The battle against bread: is giving up gluten healthy or hazardous?

We love our bread.

For some reason, in the last few years, gluten has become the enemy. It's gluten-free this or gluten-free that... we all KIND OF know what it means but is it right to swear it off entirely? There's definitely some benefits and pitfalls to consider before banishing it from your diet entirely. So, first off we need to be completely sure we understand what gluten is. Well... it's a protein, probably the most widely consumed protein out there, it's found in wheat and related grains including barley, rye, and oats as well as many of their hybrids such as spelt, emmer and triticale, so pretty much it's in everything. Millions of people the world over are CONVINCED it's the source of all their stomach and digestive problems and it's true many people suffer from gluten intolerance which can cause horrific stomach pain and some other not so pretty problems (we're talking about poop). Celiacs can't tolerate gluten whatsoever and they can have some serious adverse manifestations such as chronic diarrhea and abdominal distention. Most people presume that a gluten-free diet is healthier, the truth is it's not. A gluten-free diet can actually lack vitamins, minerals, and fiber which are all essential in keeping our bodies ticking over. According to Livestrong gluten is a good protein choice for people who don't want to eat meat because they have high cholesterol or other health problems. It's also suitable for people who are allergic to soy or dairy and cannot get their protein from those sources.     Contrary to popular belief you won't necessarily lose a bunch of weight if you go gluten free, it all depends on HOW you do it. If you ditch refined carbs altogether such as bagels and crackers in favour of whole grains and less processed products you definitely will see a difference, but if you're merely replacing products with their gluten-free equivalent there's a chance if could backfire. Gluten-free options although great for celiacs often contain more sugar and fat which equates to more calories, so you could end up GAINING weight. If you think you might be celiac or gluten sensitive we advise you to visit your GP or a registered dietician before making drastic changes to your diet, but most importantly do your research. Bread may not be the enemy after all. via GIPHY