Gluten-free foods, a dangerous and pointless diet. They're only for celiacs. In Italy, there are fewer than 200, but there's a rush to go gluten-free.

Massive marketing campaigns to inflate a market already worth €320 million in Italy. And unscrupulous doctors, from psychiatrists to chiropractors, push products that become a very harmful waste. They're packed with fat and devoid of protein.

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risks of a gluten-free diet

RISKS OF A GLUTEN-FREE DIET

A good psychiatrist writes to tell us a very singular story, about waste e health. A patient comes to him for the first time, and before starting the appointment, she tells him about the medications she's taking and her diet, at the suggestion of another shrink. Everyone eats at the table. gluten-free foods. asks the psychiatrist, rather embarrassed. And she: .

GLUTEN-FREE FOOD CONSUMPTION IN ITALY

The story we received in our editorial office is not an isolated case. The phenomenon we are witnessing is the following: la celiac disease It is more or less stable in the world (it concerns about 1 percent of the population) while sales of gluten-free products have exploded and continues to grow unabated. Also encouraged by doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, podiatrists, chiropractors (to name just a few) who advocate a gluten-free diet, and therefore the purchase of these products. In Italy alone, the gluten-free food market now represents a major expense. 320 million euros a year, with an increase of 20 percent in 2018 alone compared to the previous year. These are enormous numbers, if you consider that celiac disease sufferers in Italy are just 198.427 (two-thirds women, one-third men) and in the last year there have been 15.569 new cases.

ALSO READ: Food intolerances: tests that boost billion-dollar businesses and charlatans' pockets.

RISKS OF A DIY GLUTEN-FREE DIET

It is clear that in this disproportion, in the absolute absence of a celiac disease epidemic, there is a stench of imbroglio, compulsive consumption and addicted to products that are also very expensive. And there is a double waste: gave health and moneyLet's start with the fact that gluten is a precious protein for our body, one of the most consumed in the world, which among other things allows for the thickness and therefore quality of various doughs, for example those for bread and pizza.

Gluten is formed when two molecules, glutenin and gliadin, come into contact with each other, creating a chemical bond. In bread, the bond produces an elastic membrane that gives the bread a chewy texture, enabling pizza chefs to toss the dough into the air and rotate it. In contrast, Gluten-free bread it is often very similar to plastic. Inedible.

So: gluten is essential for a balanced diet. For celiac disease sufferers, just 50 milligrams are enough, and they're in trouble, even very serious ones. But what does this limit have to do with the one-third of American consumers who say they're interested in gluten-free products? What's the connection? None.

TO KNOW MORE: Food intolerances and allergies: how to address them correctly, with the right doctor and without waste.

GLUTEN-FREE PRODUCTS MARKET IN ITALY

The push for waste comes from the market and from the many ignorant and unscrupulous doctors who inflate it. Anyone who gives up gluten in some products, without a reason, must be aware of what he risksA very comprehensive study, comparing 654 products with and without gluten (bread, pasta, biscuits, cereals), by the Spanish Institute of Health Research, demonstrates unequivocally that In gluten-free bread the concentration of fats is double that of normal bread, with gluten. So, by eating it without a reason, not only do you not get any health benefits, but there is also the very real danger of put on weight, and increase the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. At the same time, gluten-free products contain 2 to 3 times less protein than those containing gluten. The damage here is depleting a reservoir of precious resources for our well-being.

So, we are talking about useless and unhealthy diets. Something that closely resembles an ancient campaign in favor of the margarine to replace butter: an even less healthy product given the sugars, salts, and refined carbohydrates it contains. Pure market speculation, capitalizing on misinformation among consumers, and on the advice of a few doctors who deserve to be sued.

USEFUL GLUTEN FREE RECIPES:

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