Delete the Wheat - Blog

Highlighting National Geographic Feb. 2025 Article “Is gluten really that bad for you? Here’s what happens when you stop eating it” by Christina Heiser

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I was honored to be among those interviewed for this Feb 2025 article in National Geographic magazine. Gluten is not inherently unhealthy UNLESS you have a medical reason for avoiding it, such as celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity or a wheat allergy. Some people with irritable bowel syndrome report reduced gastrointestinal symptoms on the gluten-free diet though “the improvement is usually partial and not complete” per Ciaran Kelly, MD, a celiac gastroenterologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

For those who must follow a gluten-free diet, I recommend combining the gluten-free diet with the world-renowned, highly awarded, anti-inflammatory Mediterranean diet/lifestyle for the optimal healthy diet.

Read the whole article here.

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Melinda Dennis, MS, RDN

Hi! I was diagnosed with celiac disease and Dermatitis Herpetiformis (an associated skin rash) in 1992 when celiac disease was considered to be rare. Following my passion for teaching, I received my MS in Nutrition and Health Promotion from Simmons College in Boston, MA, completed my clinical internship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and in 2004 co-founded the Celiac Center as the Nutrition Coordinator and a research co-investigator where I work today.

I enjoy lecturing nationally and internationally and have written extensively on the nutritional management of celiac disease, including the award-winning book Real Life with Celiac Disease: Troubleshooting and Thriving Gluten Free. I am lead author and editor of the comprehensive nutrition and medical website: celiacnow.org and served two terms as the first dietitian Councilor at Large for the North American Society for the Study of Celiac Disease.

I now serve as Executive Committee Member of the Celiac Research Program at Harvard Medical School. and as Senior Nutritionist Consultant to the National Celiac Association.

I've been interviewed by NPR, US News and World Report, Today's Dietitian, Boston Magazine, AARP, Eating Well, the Harvard Health Letter, the Boston Globe, the LA Times, WCVB TV Boston, Fox News, and numerous radio stations and gluten-free magazines. It's been my pleasure to work with many patients and multiple gluten-free companies to advance the awareness of gluten-related disorders. Click here to access links to various interviews and articles.

Banner Photo: Courtesy of Newton Community Farm, MA