By Augusta Statz
Gluten, found in wheat, barley and rye, has recently gained the public’s fascination. According to an article in Vogue, the blame for this fascination falls on Gwyneth Paltrow. Apparently, she blogged about her gluten-free diet, and ever since then, gluten-free diets have been all the rage.
The restrictive nature of the diet alone helps some people lose weight and transform their figures. There is very little that can actually be eaten on a gluten-free diet. For example, no bread, pasta, cereal or beer is allowed.
But if losing weight is your goal, this diet may not be the best one. According to Vogue, “Packaged gluten-free foods are often higher in carbs, fat, sugar and calories than their regular counterparts.” The lack of gluten can also cause the body to have a B-vitamin deficiency, which wheat is rich in.
The trend would not last if it were truly all about losing weight, though. A growing number of people are intolerant to gluten. Celiac disease, a disorder that makes it difficult for people to digest gluten, was thought to be a disease that began in childhood, but now even people in their 50s are being diagnosed, according to a recent study in the Annals of Medicine.
For sufferers of the disease, gluten can cause gas, bloating and headaches. All of these symptoms can be blamed on other things, like stress or too much spicy food, which is probably why the disease has gone undetected for so long by many people.
Scientists are still not sure why gluten affects some people’s intestines in such a negative way. Some think it is because of how much gluten is packed into what we are eating, and some think that it may have to do with the wheat itself, which has been made more pest-resistant.
The mystery of gluten may be unsolved, but in the meantime, many companies are making money of off gluten-free products. Vogue says that even Chelsea Clinton’s nine-tier wedding cake was gluten-free. Marketers have seized the moment, and are creating gluten-free everything, even lipstick, according to Vogue.
