Lately, a trend has emerged among health-conscious people to eat a gluten-free diet. This is a difficult step, because even with the emergence of many gluten-free products, avoiding it in a mainstream lifestyle requires careful observations and planning.
Ironically, many people who follow a gluten-free diet don’t really have an idea of what it is or what it does in the body, only that it may be “bad” for your health. Americans spend more than $10 billion each year on products labeled gluten-free, but a recent survey found that only one-third of 1,012 United States adults could identify what gluten actually is and does. NSF International conducted a telephone survey and discovered that more than 25 percent of consumers believe that wheat-free also means gluten-free (wrong); there are also 15 percent who believe gluten is wheat (wrong). More than 45 percent believe rice is a gluten product, while more than 30 percent accused potatoes of being a gluten product (neither contains gluten).
When asked why they were not including gluten products in their diet, 19 percent claimed a gluten allergy, while 12 percent claimed going gluten-free made them healthier. Just under 10 percent admitted they have celiac disease, which would be an amazing finding, since scientific research has long established that less than one percent of the United States adult population truly has the disease.
No one is allergic to gluten. Many people claim a “gluten allergy” out of ignorance. There are only three gluten-related disorders: celiac disease, wheat allergies and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Thus, many may be fronting on their alleged disability out of ignorance or willful self-righteousness, believing that gluten-free gives them a health edge.