More than 3 million Americans follow a gluten-free diet while less than 20 % of them are actually diagnosed with disease. Celiac disease is the only proven condition that can warrant a gluten-free diet. The rest of the dieters are doing it because they believe it’s healthy.
Dieting has become a self-prescribed remedy for many diseases. At the same time, it’s often used for preventing unpleasant health conditions. It’s so popularized that people honestly believe that they can diet without a doctor’s advice. Meanwhile, some of the dieters are already feeling the downside of such choices. In the best case, a dairy-free diet can lead to constipation. In the worst case, a gluten-free diet can lead to cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
People with celiac disease rely on gluten-free diet to stay alive. The rest of the dieters face unpleasant consequences while limiting themselves for absolutely no reason. The food industry is ready to take advantage of any trend. Today, you can find anything, which is gluten-free, including beer and even cat food. By 2020, the gluten-free US market size is expected to reach almost 24 billion dollars.
Cancer Risks
When a person goes on a gluten-free diet, he or she robs the body of whole grains that contain such critical nutrients as zinc, vitamin B12, and calcium. The lack of such vitamins and nutrients can lead to the development of various health problems, including colon and breast cancer.
While it’s possible to get these components from other products, most people don’t bother balancing their diets. As a result, they get less fiber, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, and other important nutrients that keep them healthy.
‘Women, who eat whole grains are less likely to develop head and neck cancer’ says alternative cancer treatment specialist from Euromed.
Faster Aging
According to Nutrition Research Reviews, whole grains don’t just protect the body from dangerous diseases, they can also slow down the aging process caused by oxidation. Many chronic diseases are partially caused by oxidation. They include cancers, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Oxidation can be triggered by an improper diet.
Whole grains contain more than 30 antioxidants, which are essential for better digestion, weight management, and liver detoxification. The dietary fiber contained by whole grains improves the function of the GI tract.
The lack of the necessary nutrients due to a bad diet can lead to oxidation, which in turn won’t just ruin the metabolism and cardiovascular health, it can trigger faster aging.
Short-Term Improvement?
People who try to take advantage of a gluten-free diet often report that they feel much better than before. Among the “improvements” are weight loss and energy boost. However, such results are attributed to the fact that they cut down on sugary and refined carbohydrate foods. Fortunately, they can achieve the same benefits by removing these foods from their diet and sticking to healthy gluten products.
Fighting Against Marketing
When it comes to marketing, the foods industry is well ahead of science. Unfortunately, it takes too long for the proper studies to be done to make scientific claims about the dangers of a gluten-free diet. The nutrition specialists have an advantage of offering a “magic” cure to the audience, who is ready to do just about anything to fix their problems.
As a result, many people agree to forget about some of the most important nutrients hoping to lose weight, “detoxify” their body and become more energetic. In order to do all this, you don’t need to forget about any naturally healthy foods, you just have to follow a balanced diet.
To Eat Or Not To Eat?
Celiac disease is a serious disorder. If you believe that you may have the symptoms, it’s imperative to talk to a doctor. In order to identify the disease, you’d need to pass some tests. Self-diagnosing celiac disease can be very dangerous since it has common symptoms with other conditions such as diabetes and iron deficiency, which definitely can’t be treated by a gluten-free diet.
Unfortunately, many people make a decision to follow the hype without thinking about the consequences. At the rate the number of gluten-free dieters is growing these days, we may face an increase of cancer and heart disease cases in the near future.
Khalid Irfan is a Fitness expert who enjoys spending time in gym. He also enjoys being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise as well as researching new topics to expand his horizons.
