 |
| 4 Health Reasons You Shouldn't Go Gluten-Free |
These days, it seems like going gluten-free is the new craze. There are tons of websites, cookbooks, and doctors all devoted to the practice. And there are many health benefits to avoiding gluten, especially for those who have celiac disease, a true allergy to gluten.
However, less spoken of are the risks of going gluten-free, and how a gluten-free diet can actually negatively impact your body. The leading risks of eschewing wheat and grains are: lower essential vitamins and nutrients (especially depletions in vitamins B and D) which can lead to a variety of other problems, a decrease in production of "good" bacteria in the gut, constipation, and higher cholesterol levels.
Because of all of the potentially harmful risks of a gluten-free diet, perhaps you should only try this type of diet out if you really need to, meaning if you have a real allergy to gluten. To let you know what could happen if you go gluten-free, we've put together a list of the health risks.
Less Essential Vitamins and Nutrients
Following a gluten-free diet can lower levels of certain vitamins and nutrients that are commonly found in grains. You’ll be surprised by just how many essential vitamins and nutrients you could be missing: B vitamins, D vitamins, omega-3, iron, calcium, fiber, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate. These lower levels of body essentials can lead to risk factors for heart attacks, vascular disease, and strokes.
Constipation
Constipation is another common side effect of going gluten-free. Substitute grains, like rice, have an inadequate amount of fiber compared to wheat products, and can cause constipation.
Higher Cholesterol
It’s not unlikely that your cholesterol could rise from being gluten-free, especially if you have celiac disease. For those who have celiac, before they stop eating gluten their intestines don’t absorb the cholesterol in food. Thus, once they stop eating gluten, their cholesterol levels rise. Also, packaged gluten-free products are often higher in fat than their gluten-filled counterparts.
Lowered Bacteria Production in the Gut
Good bacteria production in the gut, an indication of good immune health, can be significantly reduced while on a gluten-free diet. Those who are gluten-free should be sure to add in additional sources of probiotics, like yogurt, into their diets.
