Going gluten-free is trendy, feels healthy, and is definitely something to consider for those of us with intolerances and sensitivities. It involves cutting products with wheat, rye, barley, and other gluten-filled ingredients out of your diet, and people who've done it tout benefits [1] such as weight loss, higher energy, and just feeling better. It's persuasive, but maybe worth a second look.
"Gluten has been completely vilified in the past decade," registered dietitian Kristin Kirkpatrick of the Cleveland Clinic's Wellness Institute told POPSUGAR. Shows, books, blogs, and celebrities [2] including Gwenyth Paltrow and Miley Cyrus [3] have hopped on the trend, for intolerance reasons and more, and spread it far and wide. But Kristin told us that "for someone not sensitive to gluten" — that is, if you don't have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity — it's probably just fine.
This is especially true when it comes to weight loss. People transitioning to a gluten-free diet may well lose some weight, Kristin noted, but research has shown "that this usually has nothing to do with the gluten content." Most gluten-free weight loss actually comes from separate dietary improvements, like higher intake of fruits, veggies, [4] and fiber [5] that come along as positive side-effects.
That means that, for the most part, you can make other healthy choices and still glean the weight loss benefits you might get from going gluten-free. Upping your intake of fruits, vegetables, [7] and healthy fats, [8] Kristin says, plus eating more fiber [9] and keeping your carb load within healthy limits [10] (45-65 percent of your daily diet, or about 130 grams) are all weight-loss strategies you can grab without giving up your regular bread and pasta. Here's a two-week clean eating plan [11] you can use to get started.
That being said, there are clear benefits to going gluten-free if you have a gluten intolerance or sensitivity. Those can come with symptoms as common as bloating and abdominal pain, [12] according to Healthline, and if you think you have a sensitivity, Kristin recommended seeing a doctor to confirm it with a blood test or DNA nutrigenomics test, like 23andMe [13]. Celiac disease [14] is another possibility that you'll need to consult with a doctor to diagnose.
For the rest of us, if you feel fine eating gluten, there's no weight-loss-related reason why you need to stop. Try a few other strategies instead, like going for whole foods [15] and getting more exercise (check out this weekly workout plan [16] to get started). Then, pass the pasta.