Is going gluten-free good for your health?

In an October 2014 CBC Marketplace episode called “The Truth Behind the Trend,” CBC host Tom Harrington asked AllerGen investigator Professor Timothy Caulfield about the recent popularity in gluten-free diets.

Caulfield, a University of Alberta law professor and Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy, cautions there is a “downside” to gluten-free products, which are often more expensive and contain more calories, sodium and sugar than regular breads, pastas and crackers.

With respect to potential health benefits, Caulfield states that the gluten-free placebo effect “is real and it’s powerful. However, it is very difficult to make direct causal relationships between going gluten-free and feeling better or having more energy. There is no evidence to support that conclusion.”