Dieting, especially in the time of puberty, insecurity, and peer pressure which high school is so famous for, is extremely popular. Losing that extra pound seems worth the loss of all substances save tomato juice. With the spread of social media and the picturesque image of what beauty is ‘supposed’ to look like ingrained in us it’s no wonder outlandish and nonsensical diets pick up steam at the rate they do. Enticing as these fads may seem, the actual facts to back them up are practically nonexistent. This is true for the gluten free diet. It promises a healthier lifestyle, but is gluten unhealthy? Is the loss of so many valuable carbs worth it? Where is gluten even found?

Gluten is a substance found in cereal grains like wheat, rye and barley. It is not, as some would have you believe, in any meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, or any other non-wheat product. Being gluten free means avoiding all types of foods from bread to cereal to pasta to, sadly, cake. I can attest after experiencing the terror of gluten free cupcakes first hand, which, more like cornbread with chocolate frosting, would send any sane human running from a gluten free diet. However, it doesn’t end with the simple taste-test. A multitude of high end restaurants and healthy stores try to make their food sound healthier by boasting “gluten free bacon” and “gluten free potato chips”. In reality, there are no wheat products or gluten in these delicacies to begin with. Don’t be fooled by this trendy marketing; there’s nothing more special about that “gluten free” chocolate bar than Hershey’s.
The gluten free diet supposedly has serious health benefits. Some extreme believers even go so far as to say it treats autism among other disorders. But according to gluten.org, “The gluten-free diet is healthier for people with gluten-related disorders, but there is no evidence that it is beneficial for people who do not have these conditions… The presence or absence of gluten alone is not related to diet quality. What’s important is the overall food choices made within the diet, whether it’s gluten-free or not.”
So where do all these supposed positive results for a gluten free diet come from? Probably just testaments from those who’s bodies cannot process gluten. Tricia Thompson, R.D., a Massachusetts-based dietitian and founder of glutenfreedietitian.com says that when people with a gluten intolerance go off gluten, “they do feel better and more energetic, but that’s only because they were feeling so sick before.” In other words, a gluten free diet would not benefit anyone without such afflictions.
One of the major arguments for the gluten free diet regards the fact that  humans only recently took up eating wheat, and therefore it must not be healthy for our bodies. But as geneticist Sarah A. Tishkoff states to the New York Times, “If eating wheat was so bad for us, it’s hard to imagine that populations that ate it would have tolerated it for 10,000 years.”
This is not to condemn anyone with a gluten intolerance or celiac disease. If it is necessary you don’t eat gluten because of medical conditions that is perfectly acceptable, but to drop all wheat products for no other reason than a supposed “diet” is deceiving in its necessity and benefit. It provides no health benefits and it is extremely difficult to keep up with, considering how many essential products contain gluten. In other words if you’re looking to stay healthy, eat a variety of food products in moderation, make sure calories consumed match calories burned, and most importantly: be happy with your own appearance and lifestyle.