When did it become hip to give up gluten?
Gwyneth Paltrow said she got rid of gluten to lose her extra “holiday” pounds. Miley Cyrus and Kim Kardashian declared their devotion to a gluten-free diet on Twitter. Now Lady Gaga is the latest celebrity to embrace a gluten-free diet, reportedly to slim down for her international concert tour.
Why is gluten-free the new diet craze?
That’s the topic of my recent post for WebMD: Will Going Gluten-Free Help You Lose Weight?
The answer is, it depends. There’s nothing inherent about a gluten-free diet that’s going to melt away the pounds. It may help if you “get rid of the junk” and eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains that are naturally gluten-free, says registered dietitian Shelley Case. But it certainly won’t help if you just simply load up on the burgeoning array of prepackaged gluten-free products that are selling like hotcakes.
An excellent research review article in the September issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics tackles this topic: Gluten-Free Diet: Imprudent Dietary Advice for the General Population?
Written by Glenn Gaesser and Siddhartha Angadi, the article looks at the data and makes the following conclusions:
While a gluten-free diet is important for individuals with celiac and gluten sensitivity, there’s no evidence to support that gluten-free diets are beneficial for weight loss
Some studies suggest gluten-free diets may actually make matters worse for some overweight and obese individuals (linked to an increase in BMI)
Research shows that gluten-free diets can be inadequate in essential nutrients (linked to deficiencies in B vitamins, iron and folate)
Gluten-free baked goods are often high in fat and calories
Going gluten-free for purposes of weight loss may have unintended consequences
Now gliadin may be the gluten, or at least if you buy into the book by Wisconsin preventive cardiologist and “seeker-of-truth in health” William Davis. Dr. Davis is building an entire empire on his Wheat Belly brand, but it’s based more on his opinions vs. fact. These bloggers have done a good job of breaking down the claims:
Wheat Belly Review by Summer Tomato
Dr. Davis makes a powerful case for his opinions, as you can see in one of his promotional videos below, but anecdotal observations are not a substitute for science.
Here’s an excellent article written by Julie Jones that analyzes the claims made in Wheat Belly. Hope it will help you think twice before buying the book or believing the hype.
Sure, we could all benefit from cutting down on refined, starchy, sugary carbs. No argument. But let’s not condemn whole grains, which have a bushel of studies supporting their positive impact on our health, including weight management.
Image courtesy of disneymike on Flickr
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I’ve said before that I’m not a fan of Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s book, “The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide. ” In case you missed 
Another celebrity diet book.
Giving up gluten has become a rallying cry on Web sites and blogs as a way to lose weight – especially for women over 40. But there is nothing inherent about a gluten-free diet that will enhance weight loss, unless it helps you get rid of the junk and eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains (such as brown rice and oatmeal) that are naturally gluten-free. You can easily gain weight on a gluten-free diet if you rely on a lot of highly refined gluten-free grain products. Many commercially prepared gluten-free baked items have twice the carbs and a lot of fat compared to their gluten-containing counterparts. That’s because when you take out the gluten you need the extra sugar or fat to get the right texture. 
Even though these products are basking in the better-for-you spotlight, don’t think you’re enhancing your health by stocking up on packages of gluten-free muffins, cakes and cookies. Just because it’s gluten-free doesn’t mean it’s healthier. Gluten-free foods offer no specific advantages, beyond the benefits for people who are diagnosed with celiac. In fact, gluten-free foods are often nutritionally inferior.
found a package of gluten-free hamburger buns for $7.99 compared to $3.69 for a larger package of conventional hamburger buns (8 vs. 6 buns). For sandwich bread, you could buy a gluten-free white rice loaf for $4.39 or a larger loaf of gluten-containing multigrain bread for $3.69.
