Current:Home > StocksGluten is a buzzy protein. Here’s when you need to cut it from your diet. -Trailblazer Capital Learning
Gluten is a buzzy protein. Here’s when you need to cut it from your diet.
View
Date:2025-04-12 18:09:36
Gluten has become somewhat of a buzzword in our culture.
It’s not uncommon to follow a gluten-free diet even if you aren’t medically required to do so. But what even is gluten? And why has it earned such a bad reputation?
In a world of trending diets like the ketogenic diet or the paleo diet, it’s good to determine if eating gluten-free is helpful or just another fad. We talked to experts at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to find out if gluten is really something you need to axe from your diet.
What is gluten?
Gluten is a protein naturally found in grains like wheat, barley and rye. The protein is also found in triticale, which is a newer grain that is a cross between wheat and rye. Breads, baked goods, pasta and cereals are just a few common foods that contain gluten.
Get in a nutritious breakfast:Here's the healthiest cereal to eat in the morning
Gluten is an important agent for the structure and texture of foods. “It makes such good cakes, cookies and breads because it helps to stick all the ingredients together and trap in water molecules to give the foods that light and airy texture,” says Abi Lepolt, a registered dietitian at Cincinnati Children’s, via email.
What does gluten do to your body?
Despite gluten’s bad reputation, the protein doesn’t harm your body unless you have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, says Amy Reed, who is also a registered dietician at Cincinnati Children’s and a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
For people with celiac disease, gluten triggers an autoimmune response that damages the small intestine. Symptoms of celiac disease include various digestive issues and growth and development problems. The disease can also impact other parts of the body to cause a wide range of symptoms like headaches, fatigue and reproductive problems in women.
Gluten intolerance, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, is considered less serious than celiac disease because it doesn’t cause damage to the body. Gluten-intolerant people get sick after eating gluten and may experience digestive issues.
If you don’t have one of these medical issues, then you don’t need to consider excluding gluten from your diet. Cutting out gluten can actually be harmful for people who don’t need to. “If you’re not going to have gluten, then you are excluding some foods that have health benefits,” Reed explains. Whole grains are one example. “Whole grains have some good B vitamins, they have fiber,” Reed adds.
Why is gluten controversial?
So, if gluten isn’t bad for most people, why have gluten-free diets gone mainstream? Reed theorizes that this is related to the increase in gluten-free products for people with celiac disease. As non-celiac people started to see these products at the supermarket, they may have jumped to conclusions about the healthiness of gluten.
“I think, sometimes what happens is, when we see something is free of something, the assumption is, ‘well then it must be bad if we’re having to make foods that are free of it,’” she says. “Whereas, really, making those gluten-free foods, we’re making those products more accessible to the people who medically couldn’t have gluten.”
“It’s not that it’s bad,” she explains “It’s just bad for people who have celiac disease.”
Can dogs be allergic to gluten?Here's how the protein could affect your pup's diet.
veryGood! (83185)
Related
- Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
- Mike Tyson says he's training hard for Jake Paul fight: 'It's hard to walk right now'
- Get 50% Off Jennifer Aniston's LolaVie Detangler, Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Powder & $10.50 Ulta Deals
- Falcons host the football team from Apalachee High School, where a shooter killed four
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- Emmys best-dressed: Stars winning the red carpet so far, including Selena Gomez, Anna Sawai
- Chappell Roan wants privacy amid newfound fame, 'predatory' fan behavior. Here's why.
- 2024 Emmys: Baby Reindeer's Nava Mau Details Need for Transgender Representation in Tearful Interview
- Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
- 2024 Emmys: Dan Levy Reveals Eugene Levy Missed Out on This Massive TV Role
Ranking
- Trump's 'stop
- Winning numbers for Mega Millions drawing on September 13; jackpot reset to $20 million
- Quentin Johnston personifies Jim Harbaugh effect for 2-0 Los Angeles Chargers
- Report shows system deficiencies a year before firefighting foam spill at former Navy base
- Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
- In Honduras, Libertarians and Legal Claims Threaten to Bankrupt a Nation
- Did Selena Gomez Debut Engagement Ring at the 2024 Emmys? Here's the Truth
- The Wild True Story of Murderous Drug Lord Griselda Blanco, a.k.a. the Godmother of Cocaine
Recommendation
DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
Open Up the 2004 Emmys Time Capsule With These Celeb Photos
Haitians in Ohio find solidarity at church after chaotic week of false pet-eating claims
Tropical storm warning is issued for parts of the Carolinas
Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
UFC 306 live updates: Time, streaming for O'Malley vs. Dvalishvili card
Emmys 2024: See All the Celebrity Red Carpet Fashion
Who plays on Sunday Night Football? Breaking down Week 2 matchup