Nutrition

Going Gluten-free Could Be Bad For You

6th May 2017

By Harriet Mallinson | Published on May 6, 2017


Anyone who’s been trying to steer clear of bread and pasta in a bid to eradicate gluten from their diet can breathe a sigh of relief.

New research has proved that, contrary to what the clean eating advocates have been telling us, limiting whole grains as part of a low-gluten diet can be very bad for you.

A Harvard Medical School study of more than 100,000 men and women revealed that such a diet choice may increase the risk of heart disease in people who do not have celiac disease.

“Gluten is clearly harmful for people with celiac disease,” said lead author, Benjamin Lebwohl, director of clinical research in the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. “But popular diet books, based on anecdotal and circumstantial evidence, have pushed the notion that a low-gluten diet is healthy for everyone.

“Our findings show that gluten restriction has no benefit, at least in terms of heart health, for people without celiac disease. In fact, it may cause some harm if they follow a low-gluten diet that is particularly low in whole grains, because those grains appear to have a protective effect against heart disease.”

 

– RELATED: Salt In Food Is Causing 14,000 Unnecessary Deaths Every Year –

 

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, causes inflammation of the small intestine, preventing the absorption of nutrients. Over time, celiac disease can lead to other health issues, including heart disease, anemia, and osteoporosis.

It is estimated to affect about 1 in 100 Americans while others have a condition called non-celiac gluten sensitivity, in which gluten triggers some symptoms in the absence of celiac disease. In both cases, however, the problem but can be effectively treated with a gluten-free diet.

“Despite the relatively low prevalence of celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, surveys suggest that about one-third of Americans are trying to cut down on gluten,” said Dr. Lebwohl. “This certainly benefits companies that sell gluten-free products but does it benefit the public?

“We decided to look at heart disease because it’s a leading killer, and because it’s generally understood that heart health can be affected by diet,” he added.

However, the researchers found that there was no association between gluten intake and risk of coronary heart disease.

Senior investigator, Andrew Chan, concluded: “Based on our data, recommending a low-gluten diet solely for the promotion of heart health does not appear warranted.”

 

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