What is gluten? And why is it the enemy?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat products. Gluten can be found in bread, pasta, crackers, cereal, pizza and other food products.

Is gluten dangerous?

Sure, gluten is dangerous to anyone with Celiac Disease. For people with Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disease, their immune system attacks the the gluten and the intestinal tracts itself. This disease only affects a very small amount of people (1%) and many of them don't even know. Gluten-sensitivity harbors the same type of symptoms as Celiac Disease (such as fatigue) but to a less dangerous degree and is more common.

But is gluten dangerous to someone without Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivity?

Yep. Granted, it is typically not as dangerous for people without a gluten sensitivity as it is for people with the diagnosed disease. Too much gluten can wreck havoc on the digestive system of people with sensitive stomachs. There are other studies that link gluten with other autoimmune diseases as well. There are other ways in which gluten can hurt the body such as the heart. When the antibodies attack the gluten, they can attack heart tissue as well. However, most people don't feel any dangerous effects towards gluten.

Gluten-free diets are trending. For some, adopting the diet is purely for keeping up with the trend while for others, it's about taking charge of their health. Either way, there are benefits of going gluten-free and the diet should definitely be considered.

Have you ever heard of gluten-free dog food? Because it does exist! The world is becoming gluten-free and the fact that gluten-free dog food exists emphasizes how much this new type of diet is still on the rise.

If you would like to check out more cool things about gluten and living gluten-free, check out this website.

Comment letting me know what you think about this gluten-free "trend."