Gluten Free

**Hopeless Dork** · 11-18-2011 10:48 PM

What are the health benefits of going gluten free (besides if you are intolerant to gluten obviously). I've always heard people say they are going gluten free for health benefits but when I ask for specifics... I get the stink face of no answer lol. I've of course seen the benefits for people that shouldnt eat gluten.. but I am truly curious what the beni's are for others.

I'm a vegetarian, and I'm already fairly iron deficient.. if I'd lose iron going gluten free it would take some serious other positive aspect to the diet to influence me over that direction.

**ItsASecret** · 11-19-2011 11:16 AM

HD to basically sum up the benefits of gluten free you can say drastic reduction in processed foods and wheats. Gluten is present in nearly everything from thickeners to flavorings and will often be labelled as something like "dexrin" (this also includes beauty products)...avoiding them completely is next to impossible with foods other than fruits, veggies, and legumes. And it is the only way a Celiac patient can have healthy gastrointestinal workings. Other than that you are simply eating healthier with the massive avoidance of white flour and processed foods which forces you to eat vegetables, beans, starches, and fruits for the most part. If you go for the organic stuff then you are simply eating a bit healthier, other than that no significant major bonus if you are not already Celiac. Gluten-free can be considered another diet to avoid processed foods but it is simply much more restrictive.

**Hopeless Dork** · 11-19-2011 01:09 PM

Thanks Secret, make sense for people to avoid eating processed foods and carb overloading. I am glad that they are labeling items gluten free to make it easier for people with celiac and allergies and those striving for a gluten free diet to have an easier time avoiding it, but part of me feels like its turning in to a marketing ploy. I know people at work that are all gluten free gung ho and when I ask them why they don't even know... 'gluten's just not good for you'.

I think any diet that is healthy, any diet that helps a person to avoid foods that could be bad for them, any diet that strengthens a persons resolve against tempting foods by removing its very essence from their 'allowed foods list' is a good thing. In other words whatever floats your boat

I just have been curious what the hype was for people that dont have gluten sensitivities at least I now have some idea.. though not sold on it :P

**ItsASecret** · 11-19-2011 01:24 PM

Gluten free products are not actually gluten free, they just have low content. The FDA is very stringent on which products can be labelled as gluten-free because there is still quite a bit of gluten present in things saying they are low in gluten. I think the FDA allowed amount is about 20ppm, very few items have that because again they sneak gluten into any sort of additive. It is a marketing ploy to some degree because any sort of diet plays on the idea that something is absolutely better than another but with any diet you can find flaws. And just like you say if you ask a person why they are going gluten-free they likely cannot say why or even tell you what gluten is, they just know the word gluten and see the word diet and together they must mean something good. A lot of research is needed to really understand how restrictive it can be (it can get right down the to utensils you use because even those contain gluten products) but I mean if you are set on it then it certainly help a person's diet out.