Is there any research on the effect of limiting gluten for individuals who show no intolerance to it? Would there be any health benefit to this?
There’s a lot more nuance to this than just “no”.
Gluten activates a protein called Zonulin which opens the tight junctions in your gut and allows food particles and bacteria to leak through and cause inflammation along with other issues.
Does this happen for everyone? No, and we’re not entirely sure why just yet. HOWEVER, an important factor to keep in mind that this effect is greatly exacerbated by Glyphosate, a pesticide commonly sprayed all over wheat and countless other crops which in tandem with gluten seems to kill the gut bacteria needed to prevent the tight junctions from opening and catalyzes the cascade into autoimmune issues and food sensitivities.
So, short version is gluten may be a problem for everyone but there isn’t conclusive data on this yet - but it does show that if you ARE going to eat gluten, make sure the food you’re eating is 100% organic to prevent glyphosate buildup.
In the book, “Change your Brain, Change your Life” by Daniel Amen, he quotes a meta study regarding slowed cognition of all participants who ate foods with gluten. The subjects reported no prior health issues with gluten.
The only health benefit would be ancillary.
For example, you want a burger but have no gluten free buns where you are, so you go bunless. This can reduce carb intake which over time can cause you to lose some potentially unhealthy weight.
A lot of people benefit from a gluten free diet, but not because gluten is unhealthy. It just happens to be in foods that are high in carbs.
Are you looking to remove gluten, or unhealthy carbs? There’s a difference. GF foods can still be extremely unhealthy. Gluten is only one part of a food item. If you’re looking to remove white breads and pastas or carbs all together, you should be careful with that, our body needs carbs, however, you could always stick to the healthier carbs in small doses and avoid your typical, mainstream carbs? As you mentioned, as long as you’re keeping your vitamin/mineral stores in check (see a naturopath who will test all levels at the optimal range) you should be fine to eliminate.
Anecdotally, I have switched to GF pasta that I eat very frequently and it has helped with some bloating that I have encountered with cheap, low quality pasta. However, I can still avoid that bloat with higher quality pastas as well, they are just more expensive.
Nope, there’s no reason to avoid gluten specifically. If the way you avoid it leads indirectly to a reduction in how much highly processed carbs you eat, or rather highly processed foods in general, that might help
I went GF about 8 years ago just because, not due to an intolerance. I was diagnosed this year with a severe intolerance and told I should be tested for celiacs. So this is obviously anecdotal evidence.
I do not substitute with gluten free versions of things except as special treats. So I eat minimal bread/pasta. I eat a lot of rice and potatoes, I love dessert so it also slows me down there. The immediate effect I noticed was weight loss without making any other changes (it was that last stubborn 15 pounds I couldn’t lose no matter how hard I tried). The other thing I noticed after a few months was that I wasn’t constantly tired. I could hop out of bed in the morning instead of needing 5 alarms and my energy throughout the day was more stable/high.
I will tell you I have a pretty severe folate deficiency. However, I went through a year of terrible health problems and have been told I have absorption issues (I regularly supplement with B complex and still have the deficiency.)
Yes. Sort of.
Wheat is high in many problematic components, gluten is chief among them, but far from the only one.
Now specifically about gluten (although again - It isn’t the only one that may create problems for those seemingly not sensitive to it) there is some data, though with some limitations, that shows negative impact of gluten in all individuals, even those without any sensitivity:
> “Conclusions: Increased intestinal permeability after gliadin exposure occurs in all individuals.”
Best thing to do is try it for some time (say 30 days?) and see how you feel.
There’s also the negative health consequences associated with glyphosate contamination of wheat and what products.
https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/glyphosate-contamination-food-goes-far-beyond-oat-products
Most of us cannot digest gluten; it’s resistant to digestive enzymes and it’s one of the many varieties of lectins, which can trigger inflammation and leaky gut. some interesting studies also show that gluten acts as an opiate in the brain, which makes it quite addictive. this is just the tip of ice berg.
Actually sourdough bread is generally easier for people with gluten sensitivity to tolerate than regular bread. The reason is that the lactic acid that makes the bread sour also breaks down the gluten.
In addition, if you’re careful about the mix of flour and the bacteria in your starter, it can even be safe for people with celiac disease.
Only thing I remember is someone saying that it is worse for you if you eat gluten free stuff without having a gluten intolerance. Maybe it was those products that are using substitutes for What was taken out.
I dunno I don’t like the carb life to begin with so maybe don’t listen to me.
Limiting gluten itself will have no health impact if you don’t have gluten intolerance or some condition like celiac disease. However since truly gluten-free diets are so restrictive, not only no wheat but none of the thousands of products with some trace of gluten, you might achieve some weight loss simply because you’ve restricted your diet so much.
Depending what you replace it with it could be less strain on your digestive system since gluten is a difficult to digest storage protein. Grain sprouting and souring (making sourdough traditional bread) mitigates this issue somewhat as well
I wonder if cutting it out helps with autoimmune gut related issues, but somehow I think the answer will be no. Agreed with every other input mentioning the reduction of calories. That’s gonna help a ton since gluten tends to exist in high-carb, easy to indulge in foods.
No. People who have no gluten intolerance don’t have any negative effects from eating gluten.
For some reason, people try to point out that “well, some people have a negative effect”, but that’s because they have an intolerance. It’s still an intolerance if it’s not diagnosed.
A gluten-free diet can be popular among people who haven’t been diagnosed with a gluten-related medical condition. The claimed benefits of the diet are improved health, weight loss and increased energy, but more research is needed as nothing is proven scientifically. I’ve included a study for your reading pleasure. Health Benefits and Adverse Effects of a Gluten-Free Diet in Non–Celiac Disease Patients
I stopped eating wheat in 2014 and felt better immediately. My results improved again when I learned to not replace the gluten/what with a gluten free alternative made from rice or potato. I do not have celiac, however, my body would rather not have wheat. I lost 15 pounds, stopped feeling bloated and my brain fog disappeared when I stopped eating wheat.
Do an experiment on yourself going without gluten or wheat. Stop eating it for 60 days and take notice of what happens. Do you lose weight? Do you feel better? Then eat it and pay close attention to how you feel over the next 72 hours. The most immediate change for me was brain fog.
Get your own specific results. Each of us is unique. What works for others may not work for you. Decide for yourself if gluten/wheat is good or not good for you.
Critically important to not replace gluten or wheat an alternative. Many gluten free options are not a healthy replacement. Although controversial, I found the book Wheat Belly to be very helpful .
No, there are no immediate health benefits to cutting out gluten from your diet beyond limiting the amount of calories you consume, therefore potentially creating a calorie deficit. (Gluten-containing foods are usually foods that are also high in starches/sugars and fat, such as cakes, pastries, pizza etc.)
There has been some recent research suggesting that people who intentionally avoid gluten (even though they are not intolerant - people with diagnosed with Celiac Disease aside as they can’t avoid this!) have a less diverse gut microbiome than those who consume a diet with a vast array of gluten-containing foods.
This is most likely because a gluten-free diet is restrictive and limits the amount of fibre-rich whole grains consumed on a daily basis, and fibre is something that feeds and nourishes our gut microbes.