Experts Question Benefits of Gluten-Free for All but a Small Minority
A decade ago, few Americans had heard of gluten. Today, one survey says, almost a third are trying to avoid the element found in grain. In growing numbers, the world's biggest food makers and restaurant chains are retooling recipes and labels to tap into the concern, creating a multibillion-dollar business out of gluten-free products.
The trend caught the eye of Heather Nutsch, an oncology researcher in Omaha, Neb., who has struggled with her weight for years. In February, she decided to try a gluten-free diet after a friend said it helped her lose weight. "Gluten-free is everywhere," she said.
Yet gluten-free lovers of the world may be in for a surprise. Many health experts say there is no proven benefit to going gluten-free except for a small sliver of the population whose bodies can't process the protein. Indeed, according to nutritional food labels, many gluten-free foods contain fewer vitamins, less fiber and more sugar. It is a point some food makers don't dispute, saying they are simply responding to consumer demand without making health claims.
"Food corporations have figured out how to adapt their foods to become solutions to health problems and at the same time capitalize on the confusion itself," said food historian Abigail Carroll, author of "Three Squares: The Invention of the American Meal."
Nowhere has the chaotic cycle of influence between U.S. consumers and food companies been more pronounced than in the gluten-free craze. Gluten is found in wheat, barley and ryethree of the earliest crops domesticated by humans in the Fertile Crescent some 10,000 years ago. Its elastic structure makes it well-suited for baking, but triggers an autoimmune response in a small number of people that damages their intestines.
About two million to three million Americans, less than 1% of the population, suffer from that hereditary condition, known as celiac disease. The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness says research shows another 18 million Americans have gluten sensitivity, experiencing discomfort without the intestinal damage.
Some doctors began suggesting eliminating gluten from patients' diets to address mysterious maladies. Celebrities began jumping on the bandwagon, touting it as a way to lose weight and boost energy. In the course of a few years, the mold was set: Today, gluten-free products can be found in every traditional supermarket and mass retailer, including specialty brands and established names like Tyson and General Mills Inc. There's even gluten-free dog food.
Ms. Carroll, the food historian, said the food makers' response to the gluten-free demand echoes what happened when the federal government in the late 1970s issued dietary guidelines calling on Americans to consume less fat. Food companies responded with a number of low-fat products that often contained more sugar, and the same number of calories as other products.
"Everyone thought they were healthy so people ate more of those foods and ended up gaining weight," said Ms. Carroll. "Fat consumption went down and obesity rose at the same time in the 1980s."
For now, interest in gluten-free remains strongthough there are signs that may have peaked. The share of survey respondents saying they are trying to avoid gluten was 29.4% in May, according to market research firm NPD Group Inc. That is down from a peak of more than 30% late last year, but higher than the 25.5% measured four years ago.
