As you’re probably aware, countless different diets have come and went over the years. Quite a few of them are simply fads that fade into obscurity sooner than later, but some do have a basis in actual scientific facts, and these tend to stick around.
Gluten-free diets definitely belong in the latter category. Besides having scientific merit, it also has a very long history. Traces of its origin can be found as far back as 250 AD, with Aretaeus Cappadocia’s descriptions of what appears to be celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder related to gluten intolerance. What we know as a true gluten-free diet, though, kicked off in the 1940s, and it has recently seen rapid growth.
But what about it attracts more and more people by the day?
The main reason is that gluten-free nutrition plans have been linked to a series of health benefits. These benefits are particularly pronounced in individuals who show signs of gluten sensitivity, of which there are likely many. Besides that, researchers have noticed a correlation between gluten consumption and many health issues. Some are relatively mild while others can seriously hinder a person’s wellbeing.
Those with celiac disease get the short end of the stick, though. As mentioned before, celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that meets gluten ingestion with various uncomfortable reactions. Celiac symptoms are numerous, and they range from fatigue and joint pain to much more severe ones such as infertility or seizures. The vast majority of people don’t get diagnosed with celiac disease, so more people are afflicted by it than you might think.
There are many more symptoms which point to someone having celiac disease, a comprehensive list of which you can find at the Celiac Disease Foundation. However, there is also a catch: sometimes, a person suffering from this ailment won’t even know there’s a problem in the first place. There are cases of so-called silent celiac disease, which has no discernable symptoms, so you might suffer from this illness without knowing it.
Brain fog is also a common occurrence believed to be caused by gluten. Normally considered a symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, it manifests itself in many different ways. If you occasionally experience loss of orientation, difficulty concentrating, or periods of confusion, you might be under the effects of brain fog.
There’s more to the diet than avoiding the bad properties of gluten, however. Gluten-free diets have also been touted to positively affect fat loss and increased physical fitness. Forty-one percent of surveyed athletes swear by it, despite only thirteen percent of them being diagnosed with one form of gluten sensitivity or another. Beyond that, many celebrities praise the gluten-free lifestyle for the weight loss effects they perceived.
It’s clear that there’s some truth to avoiding gluten, especially if you lack tolerance to it. If you are interested in finding out more about going gluten-free, you can do so with this terrific infographic put together by a team of experts from medalerthelp.org.
The following graph will clue you in on everything you need to know should you ever plan to live without gluten. It holds a treasure’s worth of information about the topic, so you won’t find it lacking in that sense. To top of it all, it gives you this info in the form of lovely visuals that are clear to understand, engaging, and make it easier for you to absorb all of its knowledge. It’s a great first course to your future glutenless lifestyle.
Infographic URL:https://medalerthelp.org/gluten-free-life-infographic