Gluten-Free: The Low-Carb of This Decade?

More proof that a whole lot of people are stupid glute(n)-holes.

"Gluten-free" is fast becoming the "low-carb" diet trend of the 21st century, although only 10 percent of the people buying its foods suffer from the celiac disease, wheat allergy or "gluten sensitivity" that make gluten avoidance a medical-must...

Last year, Americans spent $2.64 billion on foods and beverages without gluten, up from $210 million in 2001, according to Packaged Facts, a Rockville, Md.-based market research firm. The number of food and beverage packages with gluten-free package claims or tags rose from fewer than 1,000 at the end of 2006 to 2,600 by 2010...

Today, 90 percent of people whose eschew gluten do so "just as a food fad, or as a weight reduction thing," said Dr. Peter H.R. Green, director of Columbia University's Celiac Disease Center in New York. "Only 10 percent are doing it because they think it's helping their condition."

Many consumers feel that gluten-free foods are somehow better for them. Green said gluten-free diets can take off pounds if someone is cutting down on carbohydrate-rich pasta and bread, but they're no caloric bargain if they substitute gluten-free versions, typically containing more fat, sugar and a bigger caloric punch.

Avoiding gluten without a medical reason can put good health at risk in several ways.

Gluten-free flours and baked goods "aren't fortified with iron or B vitamins as wheat flour is; some people may become anemic because of lack of iron in their diet," Green said.

Flours, breads and other baked goods made from rice, potato and corn instead of flour often lack the fiber of their wheaten counterparts. As a result, they're higher on the glycemic index, more quickly raising glucose (blood sugar) levels in the blood and causing the pancreas to release more insulin.

That extra glycemic load can be a problem not just for someone prone to obesity or diabetes, but also to cancer patients trying to stick eat better to prevent secondary illnesses, said Dr. Mary Hardy, medical director of the Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology.

Idiots.