There is a wide variety of diets that people follow today for several reasons, including ethical and health issues. However, some could be harmful at some point. Gluten-free diet is the new trend to lose weight, but does it work?
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Gluten-free diet to lose weight: The New Trend
No weight loss diet gluten: Is this true?
Gluten-free diet has become popular in recent years. It has been widely publicized by the stars of film and television as an option for weight loss. There are thousands of blogs that talk about the enormous benefits of following a gluten-free diet and even offer gluten meal options that you can cook at home, using gluten-free products. Therefore, the market for such drugs has grown dramatically and many general and specialized supermarkets, offer a wide range of gluten-free products for people to be able to follow this new "lifestyle" and lose weight easily taking gluten out of their lifes .
But is there reliable scientific evidence that supports a gluten-free diet to lose weight? Let's go deeper into this.
Gluten intolerance is a disease
Gluten is found in wheat mainly protein, but also in other cereals such as barley and rye. Gluten intolerance is the main feature of a variety of diseases, including celiac disease and non-celiac disorders and is caused by an adverse reaction to gluten protein from the immune system.
Celiac disease, also known as sprue, is an autoimmune disorder that affects the small intestine of patients.
Gluten causes an intense immune response in this region of the gastrointestinal tract, leading to inflammation. Because the immune system attacks and damages the inside of the small intestine, the cells that normally absorb nutrients die or loose functionality, preventing nutrients from being absorbed and cause malnutrition in people with the disease. Symptoms of the disease include abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, weight loss, depression, anxiety, fatigue and other related symptoms this state of malnutrition.
Non-celiac or gluten intolerance, gluten sensitivity is similar to celiac disease, but patients who only show sensitivity to gluten not show intestinal damage.
Symptoms are also similar to those present in celiac disease patients and both diseases are genetically predisposed.
Gluten intolerance is not a common disorder. Only 5% of people in the world suffer from it and most of them do not know about their condition, because it is not an easy disease to diagnose.
Gluten-free diet as medical treatment
Research has shown that the introduction of a gluten-free diet in the lifestyle of people with either celiac disease or gluten sensitivity helps in controlling the disease. Because of this, one of the treatments that people with gluten intolerance have to follow is a diet free of wheat products and other grains.
This diet is not harmless. There is also evidence that, even when the diet is designed and carefully checked by a specialist, patients with gluten intolerance show signs of vitamin deficiency, specifically folate and vitamin B6, after following this diet for 10 years.
This is an important issue that physicians should consider when treating a patient with gluten intolerance, because the lack of nutrients can cause developmental delays in children, for example.
Wheat allergy is a disorder related to gluten, but is very rare and can be treated with a diet free of wheat instead of a diet free of gluten more restrictive.
Gluten Dieting and weight loss?
Despite all the information regarding gluten-free diet and weight loss, there is no scientific evidence to suggest a causal relationship between follow a gluten-free diet and weight loss. In fact, several studies in patients with intolerance to gluten were overweight or obese have shown that they tend to gain weight on a diet free of gluten.
No studies of the effects of a gluten-free diet in healthy individuals, so you can not tell if this type of diet could be useful in the process of weight loss.
Gluten-free products
So why do people believe that by cutting the gluten will help you lose weight? Wheat also contains carbohydrates, including oligofructose and inulin.
People believed that by cutting gluten, also reducing the intake of carbohydrates and therefore reduce their caloric intake.
Well, they are certainly avoid wheat gluten and carbohydrates, but are surprised to learn that they're not really eating fewer calories by eating foods without gluten.
Gluten-free does not mean free of fat or carbohydrate.
In fact, gluten-free products tend to have a higher caloric content than regular products. For example, 75 grams gluten free spaghetti contains 264 kcal, 57.6 grams of carbohydrates and 1.4 grams of fat, while regulating macaroni contains 200 kcal, 42 g of carbohydrate and 1 gram of fat.
What you can see missing on a gluten-free diet
Wheat, in general, is an important component of our diet. Both inulin and oligofructose are sugars involved in maintaining intestinal bacteria and are present in wheat. Intestinal bacteria protect the gut of a variety of conditions, including inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Also involved in the control of insulin and therefore, in the control of body weight and food intake.
Gluten-free diet can affect the health of our intestinal bacteria, making us prone to develop certain diseases, and affect our metabolism of fats, our immune system and our intestinal vitamin and mineral absorption.
Gluten itself is also beneficial. It plays an important role in controlling blood lipid levels and blood pressure, and is a natural immune system booster.
Cut the gluten containing products also means cutting a very important source of whole grains and fiber, which are the basic components of our diet.
Gluten-free diet should be seen as a medical treatment rather than an easy, and it certainly is not cheap alternative to lose weight. This diet works in people suffering from gluten intolerance and are required to follow to reduce the symptoms of the disease and improve their health and quality of life.
However, there is no evidence that confirms that individuals without gluten intolerance also benefit from this diet. In addition, there is no evidence that the reduction in gluten helps you lose weight. On the contrary, it can promote weight gain and malnutrition. If you are on a gluten-free diet or was planning to take gluten out of your life to lose weight, talk to your doctor and be careful, because it could be causing yourself more harm than good.
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