Current:Home > MyGluten is a buzzy protein. Here’s when you need to cut it from your diet.-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Gluten is a buzzy protein. Here’s when you need to cut it from your diet.
View Date:2024-12-23 23:19:55
Gluten has become somewhat of a buzzword in our culture.
It’s not uncommon to follow a gluten-free diet even if you aren’t medically required to do so. But what even is gluten? And why has it earned such a bad reputation?
In a world of trending diets like the ketogenic diet or the paleo diet, it’s good to determine if eating gluten-free is helpful or just another fad. We talked to experts at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to find out if gluten is really something you need to axe from your diet.
What is gluten?
Gluten is a protein naturally found in grains like wheat, barley and rye. The protein is also found in triticale, which is a newer grain that is a cross between wheat and rye. Breads, baked goods, pasta and cereals are just a few common foods that contain gluten.
Get in a nutritious breakfast:Here's the healthiest cereal to eat in the morning
Gluten is an important agent for the structure and texture of foods. “It makes such good cakes, cookies and breads because it helps to stick all the ingredients together and trap in water molecules to give the foods that light and airy texture,” says Abi Lepolt, a registered dietitian at Cincinnati Children’s, via email.
What does gluten do to your body?
Despite gluten’s bad reputation, the protein doesn’t harm your body unless you have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, says Amy Reed, who is also a registered dietician at Cincinnati Children’s and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
For people with celiac disease, gluten triggers an autoimmune response that damages the small intestine. Symptoms of celiac disease include various digestive issues and growth and development problems. The disease can also impact other parts of the body to cause a wide range of symptoms like headaches, fatigue and reproductive problems in women.
Gluten intolerance, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, is considered less serious than celiac disease because it doesn’t cause damage to the body. Gluten-intolerant people get sick after eating gluten and may experience digestive issues.
If you don’t have one of these medical issues, then you don’t need to consider excluding gluten from your diet. Cutting out gluten can actually be harmful for people who don’t need to. “If you’re not going to have gluten, then you are excluding some foods that have health benefits,” Reed explains. Whole grains are one example. “Whole grains have some good B vitamins, they have fiber,” Reed adds.
Why is gluten controversial?
So, if gluten isn’t bad for most people, why have gluten-free diets gone mainstream? Reed theorizes that this is related to the increase in gluten-free products for people with celiac disease. As non-celiac people started to see these products at the supermarket, they may have jumped to conclusions about the healthiness of gluten.
“I think, sometimes what happens is, when we see something is free of something, the assumption is, ‘well then it must be bad if we’re having to make foods that are free of it,’” she says. “Whereas, really, making those gluten-free foods, we’re making those products more accessible to the people who medically couldn’t have gluten.”
“It’s not that it’s bad,” she explains “It’s just bad for people who have celiac disease.”
Can dogs be allergic to gluten?Here's how the protein could affect your pup's diet.
veryGood! (6186)
Related
- These Yellowstone Gift Guide Picks Will Make You Feel Like You’re on the Dutton Ranch
- Need a push to save for retirement? This 401(k) gives you up to $250 cash back
- 2017 One of Hottest Years on Record, and Without El Niño
- Hospitals have specialists on call for lots of diseases — but not addiction. Why not?
- Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper Prove They're Going Strong With Twinning Looks on NYC Date
- 71-year-old retired handyman wins New York's largest-ever Mega Millions prize
- Every Must-See Moment From King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s Coronation
- Actors guild authorizes strike with contract set to expire at end of month
- Does the NFL have a special teams bias when hiring head coaches? History indicates it does
- Today’s Climate: June 15, 2010
Ranking
- Arizona Supreme Court declines emergency request to extend ballot ‘curing’ deadline
- Fracking the Everglades? Many Floridians Recoil as House Approves Bill
- Who are the Rumpels? Couple says family members were on private plane that crashed.
- The new COVID booster could be the last you'll need for a year, federal officials say
- Ryan Reynolds Clarifies Taylor Swift’s Role as Godmother to His Kids With Blake Lively
- Princess Charlene and Prince Albert of Monaco Make Rare Appearance At King Charles III's Coronation
- Georgia's rural Black voters helped propel Democrats before. Will they do it again?
- Judge Elizabeth Scherer allowed her emotions to overcome her judgment during Parkland school shooting trial, commission says
Recommendation
-
2 weeks after Peanut the Squirrel's euthanasia, owner is seeking answers, justice
-
In Wake of Gulf Spill, Louisiana Moves on Renewable Energy
-
Pregnant Bachelor Nation Star Becca Kufrin Reveals Sex of First Baby With Fiancé Thomas Jacobs
-
California Attorney General Sues Gas Company for Methane Leak, Federal Action Urged
-
Ryan Reynolds Makes Dream Come True for 9-Year-Old Fan Battling Cancer
-
Judge temporarily blocks Florida ban on trans minor care, saying gender identity is real
-
Anti-abortion groups are getting more calls for help with unplanned pregnancies
-
HIV crashed her life. She found her way back to joy — and spoke at the U.N. this week