The gluten-free diet (GFD) has grown in popularity but is only medically necessary for a very small segment of the population. Diets that require people to cut out a significant variety of foods should never be recommended for people who are generally healthy. When it comes to the GFD, only about 1% of the population has a diagnosis of Celiac Disease,^[1}. Scientific research for non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is not reliable. Folks who decide to switch a GFD believing it’s a healthier option make come to realize that this diet can be costly, difficult to follow and over time actually compromise balanced nutrition.

The scientific literature for non-celiac gluten sensitivity is inconclusive

Celiac Disease should be ruled out, along with any possibility of wheat allergy, lactose intolerance, or inflammatory bowel disease before going gluten-free. Symptoms of bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain, brain fog, and fatigue can occur for various reasons. There’s not enough conclusive evidence for NCGS as it continues to remain mostly a self-diagnosed condition or a diagnosis from alternative health practitioners ^[2]. It’s not clear in many cases of NCGS whether symptoms are caused by gluten or by other components of the grains that are consumed ^[1}.

The problem with self-diagnosis

Folks who decide not to seek advice from a health care practitioner for GI symptoms may be more likely to self-diagnose. People who self-diagnose do not have the resources that qualified health professionals do to form an educated opinion regarding food intolerances and allergies and how to treat them. Self-diagnosing can lead to obsessive thoughts around health concerns that can otherwise get answered during a routine health screening. Going on a strict diet as a treatment after self-diagnosing a proposed health condition without guidance from a trained health professional can raise the risk for unhealthy weight fluctuations and vitamin/mineral deficiencies. A diet that is difficult to follow won’t help improve the quality of life and may only serve to increase anxiety and depression around the supposed health condition.

How is your stress level?

Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are often misdiagnosed when people are feeling high levels of stress. As stated earlier, GI symptoms can occur for a variety of reasons, including psychosomatic illness. Anxiety and depression often are the source of headaches, backaches, stomach and digestive issues. When the source of reported pain or discomfort isn’t found through traditional testing methods, stigma can result when symptoms aren’t caused by a physical reason. Psychosomatic pain is real and should not be dismissed as it’s all in your head ^[3]. Just like any chronic or acute illness like diabetes or a heart attack, it should be taken seriously and treated by qualified health professionals.

With eating disorders on the rise since the turn of the century ^[4], it’s worth a mention here. People who suffer from this illness can also experience a wide array of GI symptoms. Restricting food for a certain period can cause stomach upset, constipation and diarrhea. A stomach that isn’t digesting food regularly loses muscle mass. It’s only when a normalized eating pattern returns, stomach issues often resolve themselves. Eating normally keeps stomach muscles in shape to digest our food. People who regularly skip meals can have unexplainable stomach issues. People who have a fear of gaining weight or have heightened anxiety around health may choose to restrict certain food groups as a way to cope with how they are feeling.

Limitations of the Gluten-free diet

In a research study to determine if GF diets were more nutritious, it was found that people with celiac disease who followed a GFD consumed lower amounts of protein, vitamin E, folate, magnesium, potassium, and sodium compared to gluten-containing diets. Intake of dietary fiber was considerably low due to decreased consumption of grain products and the diet was associated with higher energy and fat intake. It was concluded that GF diets were not nutritionally superior except for sodium intake and may not be heart healthy ^[5].

Even with the increased availability of gluten-free foods in the marketplace, there’s still fewer choices which make it difficult to find foods to stick to the diet. Gluten-free foods on average cost 2-3 times more than food in their original form ^[1}. In a restaurant setting, it’s virtually impossible to avoid contamination with gluten foods unless the restaurant has a separate gluten-free area for food prep.

Despite its popularity, there’s no distinct clear-cut medical reason for going gluten-free other than for Celiac Disease. The existence of NCGS is still up for debate. Common sense would dictate unless someone is sure gluten is causing a health issue, why spend more time and hard-earned dollars to adhere to a diet that is hard to follow and can lead to nutritional deficiencies? There are many other ways to eat better without breaking the bank or giving up certain foods.

There are many types of fats that can affect your health in different ways. Fat provides the highest number of calories per serving compared to protein and carbohydrates. It’s also the main nutrient blamed for weight gain. At the very basic, fat gives our bodies energy when we need it, or it is stored when we don’t. But how much do we need? We need enough fat in our diet to support our body’s healthy functions.

Besides being an energy source, fat is needed in our cell membranes and helps our bodies digest and transport fat-soluble vitamins. Fat helps keep us full longer and makes food taste better. I mean much better! A little bit of fat mixed with vegetables will not only give them more flavor, but it might even get you to eat more of them.

Some fats are thought to reduce inflammation to protect the heart, brain function, lower incidences of cancer and arthritis, while others are thought to promote inflammation and raise the risk of cardiovascular disease. Knowing where fats come from can be helpful when planning a well-balanced diet.

The two types most of us know about from the doctor’s office or on the news, are saturated fat and trans-fat. They can raise the amount of bad cholesterol, or LDL in our blood. These fats usually come from animal protein and dairy. Palm oil and coconut oil are plant-based oils that contain saturated fats. Based on the chemistry of these oils, the saturated fat molecules are shorter. A common belief is that they are “healthier.” But the jury is still out on the health benefits of coconut oil. Depending on who you talk to or where the oil comes from, the opinions vary greatly.

Trans-fat is considered more harmful than saturated fat as it also not only raises LDL but also lowers HDL, the good cholesterol. Trans-fat is usually found in processed foods listed as partially hydrogenated oils. It also occurs naturally in some dairy products and meat. The FDA determined that artificial trans fats in processed foods are no longer generally recognized as safe. Since 2015, they’ve put out guidelines and incentives for food providers to abandon it. Nowadays you might not find too much of it in our American food sources.

Olive, canola, peanut, safflower, and sunflower oils are higher in mono and polyunsaturated fats. Avocados, nuts, and seeds are also good sources. Sardines, mackerel, salmon, and tuna are known for their Omega 3 fatty acids content.

When choosing which fats to eat it depends on how you approach it. Consider balance and substitutions when choosing meals instead of cutting out, avoiding, or restricting. Some examples are baked not fried fish twice a week or meatless Mondays, which are good ways to change up your diet while increasing your intake of unsaturated fats. If you don’t like to eat fish at all, eating a wide variety of other foods that are good sources of these fats could be a better alternative.

It’s never a good idea to restrict any type of fat as a way to cut calories for weight loss. Dieting is known to promote weight cycling which can lead to more weight gain. Restricting fat or any other nutrient only leads to binge eating over time which will no doubt undo any healthy behaviors and reinforce disordered eating patterns that can raise the risk of health problems in the future.

If you have a health condition that requires you to limit certain foods or to take medication, consult with your doctor and a registered dietitian to learn about dietary fats that will promote your best health.

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