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The gluten-free diet is completely ridiculous and is in no way a proper approach to nutrition.

Gluten is just the latest buzzword and many people probably have no idea what it really is. While gluten does have negative effects on the proper functioning of the digestive system in most people, simply eliminating it from the diet—and thinking this means we will be healthy—is a foolish misconception that some people have fallen into believing.

For example, something can be considered gluten-free and still contain MSG, artificial sweeteners and other detrimentally harmful food additives. Many gluten free foods even list “natural flavors” as one of their ingredients and this category can contain pretty much anything including MSG, which has been proven to have a negative impact on human health.

Recently, a friend of mine offered me a cookie and when I asked about the ingredients she replied, “Oh don’t worry, it’s gluten-free.” This is the attitude many “health conscious” people have adopted: that gluten-free is a nutritional seal of approval. Instead of buying into the latest buzzwords, we should try our best to be aware of everything we are putting into our bodies instead of overly trusting food companies and their marketing schemes.

To have true and lasting health in the modern era we need to cultivate the attitudes of detectives and seek out the truth about where our food is coming from, how it is produced and what it’s made of. This can sound silly to some people—or like a lot of work—but once we begin to educate ourselves, it’s easier to make choices that support our health and well-being.

What is gluten?

Gluten is made up of two different protein molecules—called glutenin and gliadin—and is mostly found in wheat, rye and barley. Gluten gives the “doughy” texture to bread and acts as a binding agent in foods. Think of gluten like food glue. Without gluten it becomes really hard to make certain ingredients stick together.

Why gluten is harmful to the body.

The problem with gluten is that it “confuses” the lining of the small intestine. The small intestine is like the national defense system for the body, regulating which substances are allowed to enter into the bloodstream and which ones are queued up for elimination. In fact, the entire gut—the whole pathway between the mouth and the anus—is technically outside of the body because it is not directly connected to the bloodstream.

For example if we eat something containing a toxic chemical, the lining of the small intestines is able to identify this substance as harmful and send a signal for it to be eliminated from the body. The small intestinal wall can also recognize nutrients and facilitate their absorption into the bloodstream so that our cells can utilize them for energy production and other vital processes.

Gluten disrupts the proper functioning of this system in many people.

If the small intestine is the border control agency of the body, then consuming gluten is like giving the border guards alcohol. They get confused and start letting the wrong people in! There are small spaces between the cells in the lining of the small intestine called “tight junctions” and the gliadin protein in gluten causes these “gateways” to break apart.

This can cause what is called leaky gut syndrome and it means potentially toxic substances can enter the bloodstream. This makes the body work extra hard to destroy and eliminate these substances, which wastes vital energy. The body also gets confused and can begin attacking proteins in healthy cells that are similar to the proteins found in gluten. When the body begins to attack its own cells, the result is what is known as an autoimmune condition. The most common autoimmune condition linked to gluten sensitivity is celiac disease.

So what’s wrong with going gluten-free?

If gluten is so obviously harmful to the proper functioning of the body in many people, then what’s wrong with going gluten free? The issue is that some people seem to think that going gluten free automatically means the cultivation of a healthy diet. I call this the, “I bought it at the health food store” attitude. Health food stores are great, but not everything on their shelves are healthy and nourishing foods. In fact, something can easily be gluten free and still contain harmful food additives such as preservatives, emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners. In short, gluten-free is not a nutritional stamp of approval by any means.

The problem here isn’t gluten, although gluten has been proven to be harmful to the human body. Seeing the bigger picture, we can start to understand that processed grains—and all processed foods for that matter—are the real culprit in this story. Most grains go through a process that is completely unnatural. The grains are treated with a number of chemicals and stripped of most of their nutritional value. Synthetic vitamins, which are way different than the naturally occurring vitamins in plants, and preservatives are then added back into the grains creating what is known as “fortified bread.”

Most grains produced in the United States are also treated with glyphosate and it is incredibly difficult to find grain, including whole grains that were not treated with the substance. This herbicide has been proven to have intense and severe health consequences, including being a cause of celiac disease, and is yet another reason to avoid most commercially produced grains, especially wheat.

Gluten is just the latest buzzword.

Whenever a new nutritional buzzword comes out—like gluten—food companies are quick to jump on board with the new trend. Sure, these companies have eliminated gluten from a lot of their products in response to the gluten free craze, but has that really led to healthier options at the store? By reading the ingredients label on many of these gluten free items, it becomes pretty clear that it hasn’t.

The same thing has happened many times before with other buzzwords like MSG, organic, low-calorie, fat-free, low-carb and sugar-free. Sugar-free is a great example of this because something that is technically sugar-free might contain artificial sweeteners, which have been linked to diabetes among a long list of other negative health consequences. 

MSG can be hidden in the ingredients label under “natural flavors.”

MSG (Monosodium L-Glutamate) is another buzzword that a lot of people have heard of and can cause fairly immediate symptoms when ingested including burning sensations, facial pressure, and chest pain. When MSG hit the mainstream media, food companies were quick to remove it from labels, but did they really stop putting it into foods? Why would they, when MSG has been proven to increase the taste intensity of foods—which causes people to buy more of these delicious snacks—resulting in increased profits for food companies. 

MSG is now hidden inside the ingredient categories called “natural flavors” and “natural flavorings.” These categories can contain pretty much anything—including animal products—based on the legal definitions of these terms quoted below.

“The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”  ~ U.S. Food and Drug Administration

This definition coming directly from the FDA makes it clear that pretty much anything can be considered “natural flavors.” MSG is produced by the fermentation of starch, sugar beets, sugar cane or molasses. Going back to the quoted definition above makes it pretty clear that MSG can be legally included under this label, and it is.

By increasing our awareness about what’s in our food, we become healthier.

It would be totally understandable to read all of this and feel completely overwhelmed. The good news is that there is a simple way to avoid all of this stuff—including gluten—and that is to consume whole foods produced by sustainable and truly natural agricultural and farming practices.

I think of myself as a food detective, and this is seriously the attitude we need to adopt if we are at all interested in our health. I do my best to seek out high quality, nutrient dense foods free from chemicals. It can be difficult at the beginning when we don’t know much about this stuff. When I first started looking into these things, I remember feeling overpowered. Now, having educated myself, I feel empowered to make the best possible choices to support my health and well-being.

If we continue to buy processed foods containing chemicals then these companies will continue to produce them. It really is that simple. Every time we buy something at the store, we are voting for that product—and any of its ingredients—to be produced. It’s like a game between us and tricky food companies where we have to find out what is really in our food! I’m all in for playing because I want to be healthy, feel vital and live a long and happy life.

So next time you reach for that gluten-free cookie, take a moment and check the ingredients. You might be surprised at what you discover.

Author: John Miller

Image: Memphis CVB at Flickr

Editor: Catherine Monkman