Gluten-free, bad for your health?

While 5 million French people have already banned gluten from their diet, 60 million consumers have revealed in a special issue that products labeled "gluten-free" are of no interest to people who do not suffer from this condition. food intolerance and may even be harmful to health.

And to say that we thought we were doing well by removing from its diet this substance, even to consume products labeled " Gluten-free " often 2 to 4 times more expensive . So we would have been lied to or at least misled? This is in any case what tends to prove an investigation conducted by the magazine 60 million consumers in a special issue entitled "Natural, behind the scenes", released July 12 last. Decryption.

Gluten-free but with additives

Already in 2017, researchers at the prestigious American universities of Harvard and Columbia warned in an article of British Medical Journal against the phenomenon "Gluten Free " and recalled that to suppress from its regime this substance while it is supported was not a good idea .

And it is true that we have seen for several years a fashion effect without any real foundation since 5 million French voluntarily deprive themselves of this set of proteins (present in many cereals) while only 1% of the population actually suffered from celiac disease gluten intolerance.

By badyzing various products sold under the name "gluten-free" the media of the National Institute of Consumption wanted to know by what this substance had been replaced. Gluten is a natural binder which makes it possible, among other things, to make the most elastic pasta and the loafier bread . Unfortunately, the manufacturers did not find anything better than bartering it for significantly less healthy ingredients . Reading the label of these goods combed revealed that we were dealing with products greatly transformed too rich in fats and in sugars . The fault also too many additives including emulsifiers, thickeners and flavor enhancers, used by manufacturers.

The health risks

Nutritionally poorer than their version with gluten, these products processed as found by the magazine, also suffer from too low presence of proteins of vitamins of minerals and fibers in their composition . Consequently, their consumption may lead to deficiencies . The biscuits, breads and pasta brands that offer a version 0 gluten, also show a index and a very high glycemic load . Data that promotes storage, development of abdominal fat and weight gain .

" These foods are digested much faster than versions with gluten and significantly increase insulin secretion and blood glucose . They give hunger ", explained to France Info, the dietitian Angélique Houlbert. Without forgetting that their high fat and their hyperglycemia can aggravate arterial hypertension. It will be understood, we stay away from these products that were thought to be healthier and we make an appointment with his doctor to detect a possible and real intolerance to gluten to adopt if any an adapted regime .