Deductive essays. Deductive essay example.

Gluten is a protein component, which can be found in grains of wheat, barley, and rye. It gives dough its pliable and sticky consistency, which is desired in most baked products. Gluten consumption can trigger celiac diseases, which can damage the bowel. Today gluten-free diets become more and more popular, causing food manufacturers to produce a lot of products, which are free of the protein. Such a diet is not an easy choice, because the substance is contained in many nutritious products. At the same time it won’t work for everyone.

Gluten-free diets have both advantages and drawbacks. The substance can be harmful in the case when a person has a gluten allergy or a celiac disease. However, there are people without celiac disease, who claim that they feel better on a gluten-free diet. The new research shows mixed benefits of eliminating gluten.

If a person has gluten sensitivity or intolerance, he or she may get damage or inflammatory process of the intestinal tract. Avoiding gluten may help prevent such inflammation and damage. At the same time keeping the gluten-free diet contributes to higher awareness of food and label reading as well. Besides, such a diet includes grains of higher quality, like quinoa. This leads to a more thoughtful everyday ration and to a healthier food consumption. One which is filled with less processed products. Moreover, many people take gluten-free diet to lose their weight.

Alongside with its benefits, avoiding gluten has some disadvantages. There is no harm in taking gluten-free foods. A gluten-free diet, however, may lack some important nutritious substances, such as iron and vitamins B1, B2 and B3. They are usually contained in enriched wheat products. First of all, gluten-free diet reduces carbohydrate consumption because of the lack of education on nutritious substances. In fact, not all carbohydrates include gluten. At the same time, digestive issues may occur because of the lack of fibre, which is usually received from traditional sources. Such a diet can contribute to weight reduction and gain alike. Often gluten-free products contain high level of sugar and fat, which is a doubtful benefit for a healthy lifestyle. Moreover, when the gastrointestinal tract recovers, it starts to absorb nutritious substances properly, which also leads to increase in weight. On the other hand, possible weight loss because of eliminating too many foods may cause a nutrient deficient diet. Another factor to consider is that such type of diets is an expensive choice.

Nowadays, gluten-free diets have become a health food trend, though celiac diseases affect just about seven percent of the U. S. population. However, there are people, who feel better after eliminating gluten without having such conditions. The researches name four reasons for it. Firstly, good feeling can be caused by a placebo effect. Secondly, along with gluten other harmful food components may be eliminated. Thirdly, a person may have a real intolerance to gluten, regardless of celiac disease. Lastly, change of habitual lifestyle, may lead to health improvement.

References:

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2. Horiguchi, N., Horiguchi, H., Suzuki, Y. Effect of wheat gluten hydrolysate on the immune system in healthy human subjects. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem., 2005.
3. Libonate, Cleo J. Recognizing Celiac Disease. Gluten Free Works Publishing, 2007.
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5. Reddy, B. S., Hirose, Y., Cohen, L. A., Simi, B., Cooma, I., Rao, C. V. Preventive potential of wheat bran fractions against experimental colon carcinogenesis: Implications for human colon cancer prevention. Cancer Res., 2000.
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7. Tighe, P., Duthie, G., Vaughan, N. Effect of increased consumption of whole-grain foods on blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk markers in healthy middle-aged persons: A randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr., 2010.