ackers, baked goods, and other heavily processed grain-based snack foods are on every dietician’s list of foods to avoid. If you tend to eat a lot of this junk, going gluten-free could steer you toward some healthier eating patterns.
There’s also evidence that people with irritable bowel syndrome and some other gut conditions can reduce their symptoms by cutting out some short-chain carbohydrates known as FODMAPs. Since many gluten-containing foods also contain these short-chain carbs, it’s a certainty that some people who cut out gluten are going to feel a bit better. “They benefit, but not from life without gluten,” says Peter Gibson, a professor of gastroenterology at Monash University in Australia. Some of Gibson’s research has shown that people with non-Celiac gluten sensitivity who cut out FODMAPs felt a lot better, while removing gluten from their diets—without their knowing it—didn’t make much difference. He says a low-FODMAP diet would benefit these people more and would not be as restrictive as a gluten-free diet.
But let’s not muddy the waters. The case for or against eating gluten is pretty straight-forward: If you’re dealing with chronic gut pain, diarrhea, unexplained weight loss, or other symptoms that suggest a GI disorder, talk with your doctor. He or she may determine that a gluten-free diet is for you. If you’re not experiencing those symptoms, there is no reason to avoid gluten.