The fact is that gluten-containing foods can be beneficial to your health if you don’t have a sensitivity or allergy to them. Learn more about some common myths and facts below. RELATED: Gluten Intolerance, Celiac Disease, or a Wheat Allergy: What’s the Difference?
1. Myth: Gluten-Containing Foods Are Bad for You
Grains that contain gluten, such as barley and rye, are whole grains and provide beneficial fiber, vitamins, and minerals to your diet. Gluten-free whole grains, like buckwheat, rice, quinoa, sorghum, and oats (if not cross-contaminated during growing or manufacturing), offer similar benefits, notes the Whole Grains Council. If you’re following a gluten-free diet and want to eat oats, make sure the label states they’re gluten-free.
2. Fact: Eating Gluten Adds Protein to Your Diet
In fact, gluten is protein. Gluten is the name for the protein found in foods such as wheat, rye, barley, and triticale (a cross between barley and rye). This protein helps foods maintain their shape. Gluten can be found in many unexpected foods, from wheat in certain sauces and salad dressings to barley in some food colorings, and in malt used in malted milkshakes or malt vinegar, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation.
3. Fact: Gluten Sensitivity Is Not a Mild Form of Celiac Disease
Formally called nonceliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), gluten sensitivity is a completely different condition from celiac disease, Begun says. “While their symptoms are similar and overlap, they are two unique conditions with different responses going on in the body,” she explains. “We know celiac disease to be an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system triggers an attack on the intestines in the presence of gluten, whereas we’re not quite sure yet what happens in the body with NCGS.” Both conditions require following a gluten-free diet. But worrying about cross contamination and strict avoidance may only be necessary for people with celiac disease, she adds. RELATED: The 21 Best Websites for People With Celiac Disease
4. Fact: Gluten Sensitivity Affects a Small Part of the Population
Many, many people follow a gluten-free diet. But only 1 percent of Americans are diagnosed with celiac disease, while up to 6 percent of the U.S. population is thought to have NCGS, according to an article published in October 2017 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology. These stats for NCGS are just an estimate, though. “Without a biomarker for gluten sensitivity, there is no way of predicting its prevalence,” says Begun.
5. Fact: Your Diet Needs to Contain Gluten for a True Diagnosis
“If you think you are reacting to gluten, don’t stop eating it!” says Begun. “It’s important to get a true diagnosis, because there may be other components in gluten-containing foods causing your symptoms — and therefore, going gluten-free may not be the proper treatment. You actually need to be eating gluten on a regular basis for diagnostic testing to be accurate.” The Celiac Disease Foundation notes that testing for NCGS usually includes first ruling out celiac disease and wheat allergy. This may include skin pricks, blood tests, and even an endoscopy. To be tested for celiac disease, you need to be eating a gluten-containing diet for at least six weeks, according to the October 2017 article.
6. Myth: There’s a Diagnostic Test for Gluten Sensitivity
Gluten sensitivity shares many possible symptoms with celiac disease, says Emily Rubin, RD, a clinical dietitian for the Celiac Center, Fatty Liver Center, and Weight Management Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. These symptoms include bloating, constipation, diarrhea, weight loss, joint pain, migraines, brain fog, and numbness in the legs, arms, or fingers. “Hopefully a test for gluten sensitivity will be available one day, but for now, it’s a rule-out diagnosis — meaning celiac disease and wheat allergy need to be ruled out first,” says Rubin.
7. Fact: There’s a Gene for Celiac Disease
People who have celiac disease have one or both of two specific genes, the HLA DQ2 and the DQ8 genes. If you have at least one of these genes — as 40 percent of people do — that doesn’t mean you have or will develop celiac disease, per the Celiac Disease Foundation. You can get a blood test to see if you have these genes. RELATED: Is the Gluten-Free Option the Healthier Choice?
8. Myth: Having a Gluten Sensitivity Means You’ll Gain Weight
“There are a variety of symptoms that may occur with gluten sensitivity, but undesirable weight gain typically isn’t one of them,” says E.A. Stewart, RD, an integrative dietitian in San Diego.
9. Myth: Eating a Gluten-Free Diet Will Help You Lose Weight
In fact, it may be harder to eat healthier on a gluten-free diet. A study published in August 2017 in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics suggested that fat, saturated fat, sugar, and salt were found more frequently in gluten-free foods than in gluten-containing foods in the United Kingdom. “In order for some gluten-free foods to have texture and taste, they may have more fat and sugar added,” says Rubin. And unnecessarily removing gluten from your diet may not provide any health or weight benefits. “Just like any dietary pattern, it’s about the choices you make,” says Begun. “If removing empty-calorie gluten-containing foods and replacing them with wholesome, nutrient-rich foods makes you feel better, it’s likely because you are eating healthier!”
