Many people who give up gluten don't even know what it is: New report warns going wheat-free could be WORSE for your health

The craze for avoiding bread, pizza, pastry and pasta seems to be taking over the world.

Stick-thin celebrities including Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Victoria Beckham, and Gwyneth Paltrow rave about their healthy 'wheat-free' lifestyles.

Devotees claim going gluten-free can alleviate everything from tiredness and bloating to spotty skin and hair loss.

Miley Cyrus (pictured left) and Lady Gaga (pictured right) both credit their whippet-thin physique and their glowing skin on the fact they don't eat wheat, but scientists say there isn't much evidence for their claims

But wheat-free diets 'lighten the wallet and not the waistline', according to a scientific report due to be published later this month.

The report comes as a poll by Weetabix found 32 per cent of British people avoid wheat because fad diets like the Paleo Diets and Wheat Belly diet warn against gluten.

But they also admitted they don't really know what gluten - the protein that is present in wheat and grains like barley and rye - actually is.

Two fifths (42 per cent) of people polled said they think it is a man-made substance, and said they didn't understand the science behind wheat-free diets.

In a report due to be published by Warwick University, experts will argue that there is little evidence behind the claims made by popular wheat-free diets.

Dr Robert Lillywhite, senior research fellow at Warwick Crop Centre, said: 'The scientific evidence behind many of the most popular wheat free diets is surprisingly thin. It may perhaps be the case that most will only lighten your wallet, rather than provide longer-tern health benefits, by encouraging you to switch from low cost cupboard staples to specialist foods intended for those who genuinely need to avoid gluten. 

'We are delighted that Weetabix are investing in a review of the science in this area but of course we won’t be able to comment further on this work until the research is complete.'

A quarter of people under 34 said they buy less cereal and bread because of the latest diet craze.

This could be why 90 per cent of British people eat less than half of the recommended 30g of fibre a day. 

Eating the recommended amount of fibre can help prevent heart disease, diabetes, weight gain and some cancers, and can also improve digestive health, doctors advise.

Claire Canty, Senior Brand Manager at Weetabix said: 'The research highlights the misconceptions about whole wheat and how people might be mistakenly avoiding it.

'Whole wheat has been shown to be important gastrointestinal health, thanks to its high fibre content and range of micronutrients.'

The news comes after an expert from the British Nutrition Foundation told a conference of dieticians and nutritionists that increasing numbers of people are eating gluten free products, despite the fact only one per cent of the population suffers from a gluten intolerance.

Gluten free products can actually be higher in additives, saturated fat and sugar, than much-maligned bred, she said.

She also cited a study from the University of Bristol, which showed bread produced less physically measurable abdominal bloating than a pasta meal, despite diners saying they expected the bread would bloat them more.

WHAT IS GLUTEN? 

Gluten is found primarily in wheat, but also in rye, barley, and to a lesser extent, oats.

It makes up the protein part of these grains, nourishing the plant embryos during germination.

It affects the elasticity of dough, so is used to make baked wheat products more or less chewy.

Gluten isn't necessarily bad, but some people are gluten-intolerant, meaning their bodies produce an abnormal immune response when it breaks down gluten from wheat and related grains during digestion.

The most well-known form of gluten intolerance is coeliac disease, which affects about 1 in every 100 people. 

When someone with coeliac disease consumes gluten, it triggers an immune response that damages their intestines, preventing them from absorbing vital nutrients.

Gluten is found in beer, breads, pasta, cakes and pies. It is also found in cereals, chips, croutons, cookies and processed meats. It can be found in salad dressings, sauces such as soy sauce and soup or soup bases.

Source: Dailymail