NUTRITION


A gluten-free diet: is it right for you?


One of the popular nutrition trends calls for the elimination of foods containing gluten, but there’s no science that tells us that it provides any health advantages to the average person.


By Shawn Dolan T


here has been a lot of talk in recent years about the potential benefi ts of gluten-free diets, so I’d like to help you separate fact from fi ction on this subject.


Gluten is a storage protein found in wheat, rye, barley, triticale (a cross between wheat and rye) and possibly oats. It consists of two proteins (gliadin and glutenin) and is formed when dough is made from the kneading process of fl ower and water.


People follow gluten-free diets for a variety of reasons, including medical issues such as celiac disease (gluten intolerance), gluten sensitivity and as part of dietary cleansing programs. In recent years, many athletes have ex- perimented with gluten-free diets simply because they believe it will give them an edge in training and competition. If this is the reason you’re considering eliminat- ing gluten, keep in mind the benefi ts you may get from this change – feeling better, performing better, losing weight – may come from the fact that you are eliminat- ing a lot of highly processed, packaged and fast foods from your meals and snacks rather than from the elimination of gluten. The truth is, there’s no scientifi c evidence that a gluten-free diet benefi ts athletic performance for someone who doesn’t have an intolerance or sensitivity to gluten.


So what’s the answer if you’re a vol- leyball player who wants to reduce or eliminate gluten while maintaining a proper diet that will give you the fuel needed to perform your best? The fi rst question for you to answer is why you are choosing to reduce or eliminate gluten from your diet? If you are experiencing gastrointestinal issues, it’s best to fi rst discuss this with your physi- cian or a sport dietitian before altering your diet. This way you can systematical- ly fi gure out the cause of your discomfort.


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If you simply want to experiment with foods containing gluten, then be sure to understand the sources and ways to continue to eat high quality carbohydrate sources. As we’ve discussed in previous articles, athletes need carbs for energy, but it’s important to make good choices. A gluten-free diet is not designed to simply be a low- carb diet. Regardless of your reasoning for eliminating gluten, it’s best to begin by evaluating your meals and snacks to identify foods that contain wheat, rye, barley, and possibly oats. The table at right gives you a guideline for food and ingredients that contain gluten. There are the obvious foods like wheat-based pastas, breads, cereals, cakes, crackers, cookies and baked goods. And then there are the less obvious sources such as additives or thickeners found in soups or sauces.


Grains and Ingredients Barley Bulgar Couscous Durum


Barley is found in commercial products like malt, fl avorings, colorings, and beer. Barley is also part of hydrolyzed plant proteins and vegetable proteins.


Bulgar is a quick cooking form of whole wheat and is found in Middle Eastern cuisine like tabbouleh, pilafs, breads, and soups.


Couscous is made from semolina of hard wheat and is usually found in packaged grain products.


Durum has a high gluten content and is used primarily in pasta.


Food starch Food starch is sometimes wheat starch which is a by-product of wheat processing and is added to some food items during processing.


Graham fl our Graham fl our is wheat fl our (not to be confused with gram fl our from chickpeas).


Kamut Matza Oats and


Kamut is found in whole grain fl our, breads, cereals, pastas and chips.


Matza is found in traditional Jewish unleavened bread made from wheat.


Oat bran, oat fi ber, and oat gum are found in a


oat bran, variety of processed products. There is confl icting fi ber, gum evidence regarding oats and GDF. Most people with celiac disease eliminate oats to avoid cross-contamination of gluten from wheat products.


Rye Semolina Spelt


Rye is used as fl our for bread and also fermented to produce alcoholic beverages.


Semonlina is a coarsely ground durum wheat that is used primarily in pastas.


Spelt is found in whole grain and white fl ours as wells as processed products like pastas, cereals, pre-packaged bread, and muffi n and pancake mixes.


Triticale


What are some alternative grains and ingredients you can eat if you eliminate gluten? This is important because there is plenty of evidence that includ- ing whole grains in the daily diet has many health benefi ts, and there are lots of great gluten-free choices. They include rice and rice fl our (brown, wild, white, basmati, jasmine, long grain, short grain), buckwheat, corn tortillas, corn and corn fl our, cornmeal, cornstarch, gar- banzo, popcorn, potatoes (white, purple, red, sweet, potato fl our), quinoa, soy and soybean, tapioca fl our.


A fi nal thought Food trends and fads come and go. It


wasn’t too long ago that ‘fat free’ items that were often loaded with sugar were everywhere you turned in grocery stores.


Wheat


Triticale is a hybrid of wheat and rye. It is often included in pre-prepared muffi n mixes and cereals.


(germ, berry, the embryo of wheat. Wheat is found in breads, starch)


Now, there are huge sections with gluten- free foods. But remember, gluten free doesn’t necessarily mean healthy. As I’ve mentioned, selecting the right carbs and increasing your intake of nutritious grains has a lot more to do with your overall health and athletic performance than focusing heavily on your gluten intake. So choose carefully, eat smart and play well!


Shawn Dolan, PhD, RD, CSSD is a sport dietitian with the United States Olympic Committee. She works primarily with team sports based in the Los Ange- les area and the Chula Vista U.S. Olympic T


raining Center .


Wheat berry is the kernel of wheat. Wheat germ is cereals, pastas, crackers, pretzels, etc.


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