6 Myths About Gluten-Free Diets You Shouldn't Believe

If you haven't already gone gluten-free, I bet you've at least thought about it. Roughly one-third of Americans say they want to cut down on gluten or eliminate it from their diet, per the most recent numbers. Yet, as a hilarious Jimmy Kimmel “What Is Gluten?” video highlighted, most people have no idea what gluten—a type of protein naturally found in wheat (including spelt, Kamut, farro, and bulgur), barley and rye—actually is.

Many are confused about whether they would benefit from cutting gluten and not sure what that even entails. Some believe they have to shun all carbs (they don’t). Others think that going g-free will make pounds melt away (in fact, you can gain weight if you don’t do it right). Here are the facts behind the most common misconceptions so you can make the right call for your waistline and overall health.