Why limiting your gluten intake could be beneficial to your health

As you stroll through the grocery store, you might have noticed an increasing selection of 'Gluten-Free' (GF) products. This only came to my attention when I finally realized that all the gastrointestinal discomfort I have been suffering for years was as a result of a gluten intolerance. Luckily most people do not have this problem, however emerging research is showing the potential risks of gluten for everyone (not just those who are allergic, intolerant or have celiac disease).

Studies suggest that a gluten-free diet during pregnancy and early childhood could reduce the risk of diabetes in children. This is particularly noteworthy given the global surge in diabetes cases. Gluten, a protein found in wheat and other grains, may play a detrimental role in chronic inflammation and autoimmune diseases. Research indicates that gluten can contribute to increased intestinal permeability, commonly known as 'leaky gut', which can trigger a pro-inflammatory immune response (Auricchio et al., 2022; Soares et al., 2013). This condition is increasingly being linked to a variety of health issues, including autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and even mood disorders like depression (Hansen et al., 2014).

The connection between gluten and neurodegenerative diseases is also gaining attention. Preliminary research points to a possible link between gluten and conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, particularly in genetically susceptible individuals. By the age of 36 months, infants predisposed to Celiac Disease (CD) exhibit a correlation between gluten consumption and increased inflammatory markers in the blood, indicating that early consumption of gluten can lead to earlier presentation of the disease (De Punder et al., 2013; Soares et al., 2013).

While it's true that not everyone needs to eliminate gluten, particularly in the absence of conditions like Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis or celiac disease, animal studies suggest that gluten can exacerbate inflammation and intestinal permeability leading to these diseases. Moreover, many individuals with irritable bowel syndrome report improvements when following a GF diet, highlighting the need for more comprehensive research in this area (Philip et al., 2022).

In conclusion, there's growing evidence to suggest that limiting gluten could be a wise choice, especially for those with a genetic predisposition to certain health conditions and so it may be useful to cut gluten out of your diet for a limited time and see how your body responds.

References

Auricchio, R., Calabrese, I., Galatola, M., Cielo, D., Carbone, F., Mancuso, M., Matarese, G., Troncone, R., Auricchio, S. and Greco, L., 2022. Gluten consumption and inflammation affect the development of celiac disease in at-risk children. Scientific reports, 12(1), p.5396.

De Punder, K. and Pruimboom, L., 2013. The dietary intake of wheat and other cereal grains and their role in inflammation. Nutrients, 5(3), pp.771-787.

Hansen, C.H.F., Krych, Ł., Buschard, K., Metzdorff, S.B., Nellemann, C., Hansen, L.H., Nielsen, D.S., Frøkiær, H., Skov, S. and Hansen, A.K., 2014. A maternal gluten-free diet reduces inflammation and diabetes incidence in the offspring of NOD mice. Diabetes, 63(8), pp.2821-2832.

Philip, A. and White, N.D., 2022. Gluten, inflammation, and neurodegeneration. American journal of lifestyle medicine, 16(1), pp.32-35.

Weaver, K.N. and Herfarth, H., 2021. Gluten‐Free Diet in IBD: Time for a Recommendation?. Molecular nutrition & food research, 65(5), p.1901274.

Soares, F.L.P., de Oliveira Matoso, R., Teixeira, L.G., Menezes, Z., Pereira, S.S., Alves, A.C., Batista, N.V., de Faria, A.M.C., Cara, D.C., Ferreira, A.V.M. and Alvarez-Leite, J.I., 2013. Gluten-free diet reduces adiposity, inflammation and insulin resistance associated with the induction of PPAR-alpha and PPAR-gamma expression. the Journal of nutritional Biochemistry, 24(6), pp.1105-1111.