Vitamin Supplements You Need If You're Gluten Free
If you've been to the supermarket lately, you may have noticed that there are shelves or maybe even an aisle dedicated to gluten-free foods like bread, soups, and cake mix just to name a few. Your favorite restaurant may even have a gluten-free menu or offer gluten-free pizza crust as an option. Gluten-free options are becoming more available for those who want or need to cut it from their diets.
Well, who's eating a gluten-free diet? According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, a diet without gluten is recommended for those who have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. For those who have celiac disease, gluten causes the body to attack the small intestine which leads to bloating, diarrhea, and nausea. When people with gluten sensitivity eat gluten, it causes gastrointestinal irritation and they experience many of the same symptoms as those with celiac disease.
On the other hand, some people opt for a gluten-free diet to improve their health or lose weight. Whether cutting out gluten is necessary for your health or a lifestyle choice, you could be cutting out important nutrients that keep you healthy.
Gluten-free products may not contain important nutrients
You may have decided to go on a gluten-free diet to improve your health, but in some ways, you could be doing the opposite. If you're on a gluten-free diet, you could be missing out on key vitamins. This could lead to vitamin deficiencies.
An article published in the Nutrients journal discussed how gluten-free product manufacturing techniques may contribute to a lack of key nutrients in a gluten-free diet. The article advised that individuals on a gluten-free diet receive dietary counseling and education to become aware of the nutritional deficiencies associated with the diet.
According to the Gluten Intolerance Group, gluten-free products are usually not fortified with important vitamins and minerals in the same way as enriched gluten-containing products. If most of your vitamins and minerals came from enriched breads and cereals before you started a gluten-free diet, you are at risk for vitamin deficiencies.
Supplementing with vitamins and minerals is necessary
A gluten-free diet can be beneficial for your health, but you may need to take supplements to make up for what is missing in your diet. A review in Medicina evaluated micronutrient deficiencies in long-term gluten-free dieters. Many long-term gluten-free dieters showed deficiencies in the following: vitamin B12, iron, folic acid, vitamin D, zinc, and magnesium. The article concluded that dietary supplements may be the best way to address vitamin deficiencies in long-term gluten-free dieters, especially if they can't get them through food.
The vitamins and minerals that are lacking in a gluten-free diet are key to our overall health, according to VeryWell Health. Vitamin B12 is important for a healthy nervous and circulatory system so you may experience fatigue if you're deficient. A lack of iron can lead to anemia. Without folic acid, your body can't make the new cells it needs to keep you healthy. Even if you spend adequate time in the sun, a gluten-free diet can decrease your vitamin D levels.
If you have decided to eat a gluten-free diet, you may need supplements to restore your levels of some or all of these nutrients, and possibly others. Talk to your doctor to find out the proper supplements you need to avoid vitamin deficiency.