So what's wrong with the rest of us trying a gluten-free diet a try to see how we feel?
For starters, going gluten-free means saying no to many common and nutritious foods. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Gluten also shows up in many whole grain foods related to wheat, including bulgur, farro, kamut, spelt, and triticale (a hybrid of wheat and rye). Some celiac disease experts warn patients to steer clear of oats, as well.
Gluten itself doesn’t offer special nutritional benefits. But the many whole grains that contain gluten do. They’re rich in an array of vitamins and minerals, such as B vitamins and iron, as well as fiber. Studies show that whole grain foods, as part of a healthy diet, may help lower risk of heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that half of all carbohydrates in the diet come from whole grain products.
To be sure, a few whole grains don’t contain gluten, including amaranth, millet, and quinoa. But they are far less common than gluten-containing grains. Meeting the dietary guidelines goal is very tough if you have to eliminate wheat, barley, rye, kamut, and other gluten-containing whole grains.
Because wheat is ubiquitous in the American diet, completely eliminating gluten requires adopting a whole new diet. You would have to up most breads, crackers, breakfast cereals, conventional pastas, pastry goods, and a wide range of processed foods made with small amounts of gluten.
"And any time you eliminate whole categories of food you’ve been used to eating, you run the risk of nutritional deficiencies," said Green. A 2005 report from the American Dietetic Association warned that gluten-free products tend to be low in a wide range of important nutrients, including B vitamins, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, and fiber.
There’s little point in taking that risk unless you genuinely have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. "Eating a healthy gluten-free diet means paying constant attention to what you eat. This isn’t something that anyone should do casually," said Green.
There’s also little point in eliminating just some gluten. For people who are sensitive, even trace amounts can cause damage to the small intestines. "So an almost gluten-free diet isn’t going to help if you have a problem."