Wondering what’s the difference between gluten-free and keto? Is gluten-free keto?
If you are asking if gluten-free keto the short answer is no.
Too often when someone decides to do a keto diet and they head out to the gluten-free section of their nearest supermarket and load up their cart.
However, gluten-free is not the same as a ketogenic diet. In this post, I will break down the main difference between keto and gluten-free for you easily.
Keto Vs Gluten-Free
Do you know that gluten-free isn’t always low carb and that they are not the same thing? There may be some similarities but they are quite different.
For example, keto-friendly food does not automatically equate to gluten-free, nor does the food found in the gluten-free aisle give you the green light to have it on low-carbohydrate diets.
Gluten-Free Is Different From A Keto Diet
For many people eating foods that are gluten-free is a medical necessity. This means their food has to be free of all wheat flour barley, and rye.
All grains must be removed from their diet. They are unable to have even a small amount of gluten.
Gluten-Free Vs Keto
In fact, they cannot even consume food that has been processed at a plant that makes wheat products to avoid cross-contamination.
Gluten-free isn’t always low carb and this could be a real problem for those who cannot consume any gluten.
What’s interesting is that medical studies are showing that up to 6% of the population in the United States alone with an immune response to gluten.
What’s not exactly clear is whether this is because the consumption of foods that contain gluten has increased or if there are other factors at play.
In a restaurant setting, they need to make the staff aware of their gluten issue so that their meals are cooked with the right ingredients and separately from where gluten food has been cooked.
This includes the use of soy sauce since it has wheat and can have a negative impact.
Low Carb Keto Is a Diet Choice
A low-carbohydrate plan on the other hand is a choice that people make and is usually to reduce weight or for better overall health. Gluten-free isn’t always low carb.
In fact, carbohydrates and gluten are two different things. Carbohydrates consist of sugar, while gluten is a group of proteins.
Three Types Of Gluten Conditions
The medical community categorizes three types of gluten-related conditions. Those with wheat allergy, celiac disease, and non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
There are three main types of gluten conditions. The most common type is celiac disease, which affects an estimated 1 in 100 people worldwide.
Also known as celiac sprue or gluten-sensitive enteropathy, it is believed that about two-thirds of people with the disease are undiagnosed and not getting the proper treatment.
The second is people with wheat allergies. People who have allergies to wheat will break out into hives, have facial swelling, and even have difficulty breathing if they come in contact with any form of wheat.
It is a serious thing when their antibodies react to the wheat proteins.
The third is people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Individuals with non-celiac gluten/wheat sensitivity have symptoms that are comparable to those of celiac disease, which go away when gluten is avoided.
They do not, however, test positive for celiac disease.
Many people who have gluten in their diet but do not test positive for celiac disease experience symptoms comparable to those seen in celiac disease, such as “foggy brain,” increased sadness, ADHD-like symptoms, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, headaches, bone or joint discomfort, and chronic fatigue.
After testing negative for celiac disease and a wheat allergy and removing gluten from the diet, individuals who experience symptoms relief when followed by a doctor may be diagnosed with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) or non-celiac wheat sensitivity (NCWS).
What Is Gluten?
Gluten is just the general name for the proteins found in wheat. It’s a complex mixture of many related but distinct proteins, mainly gliadin and glutenin. These storage proteins were formally known as prolamins.
Gluten is a protein compound found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye, and others. It’s what gives dough its sticky texture and chewiness. Gluten helps foods maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds food together.
This includes wheatberries, cereal grains, semolina, farina, spelt, rye, barley vital wheat gluten, and triticale which is a cross between wheat and rye just to name a few.
Foods that contain gluten include bread, pasta, baked goods, and even certain beverages.
In people with celiac disease, eating gluten triggers an immune response that damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents the absorption of some nutrients.
For individuals with celiac disease, eating gluten may not cause immediate symptoms.
But as damage to the lining of the small intestine continues over time, symptoms can develop, including digestive problems, such as bloating, diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, and neuropathy.
It can even cause a skin rash called dermatitis herpetiformis and osteoporosis with no known cause.
Celiac Is An Autoimmune Disease
Celiac is an autoimmune disease, in which the immune system attacks the small intestine every time gluten enters the digestive tract of a person who has it.
The immune system attacks the small intestine, which causes loss of villi on the inside lining of the bowel, and prevents nutrient absorption.
Understand that gluten sensitivity isn’t an allergy or an autoimmune disease.
However, studies are indicating that non-celiac gluten sensitivity can also be very detrimental to a person’s health.
Gluten’s Inflammatory Response
I happen to be one of those individuals who has a genetic predisposition for gluten sensitivity but I do not have celiac disease.
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The consumption of gluten of any form causes an inflammatory response in me. NCGS (non-celiac gluten sensitivity) has been linked to numerous diseases.
It’s vital you do your due diligence and see if the health issues you are currently experiencing do not have a gluten sensitivity correlation.
Is Gluten-Free Keto?
Now that we have some medical facts under our belt, let’s take a closer look. A person who’s placed on a gluten-free diet can usually eat low carb, since most foods high in carbohydrates usually have gluten.
A person who cannot have gluten will need to take it a step further and make sure that what they are eating is completely gluten-free.
What’s more, they need to be certain that gluten isn’t hiding in other places including in their shampoos, soaps, and even cosmetics.
You may be surprised to know that gluten can be found even in our vitamins and medications.
This is why you need to become a bit of a sleuth if you want to remove all traces of gluten. And why you must get medical advice from your attending doctor.
So, you’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten intolerance and are wondering if it is possible to do a keto diet. The short answer is yes, it is possible to stay gluten-free and keto.
However, it will still require that you are diligent about
The gluten-free and keto diets aren’t necessarily incompatible, but it is more difficult to maintain a low-carb lifestyle on a gluten-free diet.
The reason is, that there are many products that claim to be “gluten-free” but really just replace the wheat with other thickeners and binders that although void of gluten will be too high in carbs to be considered keto.
These foods are often high in sugar and other carbohydrates that can kick someone out of ketosis.
Unfortunately, some low-carb foods are considered keto-friendly because of the addition of dietary fiber. The high fiber that has been placed in foods like low-carb tortillas, for example, usually has wheat flour in them.
Be wary of these substitute ingredients while on a keto diet.
There are gluten-free bread, pasta, cakes, etc. that are compatible with low-carb diets like keto, but you need to do your research to find these items.
Low Carb Keto Diet
Someone on a low-carb keto plan may get away with not being quite so diligent in removing gluten but they don’t have the wiggle room to eat from the gluten-free aisle.
Why? Well for one, many of these gluten-free products are made with corn, rice, tapioca, or potato starch.
They are loaded with a high concentration of carbs and will have you going over your daily carb limits quickly. These highly processed foods will spike your insulin levels and then bring your sugar crashing down after an hour or so.
A low-carb diet aims to keep your blood sugar levels on an even keel, a win for those who are insulin resistant.
What I adhere to is a gluten-free keto diet and it’s why my meal must be a gluten-free keto recipe.
Processed Foods Can Kick You Out Of Ketosis
If you want to remain in a state of ketosis, which is burning fat for fuel rather than glucose, you must read your labels carefully.
The good news is that more people are realizing the benefits of eating a low-carb diet and this is opening up a new market full of products we can consume.
Although it’s exciting to see the tide changing, It’s important to tread lightly when choosing these pre-packaged low-carb items.
Unfortunately, many of these have way too many chemicals to call them healthy.
Be selective with what you allow into your diet, remember your aim should be to make every meal be as nutrient-packed as possible.
Elimination Diet
If you find yourself at a weight loss plateau, perhaps it’s all those trips to the gluten-free section that may be hampering your diet. Maybe, it’s time to take a closer look at what you have been placing in your grocery cart.
Lastly, I encourage those of you who are on a gluten-free diet to take your health journey a step further and consider eliminating corn, rice, and potato.
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Newer studies are demonstrating that this too can be a problem if you have any form of gluten sensitivity. I highly recommend Dr. Peter Osborne’s book No Grain No Pain for more on this important subject.
It is my hope that the knowledge you gain here will point you in the right direction for greater health.
Gluten-Free Keto
Personally, I am doing gluten-free keto because although I do not have celiac disease I have an intolerance to gluten and find that it causes me inflammation issues.
Here at Fittoservegroup all our recipes are both gluten-free and keto-friendly allowing you to choose confidently recipes that will assist you.
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In case you don’t know we have authored two books for you, Essential Keto Bread and Essential Keto Desserts both inspired by your requests over the years.
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Looking for an online support system to help you stay the course on keto? As a family, we came to the keto diet looking at it from a Christian perspective. As believers, we live our lives supported by God’s grace.
Knowing firsthand the benefits of this decision we have created a closed Christian group that is using the keto diet to transform their lives.
We invite you to join our Private Facebook Group and see if it’s not the key you have been missing.
Be sure to request our FREE Jesus and Keto E-Book (First 7 Days) We hope it blesses you.
