Story by Melissa Epifano
Photos by Eric Cech
There are Facebook pages dedicated to getting rid of it. Expos travel across the country to spread the word about its dangers. Grocery store shelves now display products proudly exclaiming that it is removed. Even some authors, bloggers, and doctors are dedicating their lives to proving how beneficial the absence of it is to consumers. “It”is a protein called gluten. An ingredient found in nearly everything that is eaten and in unexpected items, such as face wash and shampoo. After ten thousand years of human consumption of grains, a strange trend of alleged gluten intolerance has increased in the last fifty years. Regardless if doctors believe in gluten sensitivity or not, they all agree on the growing number of people announcing that they can’t tolerate the protein, reporting health problems such as bloating, diarrhea, inflammation, and skin irritation all from being being gluten intolerant. While the scientific research isn’t conclusive on whether gluten does cause many American’s digestive problems, what it does show is that Americans often don’t make healthy eating choices. It’s a case of the chicken and the egg: Gluten may or may not cause health issues, but mixed with the calorie-laden western diet it likely doesn’t help.
Still, brand name corporations and health-conscious folks alike have taken the supposed threat of gluten seriously and some businesses have completely banished it from their companies and products to cater to those avoiding the protein. And, products that never had gluten in the first place are now being labeled as gluten-free to get the attention of consumers as a marketing tool. And, it’s working. Many people do go on gluten-free diets and testify to the health benefits experienced after cutting the protein. Others claim seeing no difference in their health after its removal. But what is gluten exactly? Should we all be avoiding it? And why has it caused so much confusion amongst the public, questioning everything we thought we knew about our diets?
Gluten is a protein that gives foods containing wheat and other grains its shape and chewy consistency. When ingested, the body either absorbs it or, if you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, the body marks it as a hazard and digestive problems arise. Either way, according to neurologist, author, and Fellow of the American College of Nutrition David Perlmutter, gluten is dangerous for anyone. He says recent research done by the National Institutes of Health and medical journals like the New England Journal of Medicine indicates some level of gluten sensitivity in everyone.
“We should eliminate oral consumption of gluten in any form,” Perlmutter says. “If a person does not have celiac disease, it’s probably not critically important to seek out gluten-free shampoos, for example.  But anything that’s ultimately consumed like toothpaste and lipstick would be best if it is gluten-free.” To Perlmutter, it’s best to be safe rather than sorry. Simply eliminating gluten from our diets could alleviate any negative symptoms caused by the protein.
And, that’s exactly what much of the population is willing to do. A survey taken from the consumer research firm National Purchase Diary found that 30 percent of Americans are willing to try or have already been living a gluten-free lifestyle. It makes sense the anti-gluten sentiments and products are reaching the broader American populace, regardless of whether there are factual health benefits from them. It’s tough to avoid the trend with the vast amount of advertising geared towards gluten-free products and promotion for them by celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Miley Cyrus.
Perlmutter believes there is a definite economic opportunity for brands to increase sales by adding “gluten-free” to their packaging. He also sees the trend as a win-win; companies can make money from providing healthier products to consumers. “I think it is very important to offer consumers a level of security that specific foods are indeed gluten-free to allow them to make better choices and specifically avoid gluten,” Perlmutter says.
While the trend of removal in products increases, so does the confusion. What is it about gluten that poses a threat to consumers? According to those promoting gluten-free lifestyles, the microscopic protein causes a large issue in the body’s digestive system. Perlmutter says that gluten makes the gut more permeable, leading to intrusive bacteria, proteins, and viruses that enter the bloodstream; things that shouldn’t be there.  The body sees these foreign invaders as threats and acts accordingly by attempting to fight them off. What starts out as minor, uncomfortable symptoms such as bloating and stomach pain can eventually lead to severe diseases that threaten a person’s nervous system. Unfortunately, these issues are based from observation and complaints by those who have problems with gluten, like celiac disease. Concrete answers have yet to surface for the average citizen questioning whether gluten intolerance is real and if they should take part in a gluten-free diet.
That’s where Dr. Peter Gibson, Director of Gastroenterology and Professor at Monash University and former President of the Gastroenterological Society of Australia, comes in. On the other side of the spectrum, he stands firm in his belief that there is no direct correlation between gluten and the symptoms those with self-perceived gluten intolerance are having. At Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, Gibson was able to conduct several intensive studies and came to the conclusion that gluten intolerance may be all in our heads. After feeding his test subjects three diets, one high in gluten, one low in gluten and one with no gluten, he found that everyone experienced the same side effects.
Dr. Gibson stands firm in his belief that gluten does not cause the discomfort his subjects were feeling, and there hasn’t been much evidence to prove him wrong. But if gluten isn’t the culprit, then what is? Gibson says it is FODMAPs, a group of carbohydrates commonly found in the western diet that are poorly absorbed by our digestive systems. Gibson found that when FODMAPs were taken out of the diets of his subjects, he noticed improvements in their digestive processes. Shortly after his research concluded, he developed the low FODMAP diet.
If the answer to the increasingly common digestive problems is gluten, or something completely different, it poses a question for society. Are Americans lacking in body and dietary awareness? According to an article from Psychology Today, a survey found that 52 percent of Americans find it less complicated to do taxes than eat healthfully. The same article explained that society on average eats 2,700 calories a day, 200 more than the recommended maximum. 63 percent of our diet is also excessive amounts of unnecessary food groups like caloric sweeteners and flours and grains.
Where is America going wrong? As a nation, the United States has some of the best access health food options in the world, but ranks low in overall health. We have the ability to eat well, yet many choose to consume hazardous ingredients. There is plethora of possible culprits that lead to our never-ending dietary issues. Gluten, FODMAPS, refined carbs, sugars, and processed foods are all possible contributors, but maybe it is time to take a step back. Listening to our bodies could be beneficial; the inflammation, bloating, weight gain, and fatigue could be a cry for help. It’s the way the body tells us to put down the high calorie for something more nourishing. Ingredients in food are a large part of keeping a balanced diet, but so is what we select to place in our grocery carts. Gluten or no gluten, much of our health lays in what we decide to put in our mouths, a decision we ought to be more vigilant about.

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Food Fight