Gluten-free isn't necessarily healthier

In a new study, researchers at Consumer Reports say gluten has been unfairly demonized in recent years, and that too many Americans now consider the words "gluten-free" to be synonymous with the adjective "healthier."
Gluten-free foods, the new report argues, aren't always the healthiest option and in many cases may be even less nutritious.
The report -- titled "Will a gluten-free diet really make you healthier?" and set to appear in the consumer magazine's January issue -- sets out to rectify a number of misconceptions about the disparaged food component present in most cereal grains. Not only is gluten-free not always a healthier or more nutritious option, the report warns, but it also often costs more, can enable weight gain, and even increase one's exposure to arsenic.
"If you go completely gluten-free without the guidance of a nutritionist, you can develop deficiencies pretty quickly," Laura Moore, a dietitian at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, told Consumer Reports.
According to the response of more than 1,000 surveyed by Consumer Reports, nearly two-thirds of Americans think eating a gluten-free diet will "improve physical or mental health."
The report isn't necessarily against gluten-free products or diets. Millions of Americans have Celiac disease. For them, digesting gluten is unhealthy and dangerous, leading to long-term health complications. Millions more go gluten-free and are happy with the results. But Consumer Reports warns that if people are looking to go gluten-free, they should do it smartly.
Report authors recommend eating whole grains and whole foods like fruit, vegetables, lean meat and poultry, fish, dairy, legumes and nuts. Also, read the label. Many gluten-free products actually have more sugar, sodium and calories, the report warns.
The reports suggests people may be going gluten-free without knowing all the facts. But there's been plenty of recent research that suggests cutting carbohydrates is on the whole a good idea for improved health. At least one study found cutting back on carbs, not fat, helped people lose weight and lower their risk of hearth disease.
But some experts point out that going gluten-free may simply encourage people to eat healthier. In other words, it's the influx of healthy whole foods that is doing good -- not necessarily the absence of gluten.
"If people lose weight on a gluten-free diet, it might be because they're cutting calories, eating less processed food or sweets, or cutting portions of starchy foods like pasta and bread," explained Samantha Heller, a senior clinical nutritionist at NYU Langone Medical Center. "Instead of a cookie, they're eating an apple. Instead of pasta, they're eating a high-fiber, gluten-free whole grain like quinoa. Eating more fiber helps satiety and may aid in weight loss."