Amazon.com lists more than 15,000 entries for books on going gluten-free.

Clearly, GF is a major dietary trend.

But before YOU switch to a GF diet, ask yourself: Is gluten-free a smart move if you're one of the 93 percent to 98.5 percent of folks who can process gluten without problems?

And if you do need to go gluten-free (around 1.5 percent to 7 percent of North Americans are gluten-sensitive or have Celiac disease) are you short-changing yourself on essential nutrients?

An abundance of whole-grain options, such as quinoa (not really a grain, but it's lumped into the category nonetheless), amaranth, rice, buckwheat and millet, don't contain gluten.

We encourage everyone to try them, because they deliver loads of fiber and heart-lovin' nutrients!

And remember that fruits, veggies and lean proteins, like salmon and skinless poultry, are GF - and packed with the nutrients you need for a happy belly and for overall good health.

But if you skip those gluten-free 100 percent whole grains, fall for highly processed GF foods (there are lots of them!) and don't have 7-9 servings of fresh produce daily, going GF can shortchange you on vitamin B-12, calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium.

And you're wasting your money!

A recent study found that gluten-free products cost 240 percent more than comparable gluten-containing items.

So look online for good deals on gluten-free products that are also free of added sugars, syrups and saturated fat. You'll improve your digestion and overall health one tasty, healthful bite at a time.

© 2015 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.