Gluten and Your Health - What You Should Know

Anything that makes you sick is bad for you. For some three million Americans, gluten is considered the bane of their existence. They have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder known as celiac disease. Eating foods containing gluten when you have celiac disease can be likened to killing yourself from the inside. The immune system attacks the small intestine, thinking that it is the foe, and naturally damages it. Of course, when the small intestine gets injured, its ability to absorb nutrients for the body to use gets impaired, which results to constant fatigue or lethargy, unexplainable weight loss, stomach pain, bloating and constipation or diarrhea. For 20 million other Americans who have non-celiac gluten sensitivity, eating gluten-containing foods can also cause bloating, gas and irritable bowel syndrome. Meanwhile, those diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, Crohn's Disease. Fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis sufferers have also shown significant improvement when they subjected themselves to a gluten-free diet.

Gluten is a protein which can be found in wheat, barley, rye and oats and of course, the products that get manufactured using these ingredients. Thus, we're talking about breads, cookies and cereals jus to name a few. Packaged and processed meat, ice cream and soup cubes, believe it or not, also contain this protein. Now, you're probably wondering where and how those with celiac disease and other gluten-sensitive individuals eat. Well, there are a number of gluten-free sources from the basic food groups. Dairy products such as eggs, milk, cheese and yogurts (most of them) are gluten-free. Flours and grains such as rice and corn as well as quinoa, soybeans, legumes and fresh or unprocessed meats also do not have gluten.

Some individuals think that substituting gluten-containing foods with gluten-free alternatives is the magic pill to achieving weight loss. But the influence is far from direct. A gluten-free diet does not necessarily translate to fat loss. If you are just going to be substituting gluten-containing cereal with gluten-free cereal, for example, there's not going to be much advantage in the way of weight loss. However, if in your quest for a gluten-free lifestyle you eliminate all packaged foods from your diet, including desserts, breads and gravy and eat more natural foods from fresh fruit, vegetable, lean meat and fish sources, then you are on the path to a sensible diet program that could result to shedding off those excess pounds.

It's not right to blame gluten on your failure to lose weight. If you don't have a disease that requires you to eliminate gluten from your diet completely, then there's no need to. You can benefit from the fiber and B vitamins that are naturally present in gluten-containing foods. Aside from that, it would make grocery shopping faster and more convenient. If you are too concerned about gluten (when you shouldn't be, that is), you remove the hassle of having to read food packages and labels.

So to answer the question in the title: Unless you have a medical condition that warrants eliminating gluten from your diet completely, then gluten isn't particularly bad for you. But if you just don't feel like making it a part of your daily diet then stick to good old natural foods. You are assured that fruits, veggies and lean meats are gluten-free.

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