Question by CHRIS M. IS [TURNED INTO A NEWT]: What reasons would one have a gluten-free diet other than having celiac disease?
I heard on Y! Answers of a vegan who didn’t eat gluten by choice apparently (they didn’t appear to suffer from celiac disease). Are there any pros/reasons that you can think of that would convince a vegan to go gluten-free if they didn’t suffer from celiac disease? Are there certain health benefits or anything?
Best answer:
Answer by ツStella☽Lunaツ
Most if not all people have some level of sensitivity to gluten. Did you know 97% of people with Celiac dont even know they have it? Anyway-
A gluten free diet can be very healthy. Many people feel better without gluten, even with negative test results. A gluten free diet not only can help people from giving in and eating those cakes and cookies, but is also full of health benefits. Did you know that wheat really isnt that good for you? I suggest reading, “Healthier Without Wheat” Or even better, “Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic” by Dr. Peter Green.
Edit: Actually, I had always had stomach problems but they got extremely worse after our family switched to whole wheat everything. Even then, my blood tests were negative all 3 times. But the gluten free diet has saved me!
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Because it’s more important to get better food in their diet, such as meat. They cut back on gluten and instead focus on eating more lean meat.
Digesting wheat/gluten can be very hard on the body. I just recently went gluten free, even though I haven’t been tested for intolerance. I just know, by being aware and listening to my body, that a diet without gluten feels much, much better to me. I don’t get bloated anymore or have that burning feeling in my stomach that I get after indulging in too much gluten.
It’s also a great way to shed a few pounds and just get away from processed foods. I think more people are gluten intolerant than we know of.
Some people say that eating a gluten free diet is beneficial for neurological and mental conditions like ADHD, Autism and even anxiety and depression. Some people don’t eat it because they just think it’s healthier not to. Personally I don’t think it makes any difference if you don’t have any intolerance to gluten. I’ve also noticed that some people think they have a gluten intolerance when it’s really a blood sugar problem from eating white refined grain products (white bread, white pasta, etc) and they’re fine with whole grains.
Some think that even if you don’t have symptoms, that you are being affected by it. Just as a smoker who no longer coughs, when eating an irritating diet over the course of your life, you will stop reacting to it.
I’ll add that the problem is not with gluten, but with eating grains (or flour) which have not been soaked before being processed/cooked and eaten. There are digestive inhibitors naturally present in grains, but these will dissipate when they have been soaked and the sprouting process starts underway. There never used to be instant active dry yeast, everyone soaked their flour overnight and usually with some starter added (like sourdough), before making baked products and so forth.
Avoiding gluten basically means that you are avoiding most of the more hearty grains (seeds) that are the most difficult to digest, and if you never knew about soaking or sprouting, yes, avoiding such grains would be beneficial to your health. I believe that ‘gluten’ related illnesses have little or nothing to do with gluten, but poor digestion in general, plus a lack of knowledge on preparing such glutenous foods. Everyone I’ve ever talked to, and it’s a lot as I owned a bakery once, who mentioned gluten intolerance all had various other ‘allergies’ and ailments as well, and all had a generally poor diet and digestion.