{"id":668704,"date":"2026-05-13T18:11:29","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T18:11:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/668704\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T18:11:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T18:11:29","slug":"gluten-is-back-why-wellness-culture-fell-out-of-love-with-going-gluten-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/668704\/","title":{"rendered":"Gluten is back \u2013 why wellness culture fell out of love with going gluten-free"},"content":{"rendered":"

For some people, a hastily mashed avocado spread on seeded toast is par for the course when it comes to a rushed weekday breakfast<\/a>. But for Amber*, each mouthful is a moment to savour. That\u2019s how much of a delicacy bread now feels \u2013 because it was one of many gluten-containing kitchen staples off the menu for her from 2017 until last year. <\/p>\n

\u2018I didn\u2019t really have any symptoms,\u2019 recalls the 31-year-old Pilates instructor from London, on her initial decision to ditch gluten \u2013 the glue-like protein found in wheat, barley and rye \u2013 and send a prominent source of energy awol from her diet.<\/p>\n

\u2018People on my Instagram feed were describing it as \u201cbad\u201d \u2013 so I just stopped eating it.\u2019 Not that doing so required Amber herself to become glued to food labels, because, a decade or so ago, going \u2018gluten-free<\/a>\u2019 was being newly catered for everywhere from supermarket chains to service-station cafes.<\/p>\n

A simple \u2018GF\u2019 badge seemed as of-the-moment as millennial pink, with the category\u2019s market value rising from \u00a3120.2m to \u00a3462m between 2010 and 2015.<\/p>\n

It was the era when spiralisers were the cutting-edge kitchen gadget of the moment for their ability to churn out \u2018courgetti\u2019, and you could hardly scroll Instagram without finding a recipe for flourless beetroot brownies from the likes of Ella Mills, aka Deliciously Ella. The then-nascent wellness influencer \u2013 who penned the UK\u2019s bestselling debut cookbook ever in 2015 \u2013 had sent her follower count soaring by sharing a diet devoid of gluten, among other things. <\/p>\n

Part of the allure of a gluten-free life, muses Amber, was how it seemed like an eating philosophy with roots in solid nutrition \u2013 not like faddy low-carb diets, such as the Atkins, that had dominated the healthy eating discourse in the years prior. \u2018I really thought I was being the picture of health,\u2019 she insists.<\/p>\n

A decade later, however, Amber \u2013 still just as health-conscious \u2013 is part of a collective shift of people welcoming gluten back into their diets, with open arms. While the gluten-free industry still looks to be growing, research by Mintel suggests that\u2019s due to food inflation rather than increased demand \u2013 ie, less is actually being sold but at a higher price point. There was a 40% growth in sourdough sales at Tesco in the year to July 2025, and Gail\u2019s Bakery saw its revenue jump by 28% in 2024 \u2013 despite stocking just one gluten-free loaf among its roster of 16 and offering zero flourless pastries.<\/p>\n

\"italian<\/p>\n

TATIANA DOLGOVA\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Its return is evident in other places, too \u2013 notably online, where once gluten-free conversation reigned supreme. Tagliatelle dishes go viral when spun out by Italian nonnas (see @pastagrannies and their one million fans) and no casual-but-not-really Instagram round-up is complete without a brunch shot, where a hunk of sourdough is the main edible event.<\/p>\n

Mills, poster girl for the free-from lifestyle, now sells five different types of wheat-based pasta within her Plants range, available in Waitrose. Then there\u2019s Gwyneth Paltrow, who made global headlines earlier last year when she said she was back eating sourdough bread and pasta again. In short, someone requesting a gluten-free tweak as part of their restaurant order feels as stale as a Valencia filter or saying \u2018hashtag\u2019 before making a quip.<\/p>\n

Back to baked <\/p>\n

It was the growing faff of eating out with loved ones, rather than a single moment succumbing to the buttery waft of freshly baked croissants, that nudged Amber to rethink the contents of her plate.<\/p>\n

What should have been soul-soothing catch-ups with friends began to take up an inordinate amount of headspace, as she scoured menus before approving restaurants or ended up reluctantly chewing plasticky gluten-free pizza bases. <\/p>\n

Reintroducing gluten, in a sense, gave Amber a fresh taste of freedom. She gradually added it back in over the space of six weeks and realised that any bloating and digestive discomfort she may have previously experienced were probably nothing to do with gluten. \u2018I had been worrying all this time about an ingredient that I wasn\u2019t actually allergic to.\u2019<\/p>\n

This is where, experts tell WH, the confusion often lies \u2013 because some people certainly should avoid gluten. \u2018Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition that means when someone who has it consumes gluten, their immune system attacks the lining of the small intestine,\u2019 says Jasmine Bliss, a registered associate nutritionist. \u2018This causes inflammation and nutrient malabsorption.\u2019 While unlikely to be fatal, the health complications can be serious.<\/p>\n

However, according to Coeliac UK, the condition affects just 1% of the population. Studies attribute the 7.5% increase in diagnoses per year over the past several decades to greater awareness and an increased health-consciousness.<\/p>\n

That being said, there is such a thing as non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) \u2013 colloquially dubbed \u2018gluten intolerance\u2019. \u2018This is not an autoimmunity or an allergy,\u2019 explains Bliss. \u2018It describes symptoms triggered by gluten consumption \u2013 such as bloating, fatigue, headaches and brain fog.\u2019<\/p>\n

Arguably, worries about gluten intolerance fuelled the rise of gluten-free in the first place. Yet it\u2019s still unclear how many people actually suffer from it. Unlike coeliac disease, there\u2019s no specific test for it \u2013 yes, even in those kits advertised on your feed, which are part of a global food intolerance test market valued at \u00a311.4bn last year. <\/p>\n

\u2018They can\u2019t accurately diagnose it,\u2019 insists Bliss \u2013 and the NHS backs her up. Despite this, research published in the journal Gut in October last year showed that self-reported NCGS more than doubled over three years, with significantly more women than men claiming to have the condition.<\/p>\n

Gut instinct<\/p>\n

Increasingly, researchers think something else could be at play. Another recent study by the University of Melbourne found that most people who believe they\u2019re sensitive to gluten are reacting to other factors, such as FODMAPs (a group of carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine) or brain-gut dynamics.<\/p>\n

Indeed, they suggested that people who think they have a gluten intolerance may in fact be experiencing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, such as diarrhoea, bloating and constipation. It\u2019s why sufferers are frequently recommended to try a low-FODMAP diet. <\/p>\n

\"delicious<\/p>\n

Daniela Simona Temneanu<\/p>\n

\u2018Often gluten gets the blame when people are actually sensitive to FODMAPs,\u2019 notes Emily Leeming, a microbiome researcher at King\u2019s College London and author of Fibre Power<\/a>, out on 21 May. \u2018These are types of fermentable carbohydrates that are often present in the same foods and can cause discomfort for some people.\u2019 <\/p>\n

The advice is to remove foods for around six weeks, then reintroduce them slowly to find how much you can tolerate \u2013 rather than removing them altogether. It\u2019s why Katrina Lander has recently started eating gluten again after years without. \u2018I have IBS, so I\u2019ve followed a low-FODMAP diet for a while,\u2019 explains the 33-year-old from Kent. \u2018The goal was never to be gluten-free forever, but reintroducing it always led to flare-ups \u2013 until I tried again earlier this year, and I\u2019m now better able to tolerate it.\u2019 <\/p>\n

This tracks, says Bliss, because our guts are malleable and the composition of their microbiomes can change regularly. \u2018Many people with IBS find their tolerance of gluten-containing foods changes throughout their lives,\u2019 she elaborates. \u2018This means that people who once had trouble digesting bread may end up being fine with it years \u2013 or even months \u2013 later.\u2019<\/p>\n

That something else may be in the mix for the gluten-averse has been supported by more research, with a study published in The Lancet in September examining participants who believed that gluten was behind their IBS symptoms. They were given cereal bars \u2013 containing either wheat, gluten or wheat- and gluten-free flours, without being told which was which \u2013 at various points over several weeks. In the end, the researchers found no difference in the symptoms experienced between the bars.<\/p>\n

\u2018NCGS is real, but likely for a smaller population than earlier research suggested,\u2019 says the lead researcher, Caroline Seiler of McMaster University in Canada. \u2018Unlike other studies, ours used a sham-controlled crossover approach \u2013 where participants received identical experimental and \u201csham\u201d products to reduce bias \u2013 and found that expectations had a clinically significant effect on symptoms.\u2019 <\/p>\n

In other words, those who believed they were eating gluten had worse self-reported symptoms, regardless of what they were actually munching on.<\/p>\n

Flour power<\/p>\n

That we\u2019re not cutting out gluten unnecessarily matters because, as experts emphasise, the foods it is often found in are key for forming a nutritionally balanced diet. \u2018They contain fibre, vitamins, minerals and plant compounds that feed our gut microbes and support long-term health,\u2019 points out Dr Leeming. <\/p>\n

Additionally, while natural gluten-free options are plentiful \u2013 such as rice, quinoa, couscous and buckwheat \u2013 the hard truth is that many unnaturally gluten-free options now constitute that nutritional \u2018ick\u2019 of the moment: ultra-processed foods (UPFs).<\/p>\n

\u2018Many are lower in fibre and higher in sugar than the originals,\u2019 notes Bliss, of how bread made from just flour, water and yeast is likely better for most than something with a lengthy, unpronounceable ingredients list attempting to mimic the real thing. <\/p>\n

Avoiding restriction of entire food groups should always be the goal, insists Emilia Thompson, a nutritionist specialising in healthy relationships with food. \u2018It can become more difficult to obtain sufficient nutrient-dense energy when eating gluten-free, particularly for active people, to meet fuel and recovery needs,\u2019 she warns. <\/p>\n

This is also key for swerving disordered eating. \u2018Orthorexia can develop out of any rigid way of eating \u2013 including non-medically required gluten-free diets,\u2019 notes Thompson of the term for an excessive preoccupation with eating healthy food. \u2018What starts with good intentions can spiral into strict rules, guilt and anxiety around eating, and these patterns can cause nutrient deficiencies, food preoccupation and shame when the rules are broken.\u2019<\/p>\n

Indeed, gluten-free fever may arguably have masked a more insidious diet-culture relic: carb-phobia. \u2018The older women in my life would always talk about cutting them out,\u2019 remembers Amber. \u2018I think going gluten-free legitimised removing so many foods I was afraid of.\u2019 <\/p>\n

It was this year, when she began marathon training, that she realised just how important carbs actually were to her results. \u2018Bagels honestly seemed like the best pre-run option,\u2019 she shares. \u2018They were easy to digest and helped me go further.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"flying<\/p>\n

anusorn nakdee<\/p>\n

There is also a germinating distrust when it comes to nutritional advice shared online, such as that which originally influenced Amber. Research published last year found that 66% of social media users find it hard to tell whether health information is true or false. <\/p>\n

\u2018People are suffering with information fatigue \u2013 particularly when advice is often conflicting,\u2019 says health psychologist Joanna Rodriguez. \u2018I\u2019m seeing more people prioritise self-trust.\u2019 <\/p>\n

And while interoception \u2013 that quiet, sensing awareness of how your body feels \u2013 is becoming an increasingly spoken-about health process, the gluten renaissance also comes at a time of growing awareness of the mechanics of the digestive system.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s completely normal and natural to get bloating when we eat \u2013 our bodies will change throughout the day,\u2019 insists Dr Leeming. \u2018As well as your stomach increasing in volume to factor in food and its waste, your gut bacteria are breaking down the meals you\u2019re eating \u2013 and a by-product of that process is gas.\u2019<\/p>\n

Of course, for those who have coeliac disease or a confirmed gluten intolerance \u2013 something that should be approached with the support of a healthcare professional, such as a doctor or dietitian \u2013 gluten remains out of bounds. For the rest of us, experts WH spoke to are unanimous that a little bit of everything is the healthiest way to eat. \u2018The balance lies in not demonising foods. It\u2019s about the overall pattern of your diet and making sure that most of what you\u2019re consuming is fresh, varied and nutrient-dense,\u2019 adds Bliss. <\/p>\n

As for Amber? The voice in her head that once screamed that gluten was \u2018poison\u2019 \u2013 regurgitated from the post captions of wellness \u2018gurus\u2019 \u2013 will sometimes reappear when she takes a mouthful of fusilli. \u2018But, in the future, I don\u2019t want to refuse to eat a cupcake my kid made for me at school because it contains flour,\u2019 she reflects. \u2018I just want to feel grateful that my body functions to digest gluten when I know others that can\u2019t.\u2019<\/p>\n

The smart way to cut back \u2013 or reintroduce \u2013 gluten<\/p>\n

Think you have an issue with gluten? Nutrition experts say these are the key things to know before cutting it out completely…<\/p>\n

1. Listen to your body<\/p>\n

\u2018Experiencing persistent digestive symptoms \u2013 including diarrhoea, bloating and stomach aches \u2013 needs to be discussed with your GP to rule out coeliac disease and other conditions such as colitis,\u2019 says Bliss. \u2018Other notable symptoms to be aware of include nutrient deficiencies, fatigue, weight loss and mouth ulcers.\u2019<\/p>\n

2. Cut with caution<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important, if you are concerned you have coeliac disease or NCGS, to talk to your GP to be referred for tests. \u2018It\u2019s crucial not to remove gluten from your diet before this,\u2019 insists Bliss. \u2018This is so that any antibodies produced by the immune system in response to it are present and you don\u2019t receive a false negative.\u2019 Also, any eventual removal should be done with the support of a dietitian or registered nutritionist to avoid nutritional deficiencies.<\/p>\n

3. Reintroduce slowly<\/p>\n

If you are inviting gluten back into your life, do so with care. Bliss suggests doing this \u2018blind\u2019 \u2013 meaning you don\u2019t know when you\u2019re eating it, so you avoid suffering digestive symptoms as a result of worrying about gluten. \u2018If you have a partner who cooks for you, ask them to start swapping your gluten-free spaghetti for a wheat-based one at random intervals,\u2019 she suggests. Try to prioritise wholegrain and low-UPF options where possible.<\/p>\n

*Name has been changed<\/p>\n

Related Stories<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For some people, a hastily mashed avocado spread on seeded toast is par for the course when it…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":668705,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[64,63,322755,137,532],"class_list":["post-668704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-gluten-free-diets-gluten-intolerance-non-coeliac-gluten-sensitivity-ibs-low-fodmap-diet-gut-health-ultra-processed-foods-wellness-culture-orthorexia","tag-health","tag-nutrition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/668704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=668704"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/668704\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/668705"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=668704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=668704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=668704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}