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A study published in Plant Foods for Human Nutrition has found that gluten-free products typically provide less protein and more sugar and calories than regular ones.
Ironically, gluten-free usually costs more.
When you go gluten-free, you aren’t paying based on nutritional content, but more the processes required to remove the protein from food – yes, gluten is a protein.
Gluten-free ingredients like almond flour or quinoa are pricier than their more common alternatives, and aren’t produced in bulk by manufacturers because supply is already meeting demand. The vast majority of people love their wheat, and don’t have any sort of intolerance that would spark a desire to go without it.
Nonetheless, ‘gluten-free’ has become a wellness buzzword akin to ‘organic’ in the West, with food brands and influencers feeding public belief that it offers boundless health benefits. Unbiased research into the industry, however, is painting a very different picture.
A new study published in Plant Foods for Human Nutrition has found that gluten-free foods often provide less protein, more sugar, and more calories than their gluten-containing counterparts. In other words, the perceived benefits of these products may be grossly exaggerated.
Comparing a lineup of products both created with and without the protein, researchers discovered that those missing gluten lacked protein content, essential nutrients, and dietary fibre. The latter is usually added to gluten-free products through supplements during processing, but this method is known to hinder protein digestion.
