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Photo courtesy of Jarrett Hudson<\/p><\/div>\n
The gluten-free movement affects more than just those following it<\/span><\/h5>\nWords by Kendall Wenaas<\/span><\/i><\/p>\nLauren Davis doesn\u2019t remember the last time she <\/span>wasn\u2019t <\/span><\/i>eating gluten-free. The 21-year-old Minnesota native was just 14 months old when doctors realized her body wasn\u2019t absorbing nutrients properly. After spending time in the hospital, it became clear that Davis suffered from celiac disease\u2014a condition that causes a person\u2019s immune system to attack the gluten they ingest and consequently the small intestine. Hence: no gluten for Davis. <\/span><\/p>\nGluten, which is found in wheat and other related grains, gives dough its elasticity. The protein can cause sickness in those with <\/span>celiac disease<\/span><\/a>; only about one percent of the human population has it. But now Davis\u2019 prescribed diet is being turned into the latest health trend\u2014and it\u2019s not just affecting the people following it. It\u2019s affecting the wheat industry, too. <\/span><\/p>\nGearing Up Without Gluten<\/h6>\n
Trading out bread for lettuce? Pretzels for fruit? Avoiding the cookie jar altogether? The majority of gluten-tolerant people who avoid the substance do so because they believe it\u2019s a step in a healthier direction. Dieticians and nutritionists have debated this belief for years. Still, while it\u2019s not based in scientific fact, the gluten-free trend lives on. <\/span><\/p>\nA 2016 study in <\/span>JAMA Internal Medicine <\/span><\/i>revealed that while <\/span>1.76 million Americans have celiac disease<\/span><\/a>, around 2.7 million follow a gluten-free diet. Mintel, a market research company, <\/span>surveyed people<\/span><\/a> who avoid gluten in their diets and found that 37 percent \u201cbelieve it is better for overall health.\u201d The same survey also found that 32 percent believe gluten-free products are \u201cmore natural\u201d and 25 percent \u201ceat them for weight loss.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nI don\u2019t think as many precautions are being taken because so many people are choosing to do it just because.\u201d<\/p>\n
-Lauren Davis<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\u201cI think a lot of people do it because they think it\u2019s healthier,\u201d Davis said. \u201cIt makes it hard for a lot of people like me who actually have celiac because a lot of times in restaurants, employees don\u2019t take it as seriously anymore because they may think that the person who\u2019s ordering it is just doing it because they want to be gluten-free, not that they have to. I don\u2019t think as many precautions are being taken because so many people are choosing to do it just because.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nAnd though the rumor mill supports the theory that eating gluten-free is a healthy way to lose weight, Senay Simsek, Ph.D., doesn\u2019t agree. <\/span><\/p>\nSimsek doesn\u2019t support eating gluten-free unless a person has celiac disease. That\u2019s because the associate professor of <\/span>cereal science<\/span><\/a> and technology of wheat at North Dakota State University believes there are many misconceptions surrounding the diet trend.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cOur concern is that people are seeing gluten-free as a healthy choice. Eating whole wheat is a healthy choice, but gluten-free, if you\u2019re a \u2018normal\u2019 individual, is not the healthy option.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nHealth vs. Honey Nut Cheerios<\/h6>\n
Simsek\u2019s main concern is people perceiving gluten-free as a catch-all solution\u2014from weight loss to brain function \u2013 to their health problems, but that\u2019s not the only issue. <\/span><\/p>\nSince 2000, per capita all-wheat flour use has been down, <\/span>according to the United States Department of Agriculture<\/span><\/a>. The USDA credits this drop to \u201cincreased consumer interest in low-carbohydrate diets.\u201d In North Dakota and Kansas, the United States\u2019 main wheat production states, wheat once made up over 80 percent of the total amount of wheat, corn, and soybean fields. In 2013, wheat made up less than 60 percent of this total in Kansas, and less than 50 percent in North Dakota.<\/span><\/p>\n
Lauren Davis doesn\u2019t remember the last time she <\/span>wasn\u2019t <\/span><\/i>eating gluten-free. The 21-year-old Minnesota native was just 14 months old when doctors realized her body wasn\u2019t absorbing nutrients properly. After spending time in the hospital, it became clear that Davis suffered from celiac disease\u2014a condition that causes a person\u2019s immune system to attack the gluten they ingest and consequently the small intestine. Hence: no gluten for Davis. <\/span><\/p>\n Gluten, which is found in wheat and other related grains, gives dough its elasticity. The protein can cause sickness in those with <\/span>celiac disease<\/span><\/a>; only about one percent of the human population has it. But now Davis\u2019 prescribed diet is being turned into the latest health trend\u2014and it\u2019s not just affecting the people following it. It\u2019s affecting the wheat industry, too. <\/span><\/p>\n Trading out bread for lettuce? Pretzels for fruit? Avoiding the cookie jar altogether? The majority of gluten-tolerant people who avoid the substance do so because they believe it\u2019s a step in a healthier direction. Dieticians and nutritionists have debated this belief for years. Still, while it\u2019s not based in scientific fact, the gluten-free trend lives on. <\/span><\/p>\n A 2016 study in <\/span>JAMA Internal Medicine <\/span><\/i>revealed that while <\/span>1.76 million Americans have celiac disease<\/span><\/a>, around 2.7 million follow a gluten-free diet. Mintel, a market research company, <\/span>surveyed people<\/span><\/a> who avoid gluten in their diets and found that 37 percent \u201cbelieve it is better for overall health.\u201d The same survey also found that 32 percent believe gluten-free products are \u201cmore natural\u201d and 25 percent \u201ceat them for weight loss.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n I don\u2019t think as many precautions are being taken because so many people are choosing to do it just because.\u201d<\/p>\n -Lauren Davis<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cI think a lot of people do it because they think it\u2019s healthier,\u201d Davis said. \u201cIt makes it hard for a lot of people like me who actually have celiac because a lot of times in restaurants, employees don\u2019t take it as seriously anymore because they may think that the person who\u2019s ordering it is just doing it because they want to be gluten-free, not that they have to. I don\u2019t think as many precautions are being taken because so many people are choosing to do it just because.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n And though the rumor mill supports the theory that eating gluten-free is a healthy way to lose weight, Senay Simsek, Ph.D., doesn\u2019t agree. <\/span><\/p>\n Simsek doesn\u2019t support eating gluten-free unless a person has celiac disease. That\u2019s because the associate professor of <\/span>cereal science<\/span><\/a> and technology of wheat at North Dakota State University believes there are many misconceptions surrounding the diet trend.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOur concern is that people are seeing gluten-free as a healthy choice. Eating whole wheat is a healthy choice, but gluten-free, if you\u2019re a \u2018normal\u2019 individual, is not the healthy option.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Simsek\u2019s main concern is people perceiving gluten-free as a catch-all solution\u2014from weight loss to brain function \u2013 to their health problems, but that\u2019s not the only issue. <\/span><\/p>\n Since 2000, per capita all-wheat flour use has been down, <\/span>according to the United States Department of Agriculture<\/span><\/a>. The USDA credits this drop to \u201cincreased consumer interest in low-carbohydrate diets.\u201d In North Dakota and Kansas, the United States\u2019 main wheat production states, wheat once made up over 80 percent of the total amount of wheat, corn, and soybean fields. In 2013, wheat made up less than 60 percent of this total in Kansas, and less than 50 percent in North Dakota.<\/span><\/p>\nGearing Up Without Gluten<\/h6>\n
Health vs. Honey Nut Cheerios<\/h6>\n