Gluten Free - What's the Hype?

According to WebMd, approximately 1% of the world's population has celiac disease and approximately 10% of people are gluten-sensitive. People with celiac disease and people who are sensitive to gluten have a difficult time digesting gluten, a composite of protein found in many grain products. In cases of celiac disease, gluten can cause serious intestinal issues that make it difficult for sufferers of the disease to absorb the nutrients their bodies need. People with celiac disease are more likely to develop serious intestinal complications if they don't cut gluten out of their diets. Those who are sensitive to gluten usually have milder symptoms, including stomach pain, bloating, headaches, and fatigue. Both celiac disease and gluten sensitivity can be difficult for doctors to diagnose. Other stomach issues such as Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome usually have to be ruled out before a diagnosis can be made. Gluten-Free Diets In the past few years, you've probably noticed a larger amount of gluten-free products for sale in grocery stores and offered on restaurant menus. The medical community has been diagnosing people with celiac disease for a while, but they've only been recognizing gluten sensitivity in patients for the last few years. Because of this, a large number of people have discovered that their bodies don't react well to gluten, and a significant number of people have switched over to gluten-free diets. If you suffer from stomach issues, headaches, and tiredness, you may want to ask your doctor if the cause of what ails you is gluten. Gluten-free diets have helped many people lose weight, and reducing gluten intake has become somewhat of a fad in the past couple of years. Celebrities like Miley Cyrus and Gwyneth Paltrow openly sing the praises of a gluten-free lifestyle, and a number of nutritionists and personal trainers recommend gluten-free diets to their clients. Reducing gluten intake typically means you eat fewer carbohydrates, and eating fewer carbohydrates leads to weight loss. In general, doctors recommend that only those with Celiac disease and gluten sensitivities cut gluten out of their diets. People on gluten-free diets usually avoid the following foods:

1. Bread
2. Cake
3. Cookies
4. Pasta
5. Salad Dressing
6. Lunch Meat
7. Soy Sauce
8. Croutons
9. Cereal
10. Any other foods containing wheat, barley, rye, or Triticale

A successful gluten-free diet often makes eating out at restaurants difficult and requires a good amount of effort. Many of the foods we ordinarily eat on a regular basis contain gluten. If your body has a difficult time digesting gluten, however, eliminating it from your diet can make a world of difference in terms of how you feel.

Do you follow a gluten free diet?

About the Author: Amelia Wood, who often writes about medical billing and coding certification and welcomes your responses at amelia1612@gmail.com.