Although roughly a third of Americans are trying to cut back on gluten, most research suggests that low-gluten or gluten-free diets may not help people, and in fact could be harmful.
A January 10, 2019 article in Vice noted that while steering clear of gluten is important for people with celiac disease, and possibly for some people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity, nutrition experts say that most Americans don’t have any gluten-related issues. Cutting gluten intake could raise the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, because people avoiding gluten may swap out nutrient- and fiber-rich whole grains for less healthy foods, according to Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
“The low-gluten fad can cause harm, and there is no evidence of a benefit unless someone has evidence of an allergy to gluten, as in celiac disease,” Willett said.
Read the Vice article: Gluten Is Perfectly Fine for the Vast Majority of People
Learn more
Gluten: A Benefit or Harm to the Body? (The Nutrition Source)