Have you heard about the "gluten free" craze lately? There are gluten free alternatives to just about anything you can find on your grocer's shelves. Companies are pushing gluten free alternatives because of their supposed health benefits, but they're actually even worse for you than the stuff with gluten in it! Read more to discover why

1. Why Gluten Free Alternatives Are Bad For You
Written by: Brad Edwards on April 9th
2014
Gluten is bad, but gluten free is worse!
Being a vegan fashion blog, here at Truth we often touch on other
issues as well. One of my pet subjects is health. It’s something in
which I’m very interested, and with the increase of pollution, radiation,
and genetically modified foods I believe it will only become more
important as the years go on.
I’m not a vegan, so I can’t write much about the vegan lifestyle with authority. But I have
written about health here on Truth Belts a few times. I’ve written about how vegan meat
alternatives aren’t as healthy as you might think, about how a poor vegan diet can lead
to health issues, and about the importance of healthy exercise. And this article is no
different.
I’m sure you’ve noticed that “gluten free” is one of the latest trends in the world of health
and diets. A few years ago, you probably had never heard of gluten, but now the gluten
free label is on just about everything. But what is gluten, and why is it important to be
gluten free?
What is Gluten?

2. Gluten is a type of protein found in grains like wheat, rye, and barley. It exists in grains
to help nourish the seed during germination, but it also helps give bread its elasticity.
Seems pretty harmless, right? The issue is in what it does to our body. The most
commonly acknowledged condition is called celiac disease.
What is Celiac Disease?
Some suffer from celiac disease, which causes their body to have an adverse reaction
to gluten. Basically, it causes an immune response which actually causes the immune
system to attack the body itself, damaging your intestines.
As a result, they suffer greatly when they eat gluten. But it’s notoriously hard to
diagnose, since everyone’s symptoms are different. They might experience constipation
or diarrhea, stomach pain or heartburn, fatigue or weight loss, joint pain or acne. There
is really no “typical” case of celiac disease.
Because of this it’s hard to get accurate estimates of just how many people suffer from
celiac disease, but the general consensus is that it’s fairly rare. But even if you don’t
suffer from celiac disease, gluten can still cause problems.
But gluten isn’t just bad for those who suffer from celiac disease. Others simply have a
gluten sensitivity, which doesn’t trigger an immune response but still causes similar
symptoms to celiac disease.
And even if you rule that out, there is growing research which shows it can make those
who suffer from IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) worse, and it may also lead to leaky gut
syndrome, an issue where the stomach lining “leaks” unwanted material into your
bloodstream. Bad news.
But one of the most frightening potential gluten-related illnesses is cerebellar ataxia, a
serious brain condition causing damage to the cerebellum, which can impair balance,
movement, and lead to problems talking. And while this condition can have a range of
causes, consumption of gluten is one of them.
And while conclusive research has yet to be done, patients with ailments such as
schizophrenia, epilepsy, autism, and even autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s
Thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes have been linked to consumption of gluten.
In short, gluten can cause all sorts of health issues. And frankly, it just isn’t a necessary
part of one’s diet. The nutrients we derive from wheat, grains, and cereals can be easily
gained from other sources.
Gluten Free Alternatives
There are, however, gluten-free alternatives to just about everything which has gluten in
it. In your local food dispensary, you’ll find gluten free bread, gluten free muffins, gluten

3. free pasta, gluten free pizza, the list goes on. Anything you can imagine has a gluten
free version of it. But just because there’s no gluten doesn’t mean it’s good for you.
In fact, these gluten-free alternatives can cause a handful of other problems too! Ameer
Rosic, a registered holistic nutritionist and online health expert, does a fantastic job of
explaining why in his video, “Gluten Free Diet Scam”.
Basically, he explains that gluten is named so because it acts like a glue to hold the
bread together. And to remove the gluten from a bun, it goes through chemical
extraction processes which can be harmful in themselves. But because the gluten holds
the bread together, it needs to be replaced with something else, or the bun will just
crumble apart.
Usually they replace it with potato starch, tapioca starch, or soy protein. Besides not
holding the bun together anywhere nearly as well as gluten (if you’ve ever had a gluten
free bun, you know what I mean), these additives have been shown to be harmful to
your health. Starch of any sort is converted into sugar pretty quickly, and soy has been
shown to have all sorts of health issues.
And speaking of sugar, gluten free bread is also higher in sugar than regular wheat
bread. And large amounts of sugar cause all sorts of health issues!
So What’s the Deal With Gluten Free Alternatives?
At the end of the day, a gluten free diet is a good thing. There are no nutritional benefits
to gluten which are exclusive to gluten. Although the stuff is high in protein and iron, you
can get both of these from other sources which won’t be anywhere near as harmful!
There are, however, a few grains which are naturally gluten free, including amaranth,
quinoa, and millet. So if you’ve got a hankering for some grains, stick with these.
But when it comes to gluten free alternatives, it’s best to just steer clear of them. Stick
with whole foods, including vegetables, tubers, fruit, nuts, seeds, oils, and if you aren’t
vegan, grass fed meats and eggs. If you eat the organic versions of these things, you
can’t go too far wrong.
Thanks for reading! Yours in good health, this is Brad Edwards for Truth!
Live Your Truth, and Respect Others’!
I’m Brad Edwards, blogger and web strategist with Cloud Surfing Media. I've been writing for as long
as I can remember. These days, I help local businesses make their websites more interesting
through written content, including writing articles for Truth, a vegan fashion company (even though
I’m not a vegan!). When I’m not writing, I enjoy cycling, drumming, Bitcoin, and enjoying a nice cigar
and scotch. To discover more about vegan fashion, check out Truth online: Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter |