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.

It seems that the big new health trend is gluten-free.

Gluten seems to be everywhere and in everything, especially if you suffer from Celiac Disease.

We hear of gluten intolerance and celiac disease so often because there has been a marked increase of the population who suffer with this autoimmune disease.

The amount of gluten in our food, which has risen in the last 90-100, as well as improvements in hygiene and sanitation have been noted to contribute to the affliction.

Celiac disease is an inherited autoimmune disorder that causes the body’s immune system to attack the small intestine, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center. The attack is prompted by exposure to gluten, a protein found in such grains as wheat, rye and barley.

The disease interferes with proper digestion and, in children, prompts symptoms that include bloating, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. Adults with celiac disease are less likely to show digestive symptoms but will develop problems such as anemia, fatigue, osteoporosis or arthritis as the disorder robs their bodies of vital nutrients.

The Food and Drug Administration is reevaluating standards and food labeling for products defined as gluten-free.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Tuesday that it will be re-examining the standards by which foods on supermarket shelves can be labeled as “gluten-free”.

Currently, the amount of gluten permitted in “gluten-free” items available in stores can vary.

The FDA says that it is aiming to “eliminate uncertainty about how food producers may label their products,” as well as “assure consumers who must avoid gluten that foods labeled ‘gluten-free’ meet a clear standard established and enforced by the FDA.”

Gluten inflames the small intestine of people who suffer from celiac disease; the protein, commonly found in wheat, barley, and rye, is often used as a stabilizing agent in as assortment of foods such as condiments, ice cream, and soy sauce.

Trying a gluten-free diet is not such a bad idea.

Even though it’s an extremely difficult diet to follow people who struggle with gut problems but have tested negative for celiac disease are determined to take matters into their own hands.

By eliminating gluten rich foods from the diet they can reduce intestinal upset and improve the quality of their lives.

With all the new gluten-free products on the market these days, it has become increasingly easier to eat healthily and continue to enjoy a variety of foods.

“Within a week of eliminating [gluten], I started to feel markedly better,” says Cooper, now 36, from Melbourne, Australia. “It wasn’t a gradual feeling better; it was almost a crossing-the-street kind of thing.”