The
Truth
About
Gluten
Nutrition
Millions of
Americans
are forgoing
wheat. What’s
up with that?
In the past few years,
Major League Baseball sta-
diums have begun offering
gluten-free concessions,
national restaurant chains
including Denny’s and
Olive Garden are providing
gluten-free options, and
gluten-free bakeries are
popping up from Alaska to
Florida. In 2010 the mar-
ket for such foods reached
$2.6 billion, a 30 percent
increase since 2006.
Clearly gluten—a protein
found in wheat, barley, and
rye—is today’s ingredient
non grata. But is gluten
really all that bad? Or is
gluten-free just another
foodie fad?
The answer is compli-
cated. For the estimated
3 million Americans with
celiac disease—an auto-
immune illness that
damages the lining of the
digestive tract—exposure
to gluten can trigger a
host of serious symptoms,
including vomiting and
severe abdominal pain.
For the millions more who
test negative for celiac
but insist they feel better
after eliminating gluten,
the scientific evidence is
less convincing. Those
people may be legitimately
gluten-sensitive. Or per-
haps they’re simply eating
a healthier diet, says Mayo
Clinic gastroenterologist
Joseph Murray, M.D., who
notes that junk food tends
CHEW ON THIS
By Brian Wansink, Ph.D.
to have high amounts of
gluten. “Sometimes when I
see someone who feels bet-
ter off without gluten, I say,
‘That’s a very healthy diet.
You could probably add
some gluten to that and not
feel any different.’ ”
If you suspect you’re
gluten-sensitive, give up
gluten for two weeks, then
reintroduce it and see how
you react, says Trudy Scott,
president of the National
Association of Nutrition
Professionals: “That’s a
very powerful way to find
out if gluten affects you.”
If it does, follow these
steps for going gluten-free:
Scan ingredient lists
carefully Gluten is ubiqui-
tous. It may be listed
as semolina, durum, or
enriched flour.
Choose whole foods
over processed ones Fruits,
vegetables, beans, meats,
seafood, dairy products,
nuts, and seeds are natu-
rally gluten-free.
Experiment with new
grains Brown rice and
quinoa can stand in for
some wheat-based foods.
Don’t assume that
gluten-free is fat-free
Pizza is pizza, gluten-free
or not. —Christina Ianzito
FROM TOP: CHRISTOPHER TESTANI (FOOD STYLIST: CARRIE PURCELL/BIG LEO; PROP
STYLIST: MOLLY FITZSIMONS/BIG LEO); ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTOPH NIEMANN
THE SKINNY ON OATMEAL
Some people swear by oatmeal as a filling and nutritious
breakfast; others swear at oatmeal for being heavy and bland.
We asked 78 volunteers to eat oatmeal daily for 30 days. Some
lost weight, but on average, participants gained almost a
pound. How? Either they loaded it up with sugar or they “re-
warded” themselves with a doughnut afterward. So, sure, stick
with oatmeal if you love it. If not, don’t torture yourself. Or find
healthier ways to make it tasty, such as adding fruits or nuts.
EAT NO WHEAT?
For tasty gluten-free recipes,
go to aarp.org/glutenfree.
