Nowadays, the new health word appears to be gluten. Everywhere it seems that gluten is the buzzword, from restaurants to television shows. What is gluten though, and how does it affect people and their wellbeing?

Gluten is protein found in grains like wheat, barley and rye (mayoclinic.com). And with such a definition, it may lead people to question why it is now being avoided so heavily by mass groups of individuals under the broad banner of better health.

A gluten-free diet is one that is essential for those with celiac disease. For people without the latter, it is not as important to stay away from such a food element. In fact, being gluten-free may entail not consuming some essential vitamins found in grains, possibly leading to worse health than before (webmd.com). Gluten itself has no nutritional value, but grains such as bulgur, kamut and spelt can be healthy for most people. There are some whole grains that do not contain gluten, including quinoa and millet, but these are few in comparison to those that do (webmd.com).

Celiac disease itself is a condition “caused by an abnormal immune response to gluten, [that] can damage the lining of the small intestine. That, in turn, can prevent important nutrients from being absorbed” (webmd.com). Hence for the one percent of Americans that suffer from the disease, abstaining from gluten is necessary.

According to Daniel Leffler, director of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, between two to three million Americans are maintaining a gluten-free diet for weight loss reasons (washingtonpost.com). This diet can also supposedly help “fight infertility, overcome fatigue, treat diabetes and… reduce the symptoms of autism” (time.com). None of these claims have been verified, yet they thrive on internet blogs and more recently, in people’s mentalities. There are whole websites dedicated to remaining true to the gluten-free diet, offering tips to anyone interested.

Because of such, US products have been catering to what some are beginning to call a fad, with General Mills adding 600 items claiming the gluten-free label since 2008. Now foods that did not have gluten in them to begin with, like yogurt and some frozen vegetable companies proudly claim they are gluten-free. Cashing in on the fad has become a growing trend both in industry and in the restaurant business (time.com). Additionally, the gluten-free food industry has grown 44 percent between 2011 and 2013 (huffingtonpost.com).

Moreover, when such a process occurs, gluten must be compensated with another ingredient, and this normally entails adding more sugar or sodium, making the supposed “healthy” food not very beneficial (time.com).

The allure to this diet “is probably the reduction of other side effects people think they are getting from gluten, which include passing gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea or constipation, headaches, acne, fatigue and bone or joint pain” (huffintonpost.com). With all that said, there is no scientific proof that any of that is indeed true.

It appears to be a fad, and like all others, it will pass. There appears to be no scientific proof showing that gluten is something to be avoided so heavily. The only people who should really worry are those with celiac disease, most other people should be fine.