direction. And with this popularity push, people have latched on to avoiding gluten as a cure-all for many conditions aside from celiac, including migraines, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome. While some have found relief, that doesn't mean a gluten free diet will work in all cases and then there's the idea that a gluten-free existence is the ticket to speedy weight loss. But there's nothing magical about a gluten-free diet that's going to help you lose weight. What's really at work: Gluten-free dining can seriously limit the number of foods you can eat. With fewer choices, you're a lot less likely to overeat.
But it can backfire too, because gluten-free doesn't mean fat-free or calorie-free.
Without gluten to bind food together, food manufacturers often use more fat and sugar to make the product more palatable. Consider pretzels: A serving of regular pretzels has about 110 calories and just one gram of fat. Swap them for gluten-free pretzels and you could get 140 caloriesand six grams of fat.
Should You Go Gluten-Free?
If you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, the answer is easy: Yes, you have to. But if you just want to give the diet a spin, know this: It's a giant pain in the butt. Giving up gluten may sound as basic as cutting out bread or eating less pasta, but this isn't just another version of the low-carb craze. Because gluten makes foods thick and tasty, it is added to everything from salad dressing to soy sauce to seasonings.
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Is Gluten Bad for You?