gloyteni","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/me-i-xoris-gloyteni\/","title":{"rendered":"Gluten-free or gluten-full diet?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gluten-free diet is the sole<\/strong> choice<\/strong> for the millions of those who suffer from coeliac disease<\/strong>, an auto-immune condition in which the immune system reacts to the consumption of gluten.<\/p>\n

In time this reaction causes inflammation<\/strong> which destroys the walls of the small intestine<\/strong> and reduces<\/strong> nutrients absorption<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The damage<\/strong> may consequently cause weight loss<\/strong>, swelling<\/strong>, diarrhea<\/strong>, and the rest of the organs may be undernourished.<\/p>\n

While there is no cure for coeliac disease, a gluten-free diet may help both in symptoms\u2019 management and in the healing of the small intestine.<\/p>\n

Gluten is found<\/strong> in wheat, barley and rye.<\/p>\n

\"Wheat\"<\/a><\/p>\n

T<\/strong>he trend for gluten-free products<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Although coeliac disease cases increase, there is a disproportionally<\/strong> high rise in gluten-free products sales.<\/p>\n

Indeed, according to a research on consumers titled “Non-Coeliacs Drive Gluten-free Market Growth”, gluten-free products are purchased predominantly by individuals not suffering by coeliac.<\/p>\n

In a research in USA, 35%<\/strong> of respondents stated they didn\u2019t have a specific reason for buying them, 26%<\/strong> regarded them as a healthier option, 19%<\/strong> thought the products benefited their gastrointestinal system, 10%<\/strong> purchased them because someone in their family was gluten intolerant and only 8%<\/strong> because they were gluten intolerant.<\/p>\n

In a different research, on 30.000<\/strong> underage females from 60<\/strong> countries titled “We Are What We Eat”, in January 2015, 21%<\/strong> of respondents stated that the \u201cgluten-free\u201d property does influence their decision to buy or not a food.<\/p>\n

Of all the respondents 37%<\/strong> of those under 20 years of age, 31%<\/strong> of those between 21 and 34, 22%<\/strong>  of those 50-64 and 12%<\/strong> of those over 65 stated said they would spend significantly more for those products.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a third study shows that, despite widespread conviction (31% in 2013, 47% in 2015) that gluten-free diets are scientifically baseless (fad diet), 25%<\/strong> of respondents stated they do consume gluten-free products.<\/p>\n

Are gluten-free foods a healthy choice?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For those not suffering from either coeliac or an allergy, there is no data to support the purported benefits from consuming gluten-free products.<\/p>\n

Indeed, those products often contain more<\/strong> sugar<\/strong> and fats<\/strong> relative to conventional ones (with gluten), and an increased intake of calories<\/strong> and fat has been observed in those following gluten-free diets, on the other hand they may also lead to deficiencies<\/strong> in vitamins (ex of complex B ones), folic acid, iron, fiber and others.<\/p>\n

Beyond nutrients\u2019 deficiencies, those who adhere to a gluten-free diet face increased risk of toxin exposure, like say exposure in arsenic<\/strong>, which is frequently found in forms of rice, an ingredient used in many processed gluten-free products.<\/p>\n

Seeing a dietitian, allowing for more variety in your diet, opting for more non-processed foods and certain ways of cooking may help reduce any exposure to arsenic.<\/p>\n

In addition, for those suffering from coeliac and following a gluten-free diet, mercury<\/strong> concentration is four times larger relative to coeliac sufferers who haven\u2019t reduced gluten consumption.<\/p>\n

We are not yet aware of which is the source of mercury nor have its ramifications on health have been established.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, there is no data to support the toxic properties of gluten as a food ingredient. Actually some studies have pointed out its lack of toxicity.<\/p>\n

In the end who should avoid gluten?<\/strong>\"Gluten<\/a><\/h2>\n

There are several reasons to avoid gluten. The main one is being medically diagnosed for coeliac.<\/p>\n

Another one is gluten\/wheat sensitivity. The later hasn\u2019t been<\/strong> fully comprehended<\/strong>, and it doesn\u2019t affect your efforts to lose weight in any way.<\/p>\n

In addition, there is no data<\/strong> to show the long-term effects<\/strong> of gluten-free diets but there is evidence to show that quality and quantity of nutrient intake<\/strong> on such a diet is diminished<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Terms like \u201cnoncoeliac wheat sensitivity\u201d and \u201cpeople who avoid wheat and gluten\u201d are closer to the truth because often times people self-diagnose coeliac and therefore it\u2019s unclear if gluten is what their body reacts to.<\/p>\n

In fact, recent studies have found that those sensitive to fermentable oligosaccharides may be falsely classified as gluten-sensitive. The same holds for those who might suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, are lactose intolerant etc. Italian researchers showed that only 6,6%<\/strong> of patients who report possible gluten-sensitivity are positively diagnosed while 86%<\/strong> had no symptoms when gluten was reintroduced in their diet.<\/p>\n

Additionally, some are allergic to wheat. They may consume gluten that isn\u2019t found in wheat products.<\/p>\n

Conclusions<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  •  <\/strong>Although many opt for gluten-free diets those are only necessary for a small fraction of the population suffering from specific ailments.<\/li>\n
  • There is no evidence to suggest that gluten-free products are healthier than the rest, in contrast unbalanced consumption of such products may lead to nutritional deficiencies.<\/li>\n
  • If you think you are suffering from coeliac or another gluten related condition you should first and foremost see a medical doctor, for a diagnosis via the relevant medical tests.<\/li>\n
  • In case you do follow a gluten-free diet, despite the lack of any indication of coeliac, you should consult with a dietitian about the deficiencies sometimes caused by such a diet.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Supermarkets\u2019 selves are stocked with gluten-free products while more and more people regard gluten as Satan. How much of that is real and how much is a passing trend? A dietitian tries to decipher the latest research findings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":735,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=660"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=660"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=660"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dimakopoulosi.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}