Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Jefferson Adams
    Jefferson Adams

    Some Important Things You Should Know About a Gluten-Free Diet

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    People with celiac disease must follow a gluten-free diet. Here are some important facts to keep in mind about a gluten-free diet.

    Some Important Things You Should Know About a Gluten-Free Diet - Image: CC--@joefoodie
    Caption: Image: CC--@joefoodie

    Celiac.com 04/03/2018 - A gluten-free diet is crucial to avoiding problems associated with celiac disease. However, many gluten-free foods come with drawbacks that are important to understand.

    Also, not all gluten-free food is created equal, not all gluten-free foods are healthy, and simply going gluten-free may not resolve all of your issues. Here are some things to keep in mind about a gluten-free diet:

    1. Gluten-Free food is more expensive than food made with wheat flour. In fact, gluten-free substitutes are about twice as expensive as standard foods. They are more costly to make, and they sell in lower volume, which pushes up retail prices.
    2. Like many of their non-gluten-free counterparts, gluten-free foods can be highly processed. Processed foods can promote inflammation, which is one of the things that people with celiac disease are trying to avoid.
    3. Gluten-Free does not automatically mean nutritious. In fact, gluten-free food is generally less nutritious than similarly processed foods made with wheat flour. Foods that are naturally gluten-free will generally be healthier than gluten-free substitutes. That may seem obvious, but if you look at the gluten-free food aisle in your local store, you will see many highly processed foods that are not any better than their gluten-containing counterparts in terms of general nutrition. Gluten-free foods are often higher in carbohydrates and calories than their non-gluten-free counterparts.
    4. Gluten-Free food is higher in salt than its non-gluten-free counterparts. Recent products tests show that most gluten-free snacks tested are far saltier than their non-gluten-free alternatives. Of 106 products surveyed, researchers found that many gluten-free snacks have up to five times more salt than non-gluten-free counterparts. 
    5. Gluten-Free food is higher in fat than its non-gluten-free counterparts.
    6. Gluten-Free food is higher in sugar than its non-gluten-free counterparts.
    7. Gluten-Free ingredients don’t always mean gluten-free food. The news is riddled with stories about gluten contamination in restaurants, pizza joints, etc., that claim to use gluten-free ingredients. Examples of companies that rolled out gluten-free pizza only to be met with complaints by people with celiac disease include: California Pizza Kitchen, Domino’s pizza, and Papa John’s, among others.
    8. The longer you avoid gluten, the more sensitive you may become. For many people with celiac disease, the longer they avoid gluten, the more sensitive they become. This can mean stronger, more lengthy reactions to seemingly minor gluten ingestion, so be careful.
    9. A gluten-free diet will not reverse osteoporosis, or iron and calcium deficiency. If your celiac disease progressed for a long time before your diagnosis, then the odds are much more likely that you have suffered from osteoporosis, iron and calcium deficiency. A gluten-free diet alone will not reverse osteoporosis, or calcium deficiency. In such cases, you will need to consult your doctor for proper treatment. Osteoporosis is especially problematic in women with celiac disease.

    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    Guest Laura

    Posted

    Do you know what's worse than osteoporosis?  It's "near death" from severe malnutrition & its associated diseases caused by the toxic effects of gluten.  Gluten is "poison".  Wheat also contains gliadin which is believed to be linked to type I Diabetes Mellitus, Fibromyalgia & numerous other inflammatory diseases.  

    Celiac disease is a hideous condition.  Food cross-reactors prevent the intake of foods containing: Yeast-Egg-Milk.  It took 3 months to stop "craving" wheat after I was forced for health purposes to stop consuming it.  There were no gluten-free products (cookies/mixes etc.) that did not contain egg or yeast or milk. After a few years the desire for "sweet" foods dissipated. 

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites


    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Donate
  • About Me

    Jefferson Adams

    Jefferson Adams is Celiac.com's senior writer and Digital Content Director. He earned his B.A. and M.F.A. at Arizona State University. His articles, essays, poems, stories and book reviews have appeared in numerous magazines, journals, and websites, including North American Project, Antioch Review, Caliban, Mississippi Review, Slate, and more. He is the author of more than 2,500 articles on celiac disease. His university coursework includes studies in science, scientific methodology, biology, anatomy, physiology, medicine, logic, and advanced research. He previously devised health and medical content for Colgate, Dove, Pfizer, Sharecare, Walgreens, and more. Jefferson has spoken about celiac disease to the media, including an appearance on the KQED radio show Forum, and is the editor of numerous books, including "Cereal Killers" by Scott Adams and Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.

    >VIEW ALL ARTICLES BY JEFFERSON ADAMS

     


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Related Articles

    Scott Adams
    The Gluten-Free Diet: Curse or Cure?
    Celiac.com 03/29/2006 - I recently reviewed the results of a Celiac.com survey, and was surprised to learn that 37 percent of 472 respondents do not believe that there will ever be a cure for celiac disease, while 32 percent think there will be, and 31 percent are unsure. After reading the question again I realized that it might be loaded—does the gluten-free diet count as a cure? Some people think so. Others think that the diet is a curse, or at best just a treatment. With the vast improvement that has taken place during the last few years in the quality of gluten-free foods I like to think of the diet as really good tasting cure. Of course the diet isn't really a cure, but the proof is in the pudding, and the diet has allowed my body to become healthy again and make me feel as though I...


    Jefferson Adams
    Celiac.com 05/26/2016 - An Australian dietary organization has published a study showing the high and hidden costs of a gluten-free diet, and is calling for a subsidy program to help offset those extra costs.
    A newly published study quantifying the cost of gluten-free foods shows a family with two children can pay nearly 20% more for gluten-free food. The costs are even greater for single men on welfare.
    The study is the first of its kind to prove "that a gluten-free diet is a significant financial burden for many Australian family types," say University of Wollongong researchers Kelly Lambert and Caitlin Ficken, the study's authors.
    The study was supported by the Dieticians Association (DAA) of Australia, and the results appear in its scientific journal Nutrition and Dietetics...


    Jefferson Adams
    How Good is Your Gluten-free Diet?
    Celiac.com 12/08/2016 - People with celiac disease are supposed to follow a strict lifelong gluten-free diet. Celiac patients should receive regular follow-up dietary interviews and blood tests to make sure that they are successfully following the diet.
    However, none of these methods offer an accurate measure of dietary compliance. The only way to know for sure, is to test. A team of researchers recently set out to evaluate the measurement of gluten immunogenic peptides (GIP) in stools as a marker of gluten-free diet adherence in celiac patients and compare it with traditional methods of gluten-free diet monitoring.
    The team conducted a prospective, nonrandomized, multi-center study including 188 celiac patients on gluten-free diet and 84 healthy controls. Subjects were given a dietary...


    Jefferson Adams
    Is Your Gluten-free Diet Killing You?
    Celiac.com 04/20/2017 - More people than ever are following a gluten-free diet, but does the diet carry health risks that could cause harm in the long run? That's a very possible scenario, according to a report published in the journal Epidemiology.
    The report presents strong data to suggest that numerous gluten-free food staples contain high levels of toxic metals, which means that many gluten-free eaters could face higher risks for cancer and other chronic illnesses.
    Moreover, the US studies both reveal that people who follow a gluten-free diet have twice as much arsenic in their urine as those who eat a non-gluten-free diet. They also have 70 per cent more mercury in their blood, along with high levels of other toxic metals, such as lead and cadmium. Clearly the report...


  • Recent Activity

    1. - RMJ replied to marion wheaton's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      6

      Osteoporosis

    2. - trents replied to marion wheaton's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      6

      Osteoporosis

    3. - RMJ replied to marion wheaton's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      6

      Osteoporosis

    4. - trents replied to marion wheaton's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      6

      Osteoporosis

    5. - marion wheaton replied to marion wheaton's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      6

      Osteoporosis


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      126,438
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Wbymw
    Newest Member
    Wbymw
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.9k
    • Total Posts
      69.4k

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Popular Now

    • marion wheaton
      6
    • Jula
  • Popular Articles

    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
  • Upcoming Events

×
×
  • Create New...