Gluten Sensitivity: Real or Hype?

By Amy Campbell What's your take on gluten? Have you cut it out of your diet? Do you scour the grocery store for gluten-free foods? If so, you're not alone. According to a survey done earlier this year by the NPD Group (a market research company), almost 30% of Americans are trying to "cut down or be free of gluten." Another survey, conducted by Packaged Facts (also a market research company) in 2012, found that 18% of Americans buy or eat gluten-free foods. The market for gluten-free foods was $4.2 billion in 2012 and is expected to increase to $6.6 billion by 2017. The question is, why? What is gluten? Gluten is a protein that's found in many grains, including wheat, barley, and rye. People who have celiac disease must avoid anything that contains gluten. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder of the intestines. Symptoms include intestinal damage, malabsorption of nutrients, joint pain, fatigue, infertility, and an increased risk of small intestine cancer such as lymphoma. The only treatment for celiac disease is to follow a gluten-free diet. The tricky part about following a gluten-free diet is that gluten is found in so many of the foods that we eat. Bread, pasta, cereal, and crackers contain gluten. Many "non-grain" foods may contain gluten, too, including salad dressings, beer, luncheon meat, candy, soups, and snack foods, to name a few. What is gluten sensitivity? Gluten sensitivity is a condition in which a person can't tolerate gluten but does not have celiac disea...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - Category: Diabetes Authors: Source Type: blogs