Gluten Free and Media Hype

There has been quite a bit of controversy in the media lately regarding gluten free diets.

Dr. Oz made a comment on one of his programs about gluten free being a scam, and the media jumped all over it. Anyone who tuned in a little longer could hear that he was discussing how gluten free product substitutes (breads, pastas, bars, etc.) have additives, including sugar, and aren't the most healthy for you.

Guess what? Neither are the regular wheat products on the shelves.

Obviously the best thing to do is make everything at home, from scratch, and we recommend this whenever possible. For the busy parent, sometimes sacrifices have to be made, and things must be bought off the shelf. The substitute products should be kept to a minimum, but they are still better than having your child eat something with wheat if they are sensitive (and that product will likely be full of additives too!).

One article I read while witnessing this debacle was strictly inflammatory; it claimed that if you have your child on a gluten free diet, you are limiting him/her from having diversity in the foods that they eat. If you're doing it correctly, eating gluten free should actually increase the variety in your family's diet because you are adding in more fruits, vegetables, nuts, healthy fats, and meats to replace the grains that you were using previously. The same goes for vitamins: folate, iron, and thiamin are added to grain products, but that doesn't mean they are in the most easily absorbed form, and they are added, which is never the best option. Concerned your child may have a deficiency? You can create a mixed diet of other foods that contain the nutrients required, or possibly supplement with high quality vitamins if needed.

• Folate               
• Spinach
• Black-eyed peas
• White Rice
• Asparagus
• Brussel sprouts
• Romaine Lettuce
• Avocado
• Broccoli
• Green Peas
• Kidney Beans
• Peanuts
• Oranges
• Bananas
• Papaya
• Eggs
• Cantaloupe
• Iron
• Oysters
• White beans
• Dark chocolate (45-69% cacao)
• Beef liver
• Lentils
• Spinach
• Tofu (firm)
• Kidney beans
• Chickpeas
• Tomatoes (stewed)
• Cashews
• Thiamin
• Rice
• Pork chop (bone in)
• Trout
• Black beans
• Mussels
• Tuna 
• Acorn squash
• Brown rice
• Sunflower Seeds
• Beef steak

It's important to note that there is a growing body of peer-reviewed literature surrounding "Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS)". It's not a gluten allergy (anaphylaxis) or Celiac disease, but a sensitivity to gluten which can produce a variety of symptoms. An article from Scientific American asserted that "If you don't have celiac disease, a wheat allergy or a gluten sensitivity, you're unlikely to benefit from a gluten-free diet.". That may indeed be true, but research from the NIH has concluded that NCGS is difficult to diagnose and is not well understood. We have found that the easiest and cheapest way to see if you are gluten sensitive is to remove it from your diet (minimum 30 days, but some people may not see results for 90 days). It's also true that generally when individuals choose to remove wheat, they tend to eat fewer processed products and may also see positive change related to a decrease in exposure to chemicals such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), artificial coloring, high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, and more. Weight loss may also be experienced due to a reduction in inflammation in the body, as well as consumption of fewer desserts and snack foods. Regardless of the driving force, for many individuals in our obese nation, weight loss through healthy diet modification may be a positive thing! For individuals who are underweight, particularly children, decreasing the inflammation by removing certain foods may contribute to healthy weight gain, or even assisting with symptoms of certain childhood disorders including ADHD.

What's funniest about the media jumping on Dr. Oz's one negative comment, is that he actually has brought up positive support for gluten free diets more than a few times, including hosting several experts highlighting gluten sensitivity and intolerance and more than one program on "How to eat gluten free the right way". He made an excellent point however, that the gluten free product industry is capitalizing on the number of people making conscious decisions in their lives. The bottom line is, a processed product is a processed product, whether it contains wheat or not, period. "Gluten free" doesn't always mean "healthy". Implementing a gluten free lifestyle may or may not be a choice for your family, but it isn't a decision taken lightly because it involves certain challenges, and it is very admirable when a person decides to take that step for the health of their family. At the end of the day, all you can do is make the best possible decisions for your family from the available resources and implement moderation and variety.

Next time someone tells you gluten free is a fad diet, share this information with them. Maybe they will learn something new!

Yours in health,
Dr. Chelsea

http://www.frankclinic.com/
(813)788-0496

*Any health topics that are covered should not be considered medical advice. If you have specific questions please contact your doctor or make an appointment with us. You should check with your doctor before making radical dietary changes, particularly if you have heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or are pregnant or nursing.*