Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Gluten Free Diet



Have you noticed an abundance of gluten-free foods available in grocery stores or on menus these days? Perhaps the proliferation of gluten-free products, as well as marketing them, lead you to believe that they are a new medicine to better health or weight loss.
So, what is the real story? Will go on a diet free of gluten improve your health or help you lose weight? The answer is that it depends. Reduce the intake of gluten means you agree to dispense with a lot of starches and refined carbohydrates, and this in itself can help in your weight and health. Eating gluten-free, however, is a must for those with celiac disease, who face a real risk of eating gluten.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye products. Containing gluten, most types of grain and bread. Examples of grain-free gluten include wild or brown rice and quinoa, millet, buckwheat and amaranth.
What is not known widely on the gluten-free products is that they still contain the same number of carbohydrates that contain gluten counterparts. In this regard, and there is no health benefit for the selection of gluten-free versions.
For example, a typical slice of bread free of gluten contains 15 grams of total carbohydrates - the same amount of ordinary slice of bread. A snack of biscuits free from gluten containing 30 grams of carbohydrates per meal, the same as the regular crackers.