Gluten free diets have become increasingly popular and when you research the fantastic health benefits it provides, it isn’t hard to see why.
If you’re thinking of switching to a gluten-free diet, below you’ll discover some of the main benefits associated with the diet.
Improved digestion
If you suffer with digestive problems, a gluten free diet could help. In fact, it’s best known for its ability to improve digestive conditions such as IBS; reducing bloating and inflammation.
It’s also really helpful for those suffering with Coeliac disease. A gluten free diet can help the lining of the bowel to be repaired.
Finally, you’ll also find you have a lot less gas too. This is great news for those who find they frequently need to belch and pass gas!
So, if you regularly find yourself feeling bloated, particularly after eating wheat, a gluten-free diet could be exactly what the doctor ordered – literally!
Better nutrition
A large part of the gluten free diet is increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat. This means you’re naturally going to be consuming a lot more nutrients.
Eating a mixture of fruits and vegetables will help practically every part of your body. You’ll start to feel more energized, your skin will improve and you’ll feel generally healthier.
As an added bonus, when you remove gluten from the diet, it enables the body to better absorb nutrients. So, not only will you be getting more nutrients from the food you eat, the body will also have the ability to absorb more too.
Reducing your risk of serious illness
Gluten free diets have been linked to some pretty awesome health benefits. Not only does this type of diet help you to feel generally healthier, but it also cuts your risk of developing serious illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
It’s worth noting here that gluten free diets only prevent some forms of cancer, not all. It’s also not a 100% guarantee you won’t develop a serious illness by following a gluten-free diet, but it does reduce your chances.
The reason gluten free diets may prevent serious illnesses is because they contain more nutrients and less processed foods.
Things to consider
While gluten free diets can have significant health benefits, there are some things you need to consider. Firstly, choosing foods labelled as “gluten free” doesn’t automatically mean they’re healthier.
You can still find processed gluten free foods which, although they don’t contain gluten, they’re still bad for the body. So, if you want to experience the full benefits of this diet, you’re going to need to pay attention to the labels and ensure the foods you buy aren’t processed.
A lot of gluten free foods are also cakes, bread and junk foods which can still contribute to weight gain. So, the main take-away fact here is that gluten free doesn’t always mean a food is healthy – you still need to make good food choices and be aware of the ingredients contained in the foods you buy.
Another thing to consider is that gluten free diets should really only be followed by those with a gluten intolerance, or with certain illnesses such as Coeliac Disease which require a strict gluten free diet. Restricting gluten from the diet when you don’t need to could actually do more harm than good.
This is largely because you’ll be cutting out whole grains from the diet and these are essential for keeping the body healthy and protected against disease.
Of course, many people who don’t necessarily need to follow a gluten free diet, experience no negative effects from cutting gluten from the body. However, it is worth being aware of the risks and doing your research before deciding whether this is the right type of diet for you.
Overall, it’s not hard to see why gluten free diets have gained a huge following worldwide. As you can see above, there are plenty of health benefits that come from this modern, trendy diet.
