Nearly 1 in 4 of us are avoiding gluten. Without a health diagnosis, is it really necessary?

You know that the gluten-free diet has reached peak cultural awareness when bottles of water — which have never contained a speck of gluten — are now carrying the “gluten-free” imprint.

Research on celiac disease (which is affected by the intake of gluten) has been conducted as far back as the 1950s, but it was considered a rare genetic disorder at that time. However, as awareness of the seriousness of food allergies grew earlier this century — remember the first time you were asked to bring nut-free donations to a bake sale? — our understanding of food-related sensitivities began to increase.

In 2010, people spent around $2.5 billion globally on gluten-free foods. Soon, books like “Grain Brain” and “Wheat Belly” were topping bestseller lists. With all that hype, many people decided that gluten — in the way that fat had before it — must be vilified, avoided and discussed. We all knew someone who was avoiding the mixture of proteins found in grains like wheat, barley and rye, or maybe we were even avoiding it ourselves.