Gluten Free Essay

Many Americans have raised interest about gluten as the label “gluten free” has been seen more frequently. In fact, about 30% of Americans have recently made the switch over to a gluten-free diet. Gluten free diets have mainly been designed to treat celiac disease. About 1% of the population has been diagnosed with celiac disease, meaning they have trouble digesting gluten, a protein in grains such as wheat, rye, and barley. These components are often found in beer, pasta, and bread. If only 1% of the population has celiac disease, why have so many Americans made the switch? It is not necessarily because they have gluten intolerance. Many Americans are following this fad because they claim to have gluten sensitivity and cutting out gluten from
A recent study, conducted by Dr. Yolanda Sanz, analyzed ten healthy subjects without celiac disease or any history of a digestive disease. She exposed them to a gluten free diet with only certified gluten free foods for a period of one month. The gut microbiota (microorganisms) were analyzed through fecal samples before and after the one-month program. Sanz found that with a gluten-free diet, the intake of polysaccharides and complex carbohydrates were greatly reduced which could be opportunistic to pathogens. The decrease in numbers was parallel to the decrease of healthy gut bacteria and increase in harmful gut bacteria. It was found that the polysaccharide intake went from an average intake of 117 grams to 63 grams with the new gluten free diet. Since complex carbohydrates are the main energy source for beneficial bacteria in the intestine, an insufficient amount of intake allows for pathogenic bacteria to colonize in the intestine. This results in an imbalance of the gut microbiota composition and can lead to increased health risks. The fecal samples also presented lower immune stimulatory effects on the peripheral blood mononuclear cells.