The answer is maybeit depends on the individual.

Gluten is not inherently bad for you unless you have certain underlying conditions, such asceliac disease.

For most people, gluten is OK to eat.

Close up shot of woman sprinkling salt into a mixing bowl of flour

alvarez / Getty Images

However, gluten can have anautoimmuneand inflammatory effect on people with certain conditions.

Who Should Avoid It

1.

This is a genetic, inherited condition, and the only available treatment is a strict, lifelonggluten-free diet.

This is a relatively newly acknowledged condition, and there is some controversy regarding it.

Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders.

Sometimes, a gluten-free diet is recommended as treatment.

However, the evidence for a gluten-free diet for IBS is conflicting and inconsistent.

Who Can Eat Gluten Without Problems?

Most people can eat gluten without problems.

Based on those statistics, most people should be able to eat gluten without problems.

Living as if you have celiac disease when you don’t have it can be socially and nutritionally limiting.

Summary

Gluten is a naturally occurring protein in wheat, barley, and rye.

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