{"id":268061,"date":"2025-11-03T03:22:12","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T03:22:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/268061\/"},"modified":"2025-11-03T03:22:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T03:22:12","slug":"why-gluten-free-diets-are-unnecessary-for-gluten-sensitive-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/268061\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Gluten-Free Diets Are Unnecessary for Gluten-Sensitive People"},"content":{"rendered":"

GLUTEN DESERVES AN apology. In the past decade, the protein<\/a> complex has gained a notorious reputation in the world of nutrition. Gluten has been blamed for everything from GI problems to unexplained brain fog<\/a>. And much to the exasperation of waiters or partners trying to plan a nice dinner date, plenty are still on the gluten-free train.<\/p>\n

That’s not to say that a gluten-free diet is entirely bad. It can even be life-saving for people living with celiac disease. But for the 10 percent <\/a>of people worldwide who claim to be gluten-intolerant (medically known as “non-celiac gluten sensitivity”), a recent study published in The Lancet<\/a> suggests they’re pointing the finger at the wrong culprit.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor most people, gluten\u2014a protein in wheat, rye, and barley\u2014is completely harmless,\u201d says Jessica Biesiekierski, PhD<\/a>, an associate professor and head of Human Nutrition at The University of Melbourne and the lead author of the new study. \u201cOnly those with celiac disease or a true wheat allergy need to avoid it, because their immune system reacts abnormally. In everyone else, gluten is digested like any other protein.\u201d <\/p>\n

Shocking? Here\u2019s what the latest science says about gluten.<\/p>\n

The problem with diagnosing gluten sensitivity<\/p>\n

The term “non-celiac gluten sensitivity” was first coined in the late 1970s<\/a> when people started complaining of GI issues<\/a> after eating. The common denominator across these mystery stomach cases was that the symptoms arose after eating gluten-based products. When they switched to a gluten-free diet, the symptoms went away. <\/p>\n

It seems simple, but there\u2019s also never been an official test for gluten intolerance\u2014which matters because while gluten might be the problem of your GI issues it also might not be.<\/p>\n

Biesiekierski and her team tested the hypothesis that it’s possible that people are allergic towards other components of wheat that go beyond gluten. In fact, past studies have estimated the number of people who are actually sensitive to gluten is smaller than most people think. Of the 10 percent who claim to be gluten-intolerant, only 16 to 30 percent<\/a> have symptoms specifically triggered by gluten, according to prior research.<\/p>\n

In Biesiekierski\u2019s study, the authors combed through research data on non-celiac gluten sensitivity. (Again, people without celiac disease who have symptoms like bloating, stomach pain, and fatigue after eating foods containing gluten.) They specifically looked at studies that tested how gluten-sensitive people reacted when gluten was reintroduced to their bodies. Additionally, they looked at data comparing symptoms related to gluten sensitivity to other conditions, specifically psychological and disorders involved gut to brain interactions. <\/p>\n

After crunching the data, the researchers found fermentable carbohydrates, another component of wheat, was largely driving people’s GI issues. <\/p>\n

\u201cOur findings confirm what careful studies have hinted for years: Gluten isn\u2019t the main problem for most people who feel unwell after eating bread or pasta,\u201d Biesiekierski says. \u201cInstead, symptoms are often caused by other parts of wheat\u2014like fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs)\u2014or by how the gut and brain communicate. It\u2019s a major shift in how we understand so-called \u2018gluten sensitivity.'”<\/p>\n

The second culprit is the \u201cnocebo” effect. In case you\u2019re not familiar, \u201cnocebo\u201d means that thinking a treatment or ingredient will cause a bad outcome actually leads to that. Meaning, if you believe having gluten will cause you to have diarrhea<\/a>, you actually may experience that. <\/p>\n

There are likely a few different things happening here. Biesiekierski points out that the gut and brain are tightly linked. \u201cIf you expect a food to make you feel sick, that belief alone can amplify normal gut sensations,\u201d she says. \u201cPlus, going gluten-free often means eating less processed food<\/a> and paying more attention to diet, so people do feel better\u2014just not because of gluten itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rudolph Bedford, MD<\/a>, a gastroenterologist at Providence Saint John\u2019s Health Center, says he sees a lot of patients in his practice who think they have a gluten sensitivity who don\u2019t. \u201cWe\u2019ll do testing, including taking a biopsy of the small bowel, and we see no evidence of this,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

Bedford also points out that there is a lot of marketing around gluten-free products and diet trends that involve getting rid of gluten. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of assumption that gluten is to blame,\u201d he says. \u201cOut here in California, it\u2019s a big thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

What to do if you feel like gluten is behind your GI issues<\/p>\n

Again, there are some people who actually can\u2019t tolerate gluten. It’s just a smaller percentage than you might expect.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re having GI issues that you\u2019ve chalked up to a gluten intolerance, Bedford recommends connecting with a doctor or dietitian for a more thorough examination. And be prepared to consider other possibilities behind gluten. \u201cExplore if there are other factors, including wheat components or gut-to-brain factors like IBS,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t have celiac disease or a wheat allergy, Biesiekierski says there\u2019s no need to avoid gluten. \u201cGluten-free foods are often more expensive and lower in fiber and nutrients, so long-term restriction can do more harm than good,\u201d she says. \u201cA better approach is improving overall diet quality or trying a low-FODMAP plan under professional guidance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Overall, Bedford recommends passing on a gluten-free diet unless your doctor recommends it. \u201cThis blanket gluten-free diet for everyone is overhyped.\u201d <\/p>\n

Related Stories\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men\u2019s Health, Women\u2019s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master\u2019s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, MS is the associate health & fitness for Men’s Health and has previously written for CNN, Scientific American, Popular Science, and National Geographic before joining the brand. When she’s not working, she’s doing circus arts or working towards the perfect pull-up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"GLUTEN DESERVES AN apology. In the past decade, the protein complex has gained a notorious reputation in the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":268062,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[8112,299,18443,143852,91365,2672,97,269,1728],"class_list":{"0":"post-268061","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-diet","9":"tag-food","10":"tag-gluten","11":"tag-gluten-free-diet","12":"tag-gut","13":"tag-gut-health","14":"tag-health","15":"tag-nutrition","16":"tag-research"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268061","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=268061"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268061\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/268062"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=268061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=268061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=268061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}