Celiac Disease

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Around 1% of Americans battle celiac disease, but those numbers have been on the rise since 2020. The Celiac Disease Foundation believes this is because physicians are now more aware of “non-classical” symptoms and have access to more advanced blood testing. Several institutions estimate that 83% of people with celiac disease were undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

People with celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. If they consume gluten, their immune systems go into overdrive and attack the small intestine’s inner lining. Over time, this genetic autoimmune disorder can damage the inner lining of the intestines and prevent proper nutrient absorption. This can lead to dietary deficiencies and medical conditions such as anemia, osteoporosis and even gastrointestinal tract cancers.

According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, there are about 300 symptoms associated with celiac disease. Digestive distress, including diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain or nausea, occurs more commonly in children. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases reports adults frequently experience seemingly unrelated symptoms, such as joint pain, anxiety and depression, headaches, fatigue and a skin rash called dermatitis herpetiformis.

The only “treatment” for celiac disease is to avoid gluten. This means not only cutting wheat, rye and barley from your diet, but also checking ingredient lists for gluten, lecithin or soy lecithin, and hydrolyzed vegetable protein. Vitamins, salad dressings, soups, frozen and canned foods, and even chewing gum are just a few of the surprising places you might find gluten.

Going Gluten-Free Without Celiac Disease

A recent Gallup poll found that 20% of Americans incorporate gluten-free foods into their diet. Many people who don’t have celiac disease have adopted a gluten-free diet because they believe it is healthier or will help them lose weight, but the diet isn’t recommended for everyone. This is because:

A gluten-free lifestyle is highly restrictive, so you may lose out on important nutrients. According to Harvard Medical School, excluding fortified whole-wheat bread and cereals could mean a lack of folate and other B vitamins. Whole wheat products also provide much-needed fiber — a nutrient lacking in many gluten-free products.
Gluten has positive health benefits. Harvard also reports that people who eat whole grains have significantly lower heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes rates. Gluten can also serve as a prebiotic, benefiting “good” gut bacteria.
Gluten-free diets could sabotage weight loss. Many processed gluten-free foods contain higher amounts of fat and sugar to improve the taste, which means higher calories than their wheat-containing counterparts.
Going gluten-free is also expensive. According to Consumer Reports, the price of gluten-free processed foods exceeds gluten-containing varieties in every category except cereal.