Should You Go On A Grain-Free Diet: The Pros, Cons, and What’s Best for Your Health
It’s 2025 and we are in a world of information overload everywhere we turn. In the past, health information was shared via TV, magazines, newspapers, and books. We were able to take it in, shut it off, and ponder small amounts of information at a time.
Now, it’s at the tip of our fingers, created in ways to keep us scrolling, with algorithms that are constantly adapting to keep our interest. We’re fed information all day, every day and much of it is from influencers with little to no credentials. Even providers with medical degrees sharing nutrition information can be hit or miss, considering medical school has very little nutrition education.
Some providers do an excellent job of earning the label of ‘nutrition expert’ by completing continuing education and certifications based in science, however it’s very hard to decipher who is who behind a square or camera on social media.
This conundrum in the world of health information brings people to my (virtual) office asking loads of questions; everything from “What are seed oils?” to “How much protein do I need?” and “Is a grain-free diet right for me?”
99% of the time, my response is “Well, it depends.”
And that – the idea of nutrition education needing to be personalized and layered – is the reason it is so challenging to gain insight through social media platforms specifically targeting as many views as possible.
I love when clients come to me excited about a new recipe they found on Tik Tok, or empowered that they aren’t the only one going through perimenopause and they found a community on Instagram that shares their struggles. There are huge benefits to this constant information and community. However, the quick nature of watching or reading for 30 seconds and then scrolling on creates an environment that falls short in navigating the layers and personalization that is needed for healthcare.
Perhaps one of the best examples of this is when a ‘nutrition expert’ (whether or not that title is earned) claims an overarching statement such as “you should eat a grain-free diet” without deciphering the ins and outs of grains themselves, or the nuances of the who the “you” is and who it isn’t.
In this blog, I hope to help you understand this question and my answer to whether or not a grain-free diet is needed in depth, but I still encourage you to work one-on-one with a Registered Dietitian to truly answer it for yourself.
What are grains, and what is a grain-free diet?
According to Oxford languages, grains are “wheat or any other cultivated cereal crop used as food.” Grain products are foods made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or another cereal grain.
They include:
- Bread
- Pasta
- breakfast cereal
- Grits
- Tortillas
- Popcorn
- All rice variations
- Oatmeal
Eating a 100% grain-free diet might mean you’re missing out on many essential nutrients
Grains are a significant source of carbohydrates and are one of the three macronutrients needed by the body. They are the primary fuel source for energy, support brain function, provide fiber, and spare our body’s protein; when there is not enough carbohydrate intake, the body will start to use amino acids to make glucose.
The fiber that carbohydrates provide improve gastrointestinal health, diversify the microbiome, and reduce cholesterol. Humans need about 30 grams of fiber daily, and whole grains provide about 3-5 grams of both soluble and insoluble fiber per serving.
Much of the energy and brain benefits that carbohydrates provide comes from the B vitamins in them, such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate. B vitamins help convert food into energy, supporting metabolism and maintaining energy levels. Folate specifically takes part in producing neurotransmitters to support cognitive function, memory and mood regulation. These are only a few of the very important jobs that B vitamins have in our body.
Finally, whole grains provide iron to the body. Iron is essential in producing hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carry oxygen to the entire body. When iron storage gets low, it is called iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency anemia can cause fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath. Other symptoms are hair loss, brittle nails, bruising easily and cody hands or feet.
If this is what grains are and the benefits they provide, then a grain-free diet not only excludes grains themselves, but also has the potential to exclude these other important nutrients and benefits. If you do decide a grain-free diet is right for you, it is essential that you fill in for these nutrients with other food groups in order to prevent deficiencies.
How could grains potentially be a detriment to your health?
While there are many positives, as outlined above, there are also some valid concerns surrounding grains that have been supported by research, making people feel that they should follow a grain-free diet. Some of these concerns are the high consumption of refined grains, as well as certain elements of most grains such as gluten and fructan. These cons are detailed below.
Refined grains
While the USDA recommends making ‘half your grains whole’, the reality is that the majority of Americans consume much more refined grains than whole grains. Some estimates show that 80% of US intake of grains are in the form of refined grains, and only 20% whole grains. Refined grains are processed in a way to take out much of the nutrients outlined above (fiber, B vitamins, and iron), which leaves a softer flour for more palatable foods.
When these nutrients are taken out of grains, you’re left with foods that are much more likely to spike blood sugar and leave you hungry for more, causing poor health outcomes and higher intake of calories.
This may make you feel tired, bloated, or irritable in the short term, and significantly raise your risk of developing insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality in the long term. It’s important to note that these negative effects are not from whole grains, but from refined grains lacking the nutrient benefits.
Gluten
Gluten is probably the most common reason patients come to me on a grain-free diet. Gluten is the protein in wheat, rye and barley, and therefore it is in any grains containing these ingredients such as bread, pasta, baked goods, flour tortillas, bagels, orzo, and more. Importantly, it is not in other grains such as oats, quinoa, rice, or buckwheat.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system damages the small intestine in response to consuming gluten.
To date, the only treatment for celiac disease is a strict gluten-free diet, which will put a patient in remission. Other reasons that people are sensitive to gluten are less straight-forward and are categorized as ‘non-celiac gluten sensitivity’ (NCGS). This may be the case if a person has either gastrointestinal or extraintestinal (outside of the GI tract) symptoms after the consumption of gluten and both celiac disease and wheat allergy have both been ruled out. At this time, there is no specific test for NCGS, however removing gluten from the diet improves symptoms and therefore it is clear there is a relationship.
Fructan
In my one-on-one counseling, I have found that a much larger percentage of patients are sensitive to fructan instead of gluten. Fructan is a carbohydrate in wheat, a type of sugar that is fermented in the large intestine and can cause digestive upset in sensitive gastrointestinal tracts. It is part of a larger group of foods called FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols).
The fermentation process causes gas production that can lead to flatulence, bloating, diarrhea or constipation and symptoms are usually correlated with the load, or amount, of the fructan consumed. Therefore, when sensitive patients eliminate or reduce wheat intake, their gastrointestinal symptoms often improve.
These same patients can often tolerate small amounts of wheat products, which is different from a gluten sensitivity. They can also often tolerate fermented wheat such as sourdough bread, because the fermentation process actually reduces the fructan content. Nonetheless, a significant reduction in wheat in the diet of these individuals can be the solution to their GI concerns.
The above concerns will differ person to person based on their personal response to grains, their past medical history, and/or the personal makeup of their intestines.
Importantly, the latter two are only a concern if there is a physical response to consuming wheat and none of the above concerns by itself would mean a completely grain-free diet is needed. Quinoa and brown rice are two examples of grains that could fit nicely into a diet free of refined grains, gluten, and/or fructan
Refined grains should be reduced by all people for overall health, however most people can tolerate them in some amount and therefore for health reasons alone, a 100% grain-free diet is usually not needed.
The negative consequences of these three elements of grains are supported by extensive research. On the other hand, some providers and influencers recommend a grain-free diet based on the theorized concerns of phytates and lectin. While this is a growing area of interest, at this time there is not enough research to support that the benefits of a completely grain-free diet outweighs the benefits of incorporating whole grains. The research needs to look at grains as a whole instead of one element such as lectins or phytates. More research is ongoing and should be watched closely.
Lectins
Lectins, a component of grains and legumes, protect these plants against external pathogens. They are theorized to initiate an immune response and increase intestinal permeability, or ‘leaky gut’ syndrome. When our intestinal lining becomes more permeable, bigger particles can move through the lining into the rest of the body than are supposed to, impacting digestion as well as a domino effect of poor health outcomes to the rest of the organs.
Based on this theory, eating a grain-free diet (and legume-free diet) would remove lectins and therefore heal our intestinal lining. What this theory leaves out is that many of the foods we eat with lectins actually have a very low amount by the time of consumption, and the fiber coming from grains and legumes are what the good bacteria in our gut consume in order to thrive and create a healthy gut environment.
Phytates
Phytates, or phytic acid, is another component of certain plants – namely whole grains, seeds, legumes, and some nuts. They have been theorized to decrease the absorption of iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. Sprouting, soaking, fermenting or leavening can reduce the phytate content. Examples of these processed techniques are sprouted grain bread, sprouted peas, sourdough bread, leavened bread, or soaking beans overnight.
If the current (limited) research persuades you enough to go grain-free in an attempt to avoid lectins and phytates, keep in mind that only those consuming large amounts of these plants would potentially be affected and there are ways to reduce the content of both components.
Diversifying our plants instead of eating large amounts of any one group is always advised, and a totally grain-free diet would still not be necessary for these reasons alone.
Should You Eat a Grain-Free Diet?
With the above science-based explanations instead of fear-based ones, you now have the knowledge to answer this question for yourself. For example, if you struggle with blood sugar balance or elevated cholesterol, you may want to focus on whole grains instead of refined grains.
If you have gastrointestinal symptoms and both celiac disease and wheat allergy have been ruled out, you may want to experiment with a reduction in fructan and monitor your symptom response.
If you have a chronic iron deficiency that has been unable to be treated with traditional recommendations, maybe you try sprouted grains and soaking your beans to test the hypothesis that phytates inhibit iron absorption.
If you do choose to reduce your grain intake, or go grain-free, don’t forget that you’re also limiting the benefits of this food group. Make sure to replace carbohydrates, fiber, B vitamins, and iron by consuming foods from other groups that are high in these nutrients.
Always discuss changes with your Registered Dietitian and medical provider to decide what is best for you.
Crucially, almost never do I find that patients need to follow a completely grain-free diet in order to optimize their health, and the least restrictive, most diverse diet that maintains human health is the healthiest diet for you.
Written by:
Amy Carson RDN LDN IFNCP
Integrative and Functional Dietitian