Gluten is the New Diet Villain: Fad or Fact?

by Hillary Brown on September 12, 2012

Many of us are asking ourselves, “What’s the deal with this gluten-free thing?” The specialty diet’s sky-rocketing popularity in the last couple years has caused many people to take note of this latest and greatest diet trend. The newest celebrity to tout the gluten-free diet, Miley Cyrus, attributes her recent weight loss to going gluten-free, something only those with celiac disease were concerned with not too long ago. So now we’re not only wondering what the deal is with this gluten-free thing, but we’re also asking these questions: “Can this diety really help me lose weight?”, “Is gluten bad for everyone or just people with Celiac Disease or a gluten sensitivitiy?” and “Do I have a sensitivity?” The list goes on.

Americans, myself included, are finding themselves lost in a confusing sea of celebrities, studies and conflicting suggestions. When trends like the “Gluten-Free Diet” are supported (and not supported) by loads of reputable medical sources, it can be a daunting task to sift through all the information to determine whether it’s a fad or a fact. When my nutritionist suggested that I go gluten-free, I thought, “Here’s another one of those trend chasers! Can bread really be that bad for me? What about my pasta addiction?!” But my nutritionist, no doubt used to that kind of speculation, immediately backed up her position. She believes that gluten isn’t really the issue – the issue is wheat. American wheat, to be precise.

She bases these ideas about a wheat-free diet on the New York Times Best Seller, Wheat Belly, which was published last year by cardiologist, Dr. William Davis (@WilliamDavisMD). His basic position? Over the last 40 years, wheat in America has been gradually genetically modified in order to increase yield per acre. Dr. Davis suggests that this modification is responsible for a lot of health problems in American society and that the removal of wheat from the diet can not only improve a person’s overall health, but also help a person get rid of what he calls the “wheat belly.” While what Dr. Davis suggests is based almost soley on success stories of his patients on the wheat-free diet over the last 25 years, there have been studies to suggest that the genetic modification of wheat has made it increasingly difficult for people to digest properly. Check out this video to hear what Dr. Davis has to say about his wheat-free diet in an interview with CBS This Morning.

In his book and on his blog, Dr. Davis makes many assertions about his diet, saying that it will dramatically decrease calorie intake and therefore help people lose weight. He also, surprisingly, discourages the intake of “gluten-free” products, saying that certain products could actually increase blood sugar more than products including wheat! For me, that was a bit of a shock. It seems that those tasty Udi bagels will no longer appear on my weekly grocery list. But in the end, while his position may seem extreme (no wheat…ever?!), there is something to be said for his focus on returning to real, whole foods. Foods like eggs, vegetables, meat and unprocessed dairy items.

It can still be difficult for me to wrap my head around whether going wheat-free is good or bad – it’s a relatively new idea and will take a few more years to gain credibility. But I can tell you from my own experience, being wheat-free for the last month has made me more conscious about what I’m putting in my body and that, in turn, has helped me make better food choices. Eating and buying whole, unprocessed foods definitely requires more thought to be put into the grocery list, but I think that’s a small price to pay for feeling better and healthier.

Have any of you had experience with a gluten-free or wheat-free diet? Do you think it’s a fad or a fact?

  • Nikki Geffen

    I tried the whole gluten-free fad last summer. People continuously were making fun of me and calling me “one of those.” I did, however, feel healthier and felt like it helped some of the stomach issues I had been having. My problem was I couldn’t tell if it was a mental thing or if it actually was helping. This article gives me more to think about. I am no longer eating gluten-free, but maybe I should go back to it. Food for thought

  • Manielle89

    I’m not sure whether it’s a fad or fact, but I know your reference to getting a “wheat belly” stuck with me…now that’s something I’ll have to watch out for. It would be hard for me to go gluten-free because of my love for bread and pastas, but this was an interesting read. Great job on the linked information too :)

  • http://twitter.com/lavenusperdida Fernanda Lopez

    Fernanda Lopez.

    I have been under the Paleo diet for almost 4 months and it also embraces the idea of living a gluten-free lifestyle. The idea is very simple. Many diseases, especially allergies are related to wheat and gluten in America. Now the Paleo diet explains it more accurately. During the “cave man” times, we didn’t have the technology to process grains and other food intakes. Our body organisms were not created for these new products. We have forced our body systems over the time to adapt to these new products. The result: diseases. My concern here is the Government itself. The USDA and Michelle Obama are encouraging families to adopt the MyPlate model in their nutritional habits. The MyPlate model incorporates daily intakes of grains, meaning wheat!!!! 
    Since I adopted the gluten-free lifestyle, not only have I lost a lot of weight, but my allergies have be absent and I fee more energized during the day.

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  • Brooke M.

    As a vegan, I’m used to people constantly questioning my diet and interjecting their own personal beliefs. However, at the end of the day, I think you have to experiment and decide what feels best for your body. I know that when I eliminated animal products, I noticed a huge difference in my body both physically and mentally. I have tried for some time to eliminate wheat, but I’ve found it to be really challenging. Now, I’m hoping to give it another shot (and hopefully be more successful!).

  • http://Realtor.com/ Candice Cerro

    Hmm… this is something I’ve definitely pondered before. I frequently have a stomach ache and always wonder if some sort of a food allergy is contributing. If it makes you feel better, I say go for it.

  • Molly Russell

    I still don’t know what to think of this diet. My mom is doing it but I have heard a lot about how unless you have celiacs your body needs the grains to produce a insulin stabling energy product. But I will for sure have to do more research on this.

  • Jessica Wang

    I also have doubts on following these diet trends. I think everyone’s body, eating habit, and preference in food is different so there’s probably a diet that works for one person but not the other. For example, it seems like vegan and macrobiotic food is getting more popular these days with a lot of restaurants focusing on providing these type of cuisine. But I have tried them twice and told myself that I will never try it again! I am a meat lover at heart and I also prefer food in its original form. So even if it’s becoming a trend, I know this is not the diet option for me.

  • Jessica Wang

    I also have doubts on following these diet trends. I think everyone’s body, eating habit, and preference in food is different so there’s probably a diet that works for one person but not the other. For example, it seems like vegan and macrobiotic food is getting more popular these days with a lot of restaurants focusing on providing these type of cuisine. But I have tried them twice and told myself that I will never try it again! I am a meat lover at heart and I also prefer food in its original form. So even if it’s becoming a trend, I know this is not the diet option for me.

  • http://twitter.com/KGatena Kaitlyn Gatena

    I’m actually so excited that “gluten free” is becoming a new health trend because I’m part of that “gluten sentitive” group. I noticed that CPK was one of the first resturants to have lots of GF items on their menu. http://www.cpk.com/menu/  

  • Katie L

    Although I’m not sensitive to gluten, I’ve been following the paleo diet for the past few months and have seen a major change in the way I feel. The paleo diet is centered on eating meats, veggies and nuts and no bread, wheat, pasta etc. I’ve found ways to replace bread/wheat products with healthier alternatives and once I got used to it, the diet was surprisingly easy. Also, I no longer crave bread… sure I’ll have it every once in a while, but it’s no longer a staple of my diet. Thanks for talking about this issue, I’ve been curious about the validity of it all and after reading this I feel good about knocking wheat out of my diet.

  • http://twitter.com/nancychengpr Nancy Cheng

    I think it’s hard for us to find out a diet that exactly fits our body.  We have to adjust different ways and different food to make our body feel more comfortable. I also think that it’s torturing for not eating specific kind of food because it brings more inconvenience to our eating habits and it even affects our friends and family’s eating habits as well.

  • Patrick Xiang

    I’ve never tried such a diet, but I may need start to think about it. One interesting point made by my father: when you want to eat something desperately, that’s your body telling you need it. Luckily, I never wanted wheat desperately :)

  • Elizabeth Reidenbach

    Thank you for shedding some insight into the new realm of this latest “fad” diet, Hillary! A good friend of mine from my undergraduate days suffers from Celiac Disease (as do most female members in her family circle), so I have a better perceived awareness of the disease. Moreover, due to her dietary restrictions, I have first-hand experience consuming gluten-free products, and I must admit; as someone who doesn’t have a gluten-intolerance, I have felt the positive repercussions of incorporating a gluten-free lifestyle as part of my regular eating habits. Firstly, I don’t feel as bloated or full, and secondly, I don’t suffer from any type of digestive sensitivities as a repercussion of what I put into my body. However, as it was pointed out by several other individuals, there may be a “mind or matter” perception at work; therefore, I believe that further conclusive scientific research studies are necessary to determine the health benefits of adopting a “gluten-free” or “wheat-free” diet for individuals who don’t suffer from threatening health ailments that don’t allow them to consume those specific types of products. Yet, with that being said, I would never discourage anyone from gravitating towards those diets at this point in time – it boils down to the consumer feeling good about his or herself from the inside out! 

  • Mia B.

    One of my best friend’s from HS just developed a gluten allergy out of nowhere within this past year – changed his whole diet + he feels so much better!

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