Southbeach, sugar-free, paleo, monomeals, gluten-free, bananas, what do these diets all have in common? They’re all fad diets, and most of them probably don’t work.

In 2011 there was an explosion of fad diets endorsed by celebrities claiming to help everyone lose weight by cutting out certain foods and eating others. Companies such as WeightWatchers, Atkins, and the Zone Diet became major players in this game, all receiving their 15 minutes of diet fame before being pushed out of the spotlight by the next fad diet.

In 2015, gluten became the next food on the chopping block with celebrities such as Gweneth Paltrow, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus and more all advocating for a gluten-free diet claiming that it would give you an exorbitant amount of energy and help you lose weight.

Would a gluten-free diet do this? Theoretically, yes.

When you begin to cut gluten from your diet, take notice of what types of foods you are cutting out. The absence of over processed foods such as cake, chips, and cookies (all which typically contain a high amount of gluten) will make anyone feel better and have more energy throughout the day, gluten-free or not.

When you make a major dietary change, such as going gluten free, it is important to keep in mind the types of food you eat. Reading the nutrition facts for all the food you consume is important in order to eat a healthy and balanced diet.

However people who make a major dietary changes often do not account for the other nutrients, such as iron, fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C,  that their body needs to function. As stated by a  2013 article in Harvard Health Publications, going gluten-free when it’s not needed can lead to significant dietary deficiencies.

Dr. Leffler, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and the director of clinical research of the Celiac Center at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, said, “The average American diet is deficient in fiber; take away whole wheat [a major dietary source of fiber that contains gluten] and the problem gets worse.”

Gluten accounts for nearly 50 percent of the fiber found in flour. Cut out gluten completely out of your diet and you risk not consuming the total 28 grams of fiber recommended by the US Department of Agriculture (based on a 2,000 calorie diet).

Furthermore according to the Mayo Clinic, an unnecessary gluten-free diet may also lead to lower levels of iron, calcium, folate, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin which are all important to the functioning of a healthy body.

The message is clear: gluten is not the enemy!

For those who have celiac or a gluten sensitivity, there are other ways to achieve the daily recommendation of fiber as well as other necessary vitamins and minerals. For example, Udi’s a popular gluten-free brand, produces gluten free bread that contains 20 percent of the daily recommended intake of fiber (nearly 5 grams). But it is important to note that Udi’s gluten-free bread costs nearly $8.00 per package, and the packages are small, when ordinary bread costs about half that amount. Now try to imagine basing your entire diet around products that are nearly twice the cost of others. To say living gluten-free is financially straining is a complete understatement.

Despite this, a 2013 study conducted by a market research company named The NDP Group found 30 percent of adults were looking to cut back or be free of gluten. This percentage is the highest number of people to report having this goal since the poll began asking the question in 2009.

Clearly, this poll shows the developing trend of a gluten-free diet in our modern society. “People who are sensitive to gluten may feel better, but a larger portion will derive no significant benefit from the practice” said Dr. Leffler, “They’ll simply waste their money, because these products are expensive.”

But for nearly 3 million Americans diagnosed with celiac disease, this is just everyday life.

Celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune disease which means it is a disease passed down through generation to generation. Autoimmune diseases are caused by the production of either antibodies or lymphocytes to fight substances naturally present in the body. When someone with celiac disease eats gluten, their immune system begins to attack their small intestine. The immune system’s response in celiac disease involves the production of antibodies directed against tissue transglutaminase (tTG), an enzyme normally present in the small intestine. In celiac disease, the body produces two types of antibodies that attack tTG, immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG). When elevated amounts of IgA and IgG are found in a blood test, it is usually a strong indicator to doctors the individual might have celiac disease.

If the person continues to eat gluten then the villi, small fingerlike structures projecting inwards towards the small intestine that help promote nutrient absorption, will be damaged. If the villi are damaged then nutrients cannot be absorbed into the body creating another slew of health complications, many of which come in the form of excruciating cramps and fatigue.

The difference between someone who has celiac disease and someone who has gluten sensitivity is the person with gluten sensitivity will not experience damage to their small intestine. Typically those with gluten sensitivities only experience the symptoms that come with eating gluten and having celiac disease, such as fatigue, weight loss, and abdominal pain.

Because celiac disease is hereditary, the CDF, the Celiac Disease Foundation, predicts people with a first-degree relative with celiac disease, such as a parent, sibling, or child, have a one in ten risk of developing celiac disease. The CDF also estimates one in one hundred people are affected by celiac world wide and two and one-half million Americans remain undiagnosed and are at risk for severe health complications.

The CDF stresses the importance of not self-diagnosing. “If you think you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, talk to your doctor about testing before you start a long-term gluten-free diet. This is the only way to ensure accurate test results and protect your long-term health.”

At the end of the day, the most important aspect of any dietary change is to listen to your body. If you think products containing gluten give cause bodily issues, then think about cutting gluten for a few weeks and see what happens. If you feel better, then you could have a gluten intolerance and should talk to your doctor and if you don’t, maybe you should look a different aspects of your diet and not waste your hard-earned money.