Gluten-free diets, as the name implies, are diets completely devoid of gluten. Gluten is the mixture of proteins found in baked goods, cereals, noodles, pasta, and all other foods which contain wheat and related grains, including barley, malt, semolina oat, and all their species and hybrids. Gluten consumption is a no-go area for some people who have medical conditions like Coeliac/ Celiac disease. Celiac disease is a long-term autoimmune disorder primarily affecting the small intestine that occurs in people who are genetically predisposed.
Most supporters of gluten-free diets consume it in keeping with what they believe to be healthy diets, however, a new research published in the February 2018 edition of the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics submits that gluten-free foods do not offer healthier alternatives. The research was conducted using an index of gluten-based foods from selected leading retail stores in the UK in an analysis of 1724 foods spanning 10 categories.
Results from the research showed that gluten free foods are significantly more expensive than other products across all categories – an issue which is cause for concern in the UK where the government is proposing options for restricting access to NHS gluten-free food prescriptions.
It also stated that Gluten free foods have no nutritional edge over foods with gluten.
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