A survey has been released talking about the gluten-free diet and it has revealed that there are a lot of health risks of the said diet and they are basically hidden that is why despite the weight loss, dieters using this method do not see that.
The Consumer Reports National Research Center has surveyed over 1,000 people and the results showed that over 63 percent of the sample population believes that a gluten-free diet could boost both the mental and physical health while one third claims that they only purchase gluten-free products because they avoid such substance being in their food.
According Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Celiac Research director Alessio Fasano, there is actually a little percentage of research that would support that gluten-free diet has health benefits such as improved digestion, stronger immune system and even weight loss.
He pressed that there is no medical reason over these claims noting that anyone who does not have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity should eliminate gluten from the food they are taking in.
In the survey, one fourth of the participants pressed that gluten-free foods contain more vitamins and minerals compared to other foods however the review shows that 81 of the gluten-free products that have been developed does not reflect such statement.
Patricia Clavo of Consumer Reports noted that people think gluten-free food will help them lose weight but added that, "when we looked at those gluten-free products we found that they're not necessarily healthier and they may be less so."
Health experts pressed that food without gluten being eaten by those who do not have sensitivity from the substance will cause a negative impact on one's health as the important nutrients such as iron and folic acid are found in products using wheat flours.
Another finding is that gluten-free products can also lead to unwanted weight gain as gluten actually adds texture and flavor, so product without it use more fat, sugar and sodium. Fasano added, "When you cut out gluten completely, you can cut out foods that have valuable nutrients and you may end up adding more calories and fat into your diet."
