If you don’t have coeliac disease, avoiding gluten is not a ‘healthy option’

There is a strong marketing push promoting gluten free alternatives such as gluten free bread, pasta, cereal and biscuits as a healthier alternative.

However there is no evidence to support this, and in fact, the opposite may be true as processed gluten free foods are frequently lower in fibre and higher in starchy carbohydrates.

Of course if you have coeliac disease, then a strict gluten free diet is essential, and a dietitian can advise how to maximise nutritional choices. Some people also need to minimise gluten to improve gut symptoms like bloating.

But for those who are choosing gluten free alternatives in the belief that they are healthier than the gluten containing version, its probably not the case.

See my new article published today in The Conversation:

https://theconversation.com/if-you-dont-have-coeliac-disease-avoiding-gluten-isnt-healthy-88300