There are many people who are affected by gluten intolerance or a gluten allergy. But if you neither of these things, there is no reason that you need to eliminate gluten from your diet. Grocery stores and many restaurants are now offering a large variety of gluten-free options, which is really great for those affected negatively by gluten, but it's not made for people jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon.
As mentioned in previous articles, nutritional advice online is confusing. In today's society we are constantly bombarded with the newest diets and food trends that it's hard to filter out what's true and scientifically based and what's not. For many years now there has been a debate about gluten in the nutrition field. This is my personal two cents on this topic. This article is for those eliminating gluten to be "trendy" or because they think they're being healthier.
Just a disclaimer: I just finished my second year of college as a nutrition student. I am not a Registered Dietitian yet. Please consult a professional if you believe you have a gluten intolerance or allergy before eliminating gluten from your diet.
SEE ALSO: Sorry Not Sorry For My Gluten Allergy
Just because someone has a peanut allergy doesn't mean that everyone should eliminate peanuts or peanut-containing food in your diet. There is no scientific research that clinically proves that everyone benefits from eliminating gluten in their everyday lives. Gluten-free does not mean it's necessarily good for you. One more time for the people in the back. Gluten-free does not mean it's necessarily good for you.
SEE ALSO: 3 Food & Health Trends That Aren’t All They’re Cracked Up To Be
In fact, going gluten-free when you don't medically need to can actually be harmful to your body. For some reason, people think that if a product label says gluten-free they think it's healthy and that's not always the case. Just like nongluten-free foods in the grocery stores can be unhealthy, foods labeled "gluten-free" can be too.
To those jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon: if you really think you have a gluten intolerance or allergy consult a Registered Dietitian that specializes in this. But if you're just going gluten-free to lose weight or be trendy, that's not a good road to go down.
