The Gluten Free Diet

In recent discussions of the gluten free diet, a controversial issue has been whether or not it’s a risky diet or a safe one. On the one hand, some argue that while using this diet you can become deficient in vitamins and proteins that are much needed for life. On the other hand, however, others argue that it is a diet that some must follow for bowel problems or one with celiac disease. In sum, then, the issue is how the media and business world handle this new craze. While some believe that gluten free is a risky fad diet because of the deficiency in needed vitamins, it needs to be used for some people especially those with celiac and gluten intolerance, there has been debate on the use of the diet as a fad by some of the health craze …show more content…
The research done suggests that it can be a very helpful diet for those trying to consume new things. The gluten free diet should be promoted but used by only those with the actual need for it like someone with celiac or a gluten intolerance. There have been many reasons on why the gluten free diet is used, one being that it helps people with celiac disease, wheat allergy, and gluten intolerance. People with these types of conditions have been suffering trying to find foods to eat in the super markets, but finally there has been a new diet which sparked the production of more gluten free products. One reason it is so popular is because, “…upwards of one-quarter of consumers apparently want them though only about 1 in 100 have celiac disease (Sanghavi)”. This boom in popularity has caused more and more people to start buying it more and thus helping those with the conditions to have it easier. Since this boom a lot has happened, many more stores have added gluten free products to their shelves and have helped those in need of products. On the WebMD website author, and highly prestigious Medical doctor, Peter Jeret said that “People who have had [celiac] disease for 15 and 20 years are astounded at the selection of gluten-free foods out there”. Celiac disease has causes many symptoms including-diarrhea, anemia, bone pain, and a severe skin …show more content…
There are many nutrients lost when someone gives up gluten and those foods associated with it. Peter Green, director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University and a professor at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, says that although the diet can be used for the celiac disease, it is not suitable for the rest of the 99% of people without it. Most of these gluten free diets do not include taking vitamins and minerals on a regular basis; therefore the people trying out the diet do not get the required supplements to sustain life in a healthy way. Green states in his article that “Because gluten-free flours are not fortified with B vitamins, there is a concern that individuals on a gluten free diet may become vitamin deficient (Green)”. When a person does not get required vitamins, that is not the healthiest of choices to do as a diet. Another issue making this more of a problem is that the gluten-free diet is still on its rise, in a marketing aspect. The marketing of this new craze has been a boom in the past three years, the diet has become part of a larger and rapidly growing trend toward healthy eating. Mark Lang, a food marketing professor at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and co-author of "Precision Target Marketing”, wrote about how rapidly this new trend is growing without influence from what the diet may be doing. He said. “Gluten-free products will go