One thing most food experts agree is that a varied and interesting diet is best. So it is unfortunate that some people have coeliac disease: it condemns them to a lifetime of avoiding the many delicious staple foods made with wheat flour. That鈥檚 because people with the disease 鈥� thought to number 1 per cent of the population 鈥� risk real harm if they ingest gluten, a key part of wheat and related grains.
In addition, the less well-understood condition of non-coeliac gluten sensitivity means that a further 4 to 6 per cent may suffer minor problems, although . So it鈥檚 not surprising that that around 5 per cent of UK consumers avoid gluten because someone in their household has a reaction to it.
Slightly more puzzling are the 8 per cent who say they avoid gluten as part of a 鈥渉ealthier lifestyle鈥�. This figure rises to 10 per cent among the highest socio-economic groups and to 12 per cent for graduates.
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Despite the claims of a few sensationalist books, there is no evidence that avoiding gluten is in any way beneficial for the vast majority. But somehow a gluten-free diet has become a lifestyle accessory for many, especially the more educated and financially privileged.
Ditching gluten if you don鈥檛 need to defies logic. It is a mix of proteins, nothing more, and for the vast majority is non-toxic. Given that its elastic, binding properties help give many of our most treasured foods such as bread and pasta their wonderful taste and texture, why avoid it if you don鈥檛 have to?
What the evidence says
Perhaps more people should note the growing evidence of possible downsides of avoidance. The latest shows there may an association between avoiding gluten and a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. That鈥檚 the result of work at Harvard University tracking the diet and health of nearly 200,000 people in the US, .
That鈥檚 on top of what we already know about the negatives of gluten-free diets: that they tend to be considerably more , such as vitamin B12, folate, zinc, magnesium, selenium and calcium. So much for 鈥渉ealthy鈥� choices.
Although often demonised as 鈥渆mpty carbs鈥�, foods made using wheat can be highly nutritious. The rice, potato and tapioca starches used in many gluten-free replacements are often less so. And the high levels of fat and sugar that can be required to compensate for gluten鈥檚 near-magical structural properties means that anyone who considers 鈥済luten-free鈥� as a byword for healthier food is mistaken.
Real dangers
To make matters worse, the trend for self-diagnosis of gluten sensitivity is potentially harmful for people who are actually undiagnosed coeliacs. Without proper diagnosis, which is only possible before gluten is excluded from the diet, they are less likely to stick to the strict, lifelong regimen needed to manage their condition. They then risk gut damage, osteoporosis and some types of cancer.
Those advocating gluten-free for all as a path to better health are not just mistaken, they are putting people at risk of real harm.
