It’s not just you – gluten free diets are everywhere!
Perhaps you’ve noticed the gluten free aisles forming in supermarkets, the symbols appearing on your favourite restaurant’s menu, or a colleague, one who’s always been partial to a bacon butty, politely declining a cupcake on account of its gluten content.
It’s clear that the gluten-free life is no longer restricted to the coeliac sufferers among us.
Many people may perceive that a gluten-free diet is healthier, but are there any good reasons to part with gluten-filled treats unless you are gluten intolerant?
While some people will claim that going gluten free has plenty of health benefits – including lower cholesterol, better digestive health and higher energy levels – the truth is there is very little evidence to suggest this is the case for people who aren’t gluten intolerant.
Some dietitians have argued that a gluten free diet can help you lose weight, as so many unhealthy foods contain gluten. However, this is mainly due to cutting out the fat in gluten-heavy food rather than the removal of the gluten itself. This is only one reason why going gluten free may appear to help reduce the chances of getting heartburn.
In addition, several studies suggest that if you are gluten intolerant, you are more likely to suffer from heartburn. Going gluten free has been linked with controlling heartburn symptoms and reducing their likelihood for recurrence.
Gluten itself is not unhealthy or bad for those who are not gluten intolerant, but it does feature in the usual heartburn-inducing suspects, such as pizza, cakes, cookies and beer, not to mention many fried foods. Avoiding foods like this could decrease your likelihood of getting heartburn, however, the gluten-free life is not necessarily a remedy for heartburn.
Luckily, even if you do get heartburn, Rennie has a wide range of products designed to quickly relieve you of your symptoms by neutralising the excess acid.
TIPS & ADVICE
Take a look at our tips and advice on how to have a happier digestive life.
