Grains are present in the most of traditional diets we have in our daily life. However, several people are removing it from their diet. The reason for this is some do so because of allergies and intolerance. Whereas others going for the grain-free diet to lose weight or to improve their fitness. So, the grain-free diet is targeted to provide various health benefits, with improvement in indigestion to a reduction in inflammation and sugar levels. However. This kind of diet can be unsuitable for some and also have some disadvantages. Therefore, if you are looking for information about a grain-free diet, you are at the right place. In this article, we will discuss the potential demerits and benefits of a grain-free diet.
What is a grain-free diet?
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A grain-free diet removes every kind of grains and food derived from them, from your diet. This consists of grains that have gluten such as wheat, barley, and spelled as well as non-gluten ones like corn, millet, rice, and oats. Moreover, unlike fresh corn which is a starchy vegetable, dry corn is a grain. Therefore, food with the primary product corn flour is also avoided. Along with this, some people also avoid ingredients made from grains like rice syrup. However, there is not any need to follow such kind of strict requirement of diet.
How to follow a grain-free diet?
You have to avoid every kind of grains as well as foods derived from grains to follow a grain-free diet. Some of the foods you have to avoid are bread, pasta, oatmeal, cookies, pastries, and cookies. However, with the grain-free diet, you can have pseudocereals, like amaranth or buckwheat. Pseudocereals can be prepared similarly as grains are cooked, but they are not totally grain. A grain-free is generally low in carbs, but probably this is not a requirement. Individuals who want to add more carbs to their diet can get them from fruits, legumes, and vegetables, like potatoes and fresh corn. However, there is not any restriction to take non-grain food. Therefore, you can add sugar, fats, dairy, or eggs- a grain-free diet is only targeted to decrease eating overly processed foods.
Benefits of a grain-free diet
Going with the grain-free diet has several benefits. Below are some benefits.
Can help in treating certain health concerns
A diet without any kind of grain is followed by individuals with certain autoimmune diseases. Like celiac disease is a kind of autoimmune disease that affects most of the population. In this disease, protein and gluten are a threat to your body, which can lead to inflammation. Thus, people with this disease tend to remove grains from their diet. Similarly, some people are allergic to grains and avoid all foods containing them. However, others can be intolerant to gluten or other compounds found in grains. Therefore, individuals with gluten intolerance commonly have some symptoms such as pain, bloating, diarrhea, headaches, or fatigue.
May reduce inflammation
Most of the grains cause inflammation, which results in the root cause of many diseases. It depends on the grain you intake in your diet, refined grains increase inflammation, whereas whole grains have very little effect. Therefore, removing grains force people to increase the intake of fruits and vegetables can reduce the chances of inflammation.
May enhance weight loss
A grain-free diet can enhance weight loss because it decreases the number of calories found in foods like bread, cookies, and other baked products. Therefore, reducing the grains from your diet can reduce the calorie intake, and consequently, you will lose weight. In fact, some study shows that consuming whole grains can promote weight loss and also boost your body metabolism.
Other benefits of a grain-free diet
- It can reduce the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Also, it reduces the pain people experiences with the cause of fibromyalgia.
- It May help in reducing pain. A gluten-free diet can help in reducing pelvic pain in women with endometriosis. It is a disorder in which the tissue inside the uterus starts growing outside of it.
Drawbacks of a grain-free diet
May increase the risk of constipation
A diet without any grains, especially fiber-rich grains, can limit your protein intake. These grains are a good source of insoluble fiber. This kind of fiber adds bulk to your stool and reduces the chances of constipation. So, if you are following a grain-free diet, then it is important to add fibrous fruits and vegetables to your diet.
May limit nutrient intake
As we show earlier that grains are the best source of fiber, vitamins, iron, phosphorus, and magnesium. On the other hand, those whose brans and germs are removed, do not have these nutrients. So, you can take pseudocereals like amaranth, and buckwheat in the place of whole grains.
Conclusion
Although reducing some kind of grains can be beneficial in some health concerns. However, eliminating every kind of grain is unnecessary for your health. Moreover, the benefits you can get from a grain-free diet can also achieve through other ways. Some of the ways are, you can eat pseudocereals in your diets, you can add whole grains that have more benefits than harm. So, there is no need to cut an entire list of grains from your diet. Therefore, it is important to check whether the diet is more beneficial than harmful before going for it. For more articles, click here.
