Gluten; It is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley and gives elasticity to the dough. In people with celiac disease, gluten triggers the immune system by damaging the brush-like structures on the surface of the small intestine. This can interfere with the absorption of nutrients, cause a range of symptoms in the patient, and lead to other problems such as osteoporosis, infertility, nerve damage, and more. In the condition called gluten intolerance or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, some symptoms occur without damage to the intestine. However, recently gluten-free diet has become popular regardless of any disease.
Why has gluten-free nutrition become so popular? Is it because there is an increase in the number of people with celiac disease or is it the endless search for a "miracle" diet?
With the study conducted by scientists at the New Jersey School of Medicine; They found that while the prevalence of celiac disease was stable, individuals eating gluten-free without celiac disease had a threefold higher prevalence of celiac disease.
Although its effect has not been scientifically proven, people prefer a gluten-free diet to lose weight and feel more energetic. A gluten-free diet means giving up bread, grains, pasta, pizza and many other foods. Additionally, many products that you might not think of contain gluten, such as gluten-containing sauces such as soy sauce, frozen vegetables, some foods made with “natural flavors”, vitamin and mineral supplements, and toothpaste. This makes it very difficult to follow a gluten-free diet. Although gluten-free foods are more delicious than they were 10 years ago, they tend to be more expensive than other foods.
The number of people who think gluten-free foods are healthier is considerable. But for someone who doesn't have a gluten problem, gluten-free foods may be less healthy. First of all, you include products with more added sugar and fat to make them taste better, and this does not seem like the right step to be healthier compared to normal nutrition. Secondly, since you remove all whole or whole grains from your diet, you cannot fully provide your body with the nutrients you need on a daily basis. From this perspective, gluten While poor nutrition provides the promised health benefits, it may cause weight gain or vitamin-mineral deficiencies.
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