Is gluten really Public Enemy #1? Many seem to regard it as a toxin. . Restaurants and supermarkets offer a wide variety of gluten-free foods. Years ago, physicians advised a gluten-free diet only for individuals who had celiac disease (CD), which is an autoimmune disease that largely affects the small intestine. If a celiac patient wades back into Glutenland, his or her intestine will start an internal uprising. I care for a few of these folks, but they are but a slim fraction of my patients who are shunning gluten. Gluten are proteins contained in wheat and other grains. Many adherents of a gluten-free diet believe that this is a more healthful dietary choice. For most of them, there is no supportive evidence for this contention. Why should it matter if an individual chooses to avoid gluten? After all, there’s no risk here? In fact, avoiding gluten can lead to vitamin deficiencies and increased exposure to arsenic and mercury. I’m not suggesting that
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