Gluten Free; Gimmick or Good Nutrition?

Gluten free products are popping up everywhere and some would say that they are a waste of money.

The gluten free frenzy has become “food fashion”.

Many people falsely believe that gluten-free means healthier when, indeed, it does not.

For those who have been diagnosed with celiac disease there is a medical reason to avoid products containing gluten, however, many people have been self diagnosing gluten sensitivity based on internet research and conversations with friends and simply end up funding an industry which preys on fear and misinformation.

The worldwide market for gluten-free products is nearly $2.5 billion, spurred in part by the Internet, alternative medicine and questionable scientists with ties to manufacturers, coauthor Dr. Roberto Corazza of the University of Pavia told msnbc.com in an email.
Gluten is a component of the protein mixture in wheat, rye and barley flour. For people with the autoimmune condition celiac disease, foods that contain gluten trigger the immune system to attack the lining of the small intestine. The only treatment is a lifelong, gluten-free diet. Untreated, celiac disease raises the risk of life-threatening conditions such as digestive tract cancers. About 1 in 133 Americans has celiac disease, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation.

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