WASHINGTON, July 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A new review
article
[http://journals.lww.com/jaapa/Abstract/2015/08000/Navigating_the_gluten_free_boom.16.aspx]
published in the Journal of the American Academy of Physician
Assistants confirms there is no published experimental evidence
supporting a gluten-free diet for weight loss in individuals
without celiac disease or gluten-related disorders. Titled
"Navigating the gluten-free boom: from essential medical treatment
to ill-conceived fad diet," the authors scrutinized the scientific
literature and concluded that there is no benefit to the general
population from going gluten-free. However, consumer trend data
from Mintel indicates that 65% of Americans select gluten-free
products because they believe they are more healthful.*
In recent years, gluten-free dieting has gained popularity among
the general population at a rate that is out of proportion to the
prevalence of gluten-related disorders such as celiac disease (CD),
non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and wheat allergy, for which
the gluten-free diet is a vital medical treatment. Unfortunately,
celebrity endorsements and media coverage have led people to
believe they would benefit from following a gluten-free eating
pattern; this sentiment is reflected in another Mintel insight that
27 percent of Americans choose gluten-free products to help them
lose weight.
"Our research confirms much of what we already knew – while the
gluten-free diet is a legitimate therapeutic tool for those
affected by gluten-related disorders, there has been a corrosion of
common sense from people needlessly jumping on the fad diet
bandwagon," stated study co-author Glenn
Gaesser, PhD, researcher and professor at Arizona State University. "In fact, people who
eliminate gluten may end up gaining weight because these foods
often have more calories than their gluten-containing counterparts.
There is also preliminary evidence that consuming gluten-containing
foods, especially whole grain wheat products high in dietary fiber,
may boost beneficial gut bacteria, which will be an interesting
area of future study recognizing our growing understanding of the
microbiome and its effect on health." Gaesser is chairman of Grain
Foods Foundation's Scientific Advisory Board.
For more information about gluten, grains and choosing a
healthful diet, please visit grainfoodsfoundation.org.
*Gluten-Free Foods – U.S., Mintel, September 2013.
About Grain Foods Foundation
Formed in 2004, Grain Foods Foundation (GFF) is a joint venture
of members from the baking and milling industries, and allied
suppliers. GFF is a supportive, expert group of thought leaders and
advocates for ALL grain foods that believes everybody needs grain
food to enjoy a happy and healthy life.
The Foundation is directed by a board of trustees, and its
funding is provided through voluntary donations from private
grain-based companies and supplemented by industry
associations.
To promote the common business interests of its members, GFF
offers research-based information and resources to members,
partners, influencers, policymakers and consumers through a
comprehensive communications campaign, conferences, webinars,
research tools, social media and more. Many campaign elements are
available to members for use in individual promotional efforts.
Nutrition is always a hotly contested topic, and Americans have
been inundated with often conflicting, and sometimes suspect,
nutritional advice. GFF is committed to bringing fact-based
information and common sense to the consumer. We encourage
consumers to follow the recommendation of nutrition experts and to
make grains a foundational platform of their daily diets.
The Foundation is committed to nutrition education programming
that is firmly rooted in sound science, being a strong advocate for
our members, and a resource for consumers and the media who want to
learn more about the role of grains in a healthy lifestyle. For all
of these reasons and more, GFF invites you to "Come to the Table" —
for all things grains.
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SOURCE Grain Foods Foundation