Most people don’t need to avoid gluten. For the average healthy person, the best evidence points in the opposite direction: people who eat more whole grains tend to have lower inflammation biomarkers and lower all-cause mortality. And many of the most nutrient-dense, fiber-rich foods (whole wheat, barley, rye, sprouted grain breads) contain gluten. For those with celiac disease (or true non-celiac gluten sensitivity), gluten exposure can increase intestinal permeability, trigger immune activation, and drive GI symptoms. But for everyone else, going gluten-free often means replacing whole grains with more refined starches, and sometimes leaning heavily on rice-based products, which can raise exposure to arsenic. I think the fear around gluten has been largely misguided. A "gluten-free" label isn't an automatic health upgrade.