David PerlmutterPresident,, Perlmutter Health Center · Board-Certified Neurologist | Functional Medicine Pioneer | #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author | International Speaker | Host of The Empowering Neurologist Podcast

But... it's Gluten Free?

17 Aug 2014 · 2 min

Watch on YouTube

1:51

In this short video, Dr. David Perlmutter challenges the common belief that gluten‑free packaged foods are automatically healthy. He explains that many gluten‑free products—such as cookies, breads, pastas, and crackers—are actually high‑carbohydrate items that can spike blood sugar. Using a specific example of a gluten‑free cookie containing 41 g of total carbs, he illustrates how consuming just a few of these can quickly exceed his recommended daily carbohydrate limit of 60–80 g. He links excessive carbohydrate intake to elevated blood glucose, shrinkage of brain memory centers, and an increased risk of dementia. Consequently, he advises viewers to avoid shopping exclusively in the gluten‑free aisle and instead shop the periphery of the grocery store, focusing on low‑carb, whole‑food options.

Chapters

But it's gluten-free! I mean, that is the ticket to buying whatever, right? So often my patients are telling me, well, I only shop the gluten-free aisle of the grocery store and can't understand why I'm not losing weight. Well, the reason is because just because it's gluten-free doesn't mean it's good for you. The gluten-free pasta, bread, cakes, cookies, crackers are powerful sources of carbohydrates. It's like you're shooting yourself in the foot. You can't be shopping the gluten-free aisle of the grocery store. I recently visited a coffee shop and I took a picture that I think you'll get a kick out of. Let's take a look. This is the featured item of the day, gluten-free cookies. Yum! Sign me up for that, until I took a look at the label on the back. And if you look closely, it shows you that while this is a wonderful gluten-free product, the total carbohydrate of one cookie is 41 grams. Now, you know, I've been lobbying to have people reduce their daily carbohydrate consumption to between 60 to 80 grams of carbohydrate a day. Eat a couple of these cookies and you're busted. Yeah, they're gluten-free. But you're already setting the stage for elevation of your blood sugar. That leads to shrinkage of your brain's memory center and compromise of memory, paving the way for dementia. This is really important information. Stay away from the gluten-free aisle in the grocery store. Shop the periphery. I'm Dr. David Perlmutter.