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Federico Juarez
ENGL 1302
Monica Rodriguez
November 4, 2021
The Benefits of a Gluten Free Diet

Today the overwhelming number of diets you see promoted on social media and thru

commercials can be a bit much and confusing. But one diet stands out from them all and that is

the gluten-free diet. It is known to have many health benefits and is one of the leading diets to

help lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The gluten free diet is the best diet to follow in

order to improve a person's quality of life because it can improve one’s overall health, improve

one’s diet, and can be used at a medical treatment for irritable bowel syndrome.

Overall Health Improvement

To begin, Caroline Dunn et al. states in the article “Consumer Perceptions of Gluten-Free

Products and the Healthfulness of Gluten-Free Diets.”, that “57% of participants agreed that

gluten-free diets were used to treat medical conditions, 32% believed that they were prescribed

for weight loss” (185). In addition, the articles finding is a result on how the public perceives or

the knowledge they have on what a GFD is (185). The article goes on to state that “many people

believe that a GFD can improve your overall health, improve your digestive health, improve your

diet and improve skin/complexion” (185). As someone who follows this diet, I have noticed a

huge change from starting this diet about three years ago. I don’t have much stomach bloating

and fullness as I did before the start of the diet. In addition, I have seen a huge improvement in

my overall health. For example, I have lost about 60 pounds while following this diet while

adding exercise as well. The struggle is real when it comes to finding a diet that can be easy to
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follow and have real life changing results. In addition, Dunn goes on to state that, “excluding

gluten from an otherwise healthy individual's diet would improve overall health by 31% (185). In

addition, according to her findings 37% of people agreed that gluten-free foods were healthier

than foods that contained gluten (185).

Treatment Option

Furthermore, for years now a gluten free diet has been used as a medical treatment option

for many illnesses and diseases. According to El-Chammas el at states that a gluten free diet is

commonly recognized as a treatment for celiac disease but not only is it used for that purpose but

is used for many other medical conditions (1). Today it is also used for the following conditions

including dermatitis herpetiformis, irritable bowel syndrome, neurologic disorders, rheumatoid

arthritis, diabetes mellitus, and HIV-associated enteropathy. As a suffer of IBS (Irritable Bowl

Syndrome) a gluten free diet has been the go-to treatment option since I was diagnosed with that

syndrome three years ago. The diet has helped me so much over the years by helping my

everyday’s be smoother and not always having to look for the restroom. For years now a gluten

free diet has helped increase the overall lifestyle and lives of people suffering from many

different medical conditions. Furthermore, it goes on to state that a GFD is the number one

medical option to maintain and control celiac disease and IBS (Irritable Bowl Syndrome).
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