Cutting Out too Much Gluten can Lead to an Unhealthy Diet

Increasing number of people wish to reduce gluten from their diet, according to a recent US poll. Nearly 30% of adults wish to consume a gluten free diet in a bid to lose weight.

However, dietitians have cautioned that cutting out too much gluten can lead to an unhealthy diet. Victims of celiac disease need to avoid gluten, as their immune system adversely reacts to it and this could harm their intestines.

Increasing number of people want to do away with gluten as they are under the false impression that they can lose weight by reducing gluten from their diet.

Practicing dietitian Jemma Watkins said, "Many commercially available gluten-free products are more processed, have more sugar and less fibre than their gluten containing alternatives, so they are often less healthy. It is estimated that a gluten-free diet costs at least $1000 per person per year more than a gluten containing diet.”

"People with a diagnosed condition like celiac disease may lose some weight initially when they follow a gluten-free diet, because they are eating less kilojoules overall, having cut out energy-dense foods like cakes, muffins, and pastries, and they also can't eat regular pasta, bread and cereals," she said.

Watkins advices the weigh watchers to restrict the amount of processed foods. "Eat more fruit, vegetables, meat and alternatives and less processed, energy-dense, baked goods. But the removal of gluten is not necessary for good health," she said.

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Source-Medindia