I confess to have not yet read Elizabeth Hasselbeck’s book The G-Free Diet, but I join Scott Adams (of celiac.com) when he publicly thanks Elizabeth for raising celiac awareness.  There is nothing better for a cause than to have a popular public spokesman.

While I have not yet read the book, I did see Hasselbeck’s interview on ABC and I have a few comments.  She spoke eloquently about the lack of diagnosis, pointing out that one in 133 people have the disease and 97% of the people don’t know it.  She described some of the less known symptoms of Celiac Disease like infertility issues, thyroid disorders, and fatigue.  She displays an array of appealing gluten-free foods ostensibly from the recipes that are in her book.  But there were a few comments that she made that concerned me.  She called the gluten-free diet an “energizing meal plan.”  And she claimed that the diet was for people with Celiac Disease, food intolerances, or anyone “who just wants to be healthy.” She ends the interview with the puzzling statement that even people who don’t have Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance, who are on the diet, love it and then she smiles and  suggests we should “give it a shot!”.

The problem with presenting the gluten-free diet in this way (even in the name of celiac awareness) is that it is not necessarily a diet that just anybody should try.  It isn’t an invigorating health choice, it is a medical diet prescribed for people with a specific autoimmune disease.  In fact, researchers are finding that people who are on a gluten-free diet actually lack fundamental nutrients.  At the Beth Israel Medical Center in Boston researchers studied 109 people who have Celiac Disease and have been on the diet for an average of five years.  They found that 92.7% of them are not getting enough Vitamin D, 41.3% of them are not receiving adequate amounts of iron, and 81.7% of them don’t get enough calcium.  And this is just a few of the vitamin deficiencies they uncovered. Clearly the Celiac community needs to address these issues with suggestions for healthier flour choices, and other beneficial non-gluten food options. At minimum, we must make sure people are aware that they must supplement their gluten-free diet with appropriate vitamins and nutritional supplements.

A gluten-free diet is essential for those who have Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance but it probably isn’t for the average person.  And it is important to educate people that they must be aware of their whole-health needs when addressing their gluten intolerance, and be aware of the pros and cons of the diet and augment it accordingly.