Stars including Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow, singer Miley Cyrus and tennis champion Novak Djokovic have all reportedly claimed to have benefited from ditching gluten and now scientists believe cutting it from your diet can reduce fatigue and boost energy levels. On the other hand, human beings generally have a lot to thank gluten for. It makes our bread light and springy, since it is able to trap steam and carbon dioxide as dough rises, and during baking.
A glance at internet searches over the years suggests that the rise of interest in gluten-free diets has little to do with a growing awareness of coeliac disease, and a lot to do with the popularity of "paleo" diets - the food movement that seeks to return humankind to the Stone Age, at least as far as diet is concerned.