The Clemson Pee Dee Research & Education Center recently completed a study revealing that a gluten-free diet might not be healthier than a diet including gluten unless someone follows the diet for allergy reasons.
The Pee Dee Research & Education Center is located in Florence, South Carolina. They aim to “foster economic stability and development by conducting research and education programs focused on traditional and new plant-based systems appropriate to the Pee Dee region of South Carolina,” according to its website.
There are various reasons why people may choose to follow a gluten-free diet or to limit their intake of gluten.
First and foremost, some people have celiac disease, where eating gluten damages their small intestine. Other people have a wheat allergy, where their body releases histamines to fight against the gluten. There is also nonceliac wheat sensitivity, in which people do not have celiac or a gluten allergy but still have extraintestinal symptoms.
For celiac disease, a wheat allergy or sensitivity, following a strict gluten-free diet is the only way to treat symptoms. However, other people without these medical conditions may try to eat only gluten-free foods due to a popular assumption that gluten-free foods are healthier.
Robert H. Shmerling at Harvard Medical School believes that the gluten-free diet gained popularity in recent years due to several factors, none of which are science-based.
People seem to think that avoiding gluten will reduce inflammation (since gluten causes inflammation for those with celiac disease) and that it’s simply a “good idea,” according to Shmerling in a 2022 report. Additionally, people are convinced by some celebrities promoting gluten-free lifestyles as well as marketing from “those selling gluten-free products or books about gluten-free diets.”
Researchers Sachin Rustgi, Tariq Alam and Gautam Saripalli tested 39 foods to see the difference between the gluten-free versions and the versions with gluten.
“Our study revealed that, on average, gluten-free products available to U.S. consumers contained significantly less protein and more sugar and calories than their counterparts that contain gluten,” Rustgi said to Clemson News.
People who unnecessarily cut out gluten may not be getting an adequate amount of nutritional benefits from their food. This may lead to “deficiencies and changes in body mass index,” according to Clemson News.
“Following a gluten-free diet that’s not medically prescribed can lead to the deterioration of gut health, including the reduction of beneficial bacteria. This reduction in beneficial bacteria can create an increase in harmful bacteria,” Alam said.
If beneficial bacteria are reduced, that limits the body’s ability to fight off diseases.
“Healthy individuals should always be aware of the health risks before adopting a gluten-free diet,” Saripalli added.
Additionally, it can be nearly impossible to completely eliminate any consumption of gluten. The Food and Drug Administration allows a gluten level of 20 mg/kg in products labeled as being gluten-free.
Unless someone has celiac disease or an allergy or sensitivity to wheat, following a strict gluten-free diet may do more harm than good.
A description of the full study can be found in Springer Nature’s “Gluten-free Diet, a Friend or a Foe, an American Perspective.”
