The New Trend: Gluten-Free Diet For Weight Loss

Gluten-free diet for weight loss: Is this true?

The gluten-free diet has become very popular in the last years. It has been widely advertised by movie and TV stars as an option for weight loss. There are thousands of blogs that talk about the huge benefits of following a gluten-free diet and they even offer options of gluten-free meals that you can cook at home, using gluten-free products. The market for these last ones has therefore grown impressively and many general and specialized supermarkets offer a varied range of gluten-free products for people to be able to follow this new “life-style” and loose weight easily by taking gluten out from their lives.

But, is there reliable scientific evidence that supports a gluten-free diet to loose weight? Let’s dig more into this.

Gluten intolerance as a disease

Gluten is a protein present in wheat mainly, but also in other grains such as barley and rye. Gluten intolerance is the main feature of a variety of diseases, including celiac disease and non-celiac disorders and is caused by an adverse reaction to the gluten protein, from the immune system.

Gluten causes an intense immune reaction in this region of the gastrointestinal tract, leading to inflammation. Because the immune system attacks and damages the inner part of the small intestine, the cells that normally absorb the nutrients die or loose functionality, preventing nutrients from being absorbed and causing undernourishment in people with the disease. Symptoms of the disease include abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, weight loss, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and other symptoms related to this state of undernourishment.

Symptoms are also similar to the ones present in celiac disease and both diseases are seen genetically predisposed patients.

The gluten free diet as medical treatment

Research has shown that the introduction of a gluten-free diet in the life-style of people with either celiac disease or gluten sensitivity helps in the control of the disease. Because of this, one of the treatments that people with gluten intolerance have to follow is a diet free of wheat products and other grains.

This is an important issue that clinicians must take into account when treating a patient with gluten intolerance, because the lack of nutrients can cause delays in development in children, for example.

Wheat allergy is also a gluten-related disorder, but is very rare and can be treated with a wheat free diet rather than a more restrictive gluten-free diet. 

What About Going Gluten-Free And Weight Loss?

Despite all the information regarding gluten-free diet and weight loss, there is no scientific evidence indicating a causative relation between following a diet free of gluten and the weight loss. In fact, several studies performed in gluten-intolerant patients that were overweight or obese have shown that they tend to gain weight under a gluten-free diet.

There are no studies of the effects of a gluten-free diet on healthy individuals, so we cannot really tell if this type of diet would be helpful in the weight loss process.

Gluten free products

Then, why do people believe that by cutting out on gluten will help them loose weight? Wheat also contains carbohydrates, including inulin and oligofructose. 

Well, they are certainly avoiding gluten and wheat carbohydrates, but they will be surprised to know that they are actually not ingesting fewer calories by going gluten-free.

In fact, gluten-free products tend to have a higher caloric content than regular products. For example, 75 grams of gluten free spaghetti contains 264 kcal, 57.6 grams of carbs and 1.4 grams of fat, whereas regular macaroni contains 200 kcal, 42 grams of carbs and 1 gram of fat.

What you might be missing under a gluten-free diet

Wheat, in general, is an important component of our diet. Both inulin and oligofructose are sugars that participate in the maintenance of gut bacteria and are present in wheat. Gut bacteria protect the intestine from a variety of conditions, including inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases, as well as cancer. They also participate in the control of insulin and therefore, in the control of body weight and food intake.

Gluten by itself is also beneficial. It plays an important role in the control of blood lipid levels and blood pressure, and it is a natural booster of the immune system. 

See Also: Gluten Intolerance: The Facts

The gluten-free diet should be seen as a medical treatment rather than an easy, and certainly not cheap, alternative for weight loss. This diet works on people that suffer from gluten intolerance and that are required to follow it to reduce the symptoms of the disease and improve their health and quality of life.

However, there is no evidence that confirms that individuals without gluten intolerance also benefit from this diet. Moreover, there is no evidence that shows that cutting on gluten helps to loose weight. On the contrary, it may promote weight gain and malnutrition. If you are on a gluten-free diet or were planning on taking gluten out of your life to loose weight, talk to you doctor and be careful, as you could be causing more harm to yourself than good.