bake - August 2015 - 46

DISPELLING THE MYTHS
A new review article published in the Journal of the
American Academy of Physician Assistants confirms
there is no published experimental evidence supporting
a gluten-free diet for weight loss in individuals without
celiac disease or gluten-related disorders.
In the report, "Navigating the gluten-free boom:
from essential medical treatment to ill-conceived fad
diet," the authors scrutinized the scientific literature
and concluded that there is no benefit to the general
population from going gluten-free. However, consumer
trend data from Mintel indicates that 65 percent of
Americans select gluten-free products because they
believe they are more healthful.
In recent years, gluten-free dieting has gained
popularity among the general population at a rate that
is out of proportion to the prevalence of gluten-related
disorders such as celiac disease, non-celiac gluten
sensitivity and wheat allergy, for which the gluten-free
diet is a vital medical treatment.
Unfortunately, celebrity endorsements and media
coverage have led people to believe they would benefit
from following a gluten-free eating pattern; this

sentiment is reflected in another Mintel insight that
27 percent of Americans choose gluten-free products
to help them lose weight.
"Our research confirms much of what we already knew
- while the gluten-free diet is a legitimate therapeutic
tool for those affected by gluten-related disorders, there
has been a corrosion of common sense from people
needlessly jumping on the fad diet bandwagon," stated
study co-author Glenn Gaesser, PhD, researcher and
professor at Arizona State University. "In fact, people
who eliminate gluten may end up gaining weight
because these foods often have more calories than
their gluten-containing counterparts."
Further, Gaesser says there is preliminary evidence
that consuming gluten-containing foods, especially
whole grain wheat products high in dietary fiber,
may boost beneficial gut bacteria, "which will be
an interesting area of future study recognizing our
growing understanding of the microbiome and its
effect on health."
For more information about gluten and grains,
visit grainfoodsfoundation.org.

The bio-based enzyme's ability to extend shelf life seven or

High Performance, Ultragrain All-Purpose Flour Blend T-1 and

more days may enable bakeries to expand distribution to new

Ultragrain All-Purpose Flour Blend T-2. Products like Ultragrain

geographies or potentially expand to new outlets such as

make the switch easy by providing whole grain nutrition with

convenience, drug and dollar stores. In the consumer's pantry,

the taste, texture and appearance of white ﬂour that consumers

the extra shelf life may translate to reduced waste.

love-and now in a variety of formats to meet any need. Ardent
Mills also offers Ancient Grain Flours, Custom Grain & Seed

Responding to the latest trend of food-conscious consumers

Blends, Sustagrain Ultra-High Fiber Barley and Eagle Mills

who value local, ethical and pure foods, Ardent Mills delivers

Gluten-Free All-Purpose Multigrain Flour Blend.

new ways to bring nourishing ingredients to the table. At IFT,
Ardent Mills sampled applications such as a Toasted Crawﬁsh

"It's not just about health and wellness," says Dan Dye, CEO of

Roll featuring 55% Sprouted White Spring Whole Wheat Flour

Ardent Mills. "It's about offering consumers products that are

and Wild Berry Mini Pies featuring 70% Organic Flour and 30%

both nutritious and delicious. Ardent Mills is nourishing what's

Organic 9-Grain Flour.

next with nutrient-rich, on-trend grain solutions that deliver
superior performance and consumer appeal."

Ardent Mills features new developments to existing products,
such as Ultragrain Plus Protein-another innovation to the

Puravita is Puratos' new range of nutritious grain mixes,

Ultragrain product line, following in the footsteps of Ultragrain

which come in three varieties: Puravita Whole Grain, Puravita

46 < AUG 2015 | bakemag.com
http://www.grainfoodsfoundation.org http://www.bakemag.com
bake - August 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of bake - August 2015
