Chelsea Clinton made headlines this summer when she ordered a gluten free cake for her wedding.  Gwyneth Paltrow and a host of other celebrities follow gluten free eating plans even though they don’t have celiac disease (gluten intolerance).  My niece Angi, who has been test for gluten intolerance still avoids this food component even though the test indicated she doesn’t have the disorder.  She, like the celebrities (except for Clinton who is gluten intolerant), just feels better eating gluten free.

So what’s the word on gluten free?

First, the basics.  Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley.  Some people can’t tolerate gluten.  The disease, celiac disease, is not an allergic reaction, but is an autoimmune disorder.  People with celiac disease have unpleasant intestinal problems (that’s as graphic as I’m willing to get!) if they eat foods with gluten.  There are many people in the U.S. – about 2.1 million – who don’t realize they have celiac disease even though they suffer with some of the symptoms.

But this alone doesn’t get to the craze we’re seeing today with gluten free.  As I mentioned, celebrities just say they feel better avoiding gluten, some use it for weight loss as avoiding gluten can be similar to a low carb diet, and concerned parents sometimes try gluten free eating plans for kids with autism.  The Mintel Global New Products Database indicates there have been more than 27,000 new gluten-free food products introduced in the past four years, and a report from Datamonitor predicts gluten-free food sales over the next five years will total more than $4.30 billion.  What was once a “diet” for managing a disease has now become a common eating plan.

Historically, people with celiac disease had a hard time finding typical wheat products – bread, cakes, muffins, cereals, etc – in gluten-free versions.  But the craze around gluten has now made gluten-free products more readily available, which is great for those who truly are intolerant.  They have more options and more variety to add to their eating habits.

If you’re one of the people who avoid gluten for other reasons, the question is whether this eating habit is jeopardizing your health and overall nutrient intake.  There are nutrients that wheat, barley and rye contribute to eating plans including fiber, iron, folate, calcium and other vitamins and minerals.  Some of the other flours, like potato and rice, used to replace wheat flour may not have these nutrients.  So it’s important to think about the nutrients that you are missing out on if you choose gluten-free foods, and make sure you are getting them from other foods.

More importantly, though, is if you have discomfort when eating foods made from wheat, rye and barley, it’s important to get tested.  The reason?  Celiac disease is a disorder involving your immune system, and if you have it, you may be at higher risk for other diseases such as diabetes, certain cancers and thyroid problems.

Visit www.nuval.com to see a system that can guide you to gluten-free foods that can meet your nutrition needs.