By Rebecca Rose of ChoiceEating.com

Gluten is a protein in wheat, barley and rye that add elasticity to dough and encourage it to rise. These factors give bread, for instance, their “chew.” It also is used to stabilize products such as ketchup, ice cream and sausage.

Gluten, whether in bread, or hidden in processed products, can be dangerous to the up to 1 percent of people with celiac’s disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation and damage to the small intestine. Some people also have allergies or gluten sensitivity that leads to headaches or fatigue associated with consuming gluten, which can hide in cold cuts, beer and salad dressings.

Though the occasional gluten-free diet fad has been advanced as healthy for anyone, officials at the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center disagree. They recommend that only those who have a gluten sensitivity or celiac’s disease follow this diet because it is challenging to maintain and because many people can face nutritional deficiencies.

According to WebMD, gluten-free dieting does not automatically lead to weight loss. Those incorrectly following a gluten-free diet also can experience iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, magnesium and fber deficiencies.

WebMD also warns those seeking gluten-free products to carefully check nutrition labels because many such products end up being high in carbohydrates and low in fiber. Those with gluten sensitivities can replace their wheat, rye and barley breads with breads made of quinoa, amaranth or millet certified to be uncontaminated with gluten and which contain more fiber and protein.

When reading labels, look for the hidden gluten behind terms like “malt,” which is made from barley and “hydrolyzed vegetable protein,” which more often than not comes from wheat. Though the jury still is out on oatmeal, it also can act like a gluten-containing food for some people.

Some eating requires a little thinking outside the box. For instance, regular wheat-based pasta can be replaced with rice noodles.

Rebecca Rose is an award-winning writer based in Oak Park, IL, who routinely covers health and fitness, financial and women’s issues regionally and nationally.