Running Head: GLUTEN-FREE DIETS: FAD OR FACT?

Check the Facts - Gluten-free diets: fad or fact?

Araceli Alejandre, Angelina Castro and Brenda Diaz
California State University, San Marcos
Professor Lea Roberg-Chao
Kine 306

Bread and all its nutrients such as gluten, has been an essential part of the human diet for

very long because it has allotted for almost all caloric intake and was consumed by anyone
GLUTEN-FREE DIETS: FAD OR FACT? 2

regardless of social stature (Benson, 2013). Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley as

well as some processed food such as pasta, cereals, soy sauce and even chocolate. Gluten helps

foods maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds food together (celiac.org). In addition,

gluten also ensures that the immune systems are functioning properly and controls triglyceride

levels (Greger, 2016). For some, however, it is necessary to eliminate gluten from their diet -

specifically those with Celiac Disease or those who are gluten intolerant. The treatment of CD

requires a life-long diet with exclusion of all foods containing gluten or related prolamines (Jaime

et al., 2015). Many studies try to validate the GF diet by demonstrating the benefits while other

studies argue that the GF diet is simply a fad; something that those with no sign of CD should not

partake in. Due to the controversy behind the GF diet and its popularity in recent years, weve

decided to investigate if the pros of a GF diet outweigh the cons or if this diet is simply a fad that

has gained popularity through the media.

Ten years ago, the gluten-free diet was not a concept that was popular in society. While

some people knew about it, it was not common to hear about gluten-free sections at grocery

stores. Healthy living wasnt as important as it is now either - things like meal prepping and

fitness models werent as popular. So as society became more involved in healthy eating and

fitness, diets like IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) and gluten-free gained popularity and even the

world's biggest food makers and restaurant chains are retooling recipes and labels to tap into the

concern (Jargon, 2014). But did the increased exposure make gluten-free a fad diet?

Researchers with the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) estimated

that 1.76 million people in the U.S. have celiac disease, but an estimated 2.7 million people in the

U.S. have eliminated or reduced their consumption of gluten despite never having been diagnosed

with the condition (Nierenberg, 2016). The argument then lies on whether a gluten-free diet is
GLUTEN-FREE DIETS: FAD OR FACT? 3

effective for those who are celiac-free. Because gluten can be found in foods such as

breads/pastas (grains), some followers of the gluten-free diet claim to have seen results in health

and/or weight loss, which then triggers the idea that gluten-free diets assist in weight loss. This

idea has yet to be proven true.

Since the new trend of GF diets among many commercial grocery stores and media

outlets, there has been an effort to investigate the properties GF products contain to better

understand its function. A research study conducted in Spain observed 37 CD patients between 0-

13 years of age to assess the quality of a GF diet in the pediatric age group in energy levels and

essential nutrient intake (Salazar Quero et al., 2015). This study concluded that a GF diet in CD

patients had similar characteristics as a regular diet in healthy individuals: minimal deficiencies,

lower saturated fatty acid intake, higher monounsaturated fatty acid intake and higher phosphorus

intake, there were also improvements in hemoglobin, ferritin, vitamin D, and parathyroid

hormone in the plasma (Salazar, Quero et al., 2015).

So, can a gluten-free diet be beneficial to healthy individuals? Yolanda Sanz studies how a

GF diet could change the composition of the immune system. Results suggested that from the 10

healthy subjects that participated in the study while eating a GF diet for over a month, there was a

decrease in healthy bacteria while unhealthy bacteria increased and they observed an increase in

opportunistic pathogens which decrease the defense mechanisms that fight off infection and

inflammation (Sanz, 2010). On the other hand a GF diet is seen to have some beneficial effects to

CD patients while trying to increase polysaccharides and probiotics to balance out the high level

of unhealthy bacteria and infections (Sanz, 2010). Another research study found that there were

no health benefits of a GF diet from a nutritional standpoint and can be higher in costs compared

to regular gluten-containing diets for non CD individuals (Missbach et al., 2015).

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For about 1 percent of the population gluten can be harmful and potentially deadly but for

the other 99% gluten and the food it is contained in can be beneficial to the general health of the

population. Most common products contain gluten and typically also contain essential nutritional

micronutrients, fiber, vitamin D, vitamin 12, and folate. (Vici, 2016) There is a lack of evidence in

the nutritional quality of GF products compared to products containing gluten (Missbach et al.,

2015). The market for GF products has increased in recent years. In 2010 the GF industry was an

estimated $2.5 billion in global sales (Pellergrini, 2015). A recent survey done in 2015 of more

than 1500 American adults determined that 35% had no reason for adopting a GF diet, 26% felt it

was a healthier option, 19% did it for digestive health and of the group 8% actually have gluten

sensitivity (Reilly, 2016). This small percentage shows the increase in popularity of GF diets for

reasons other than health. GF diets seem to be a trend when looking at the market increase in

popularity in recent years and the people who buy GF products. According to Reilly, gluten has

not been proven to be toxic in healthy adults (Reilly, 2016).

Based on these findings, we conclude that a GF diet for healthy individuals results in

nutritional deficiencies if not replaced with those nutrients lost and will be more costly compared

to gluten-containing diets. However, we acknowledge that, for the 1% of the population with CD,

there are benefits to consuming a GF diet that could not be gained otherwise.

References

Benson, A. (2013). The Rise and Fall of Bread in America (Master's thesis). FebruaryRetrieved

from http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?

article=1026&context=ac_symposium
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Greger, M. (2016). How a Gluten-Free Diet Can Be Harmful. Retrieved from

https://nutritionfacts.org/2016/02/23/how-a-gluten-free-diet-can-be-harmful/

Jaime, B. E., Jimnez, R. G., Quero, J. S., Martnez, A. R., Martn, F. A., Murillo, M. R., &

Martn, A. P. (2015). Nutritional assessment of gluten-free diet. Is gluten-free diet

deficient in some nutrient? Anales de Pediatra (English Edition),83(1), 33-39.

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Jargon, J. (2014). The Gluten-Free Craze: Is It Healthy? Retrieved from

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-we-eat-the-gluten-free-craze-is-it-healthy-1403491041

Missbach, B., Schwingshackl, L., Billmann, A., Mystek, A., Hickelsberger, M., Bauer, G., &

Knig, J. (2015). Gluten-free food database: the nutritional quality and cost of packaged

gluten-free foods. PeerJ, 3. doi:10.7717/peerj.1337

Nierenber, C. (2016). Gluten-free diets surge in popularity, yet celiac rates remain stable.

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rates-remain-stable.html

Pellegrini, N., & Agostoni, C. (2015). Nutritional aspects of gluten-free products.Journal of the

Science of Food and Agriculture, 95(12), 2380-2385. doi:10.1002/jsfa.7101

Reilly, N. (2016). The Gluten-Free Diet: Recognizing Fact, Fiction, and Fad. The Journal of

Pediatrics, 175, 206-210.

Sanz, Y. (2010). Effects of a gluten-free diet on gut microbiota and immune function in healthy

adult humans. Gut Microbes, 1(3), 135137. http://doi.org/10.4161/gmic.1.3.11868

Retrieval Site: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3023594/

Salazar Quero, J.C., Espn Jaime, B., Rodrguez Martnez, A., Argelles Martn, F., Garca

Jimnez, R., Rubio Murillo, M., Pizarro Martn, A. (July 2015). Valoracin nutricional de
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la dieta sin gluten. Es la dieta sin gluten deficitaria en algn nutriente? Anales de

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