7 Healthcast: "South Beach Diet" creator says gluten-free diet has health benefits

It didn't take long for his nurse practitioner Clarissa Gregory to notice a dramatic difference in her acid reflux.

"Dr. Agatston said just try to for two weeks and I'm somewhat of a skeptic but I felt so badly I said let me try it and literally within two days, it was unbelievable," she said.

Lean protein, nuts, beans and plenty of vegetables, that's phase one of The South Beach Diet.

No wheat products for the first two weeks.

That caused more than weight loss for some dieters.

"One of our patients who went on phase one primarily for weight loss had horrible psoriasis and was about to go on a very toxic medication to clear it , and on the first phase of the diet which is wheat free her psoriasis completely disappeared." said Agatston.

There are a growing number of gluten-free bread, pastas and other products on the market.

To avoid gaining weight, Agatston recommends avoiding items made with white rice and sugar.

He also points out that gluten intolerance affects children as well.

He advises if your child has stomach issues, skin problems or allergies, talk with the pediatrician about a gluten free trial to see if symptoms improve.

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