Research confirmed that a gluten-free diet is harmful to the health of people who don't suffer from celiac disease

Gluten-free diets have become fashionable in the last few years, but new research suggests they could be bad for your health. They analysed data from 64,714 female and 45,303 male US health professionals with no history of coronary heart disease and found that, over a 26-year follow-up, consuming foods containing gluten had no significant association with the risk of heart disease. Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow have spoken about going gluten free (Yui Mok/PA)But their study found no significant association between gluten intake and the risk of heart disease. The team from Harvard Medical School and Columbia University assessed the relationship between gluten and the risk of chronic conditions such as coronary heart disease. "The promotion of gluten-free diets among people without coeliac disease should not be encouraged."Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat, barley and rye.




And it is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, which is reduced after treatment with a gluten-free diet. Thousands of people who follow a gluten-free diet but do not have coeliac disease could be harming their health, experts have warned. The researchers say the promotion of gluten-free diets among people without coeliac disease should be discouraged. Long term dietary intake of gluten among people without coeliac disease is not associated with risk of coronary heart disease. Consumption of gluten and development of coronary heart disease was monitored over this 26-year period.



"The promotion of gluten-free diets for the purpose of coronary heart disease prevention among asymptomatic people without celiac disease should not be recommended," the scientists reiterated. Consuming gluten over the long term wasn't associated with any risk of coronary heart disease. One of the world's most prestigious medical journals has published the results of a 41-year study into gluten intake, and the results are eye-opening. That was because avoiding gluten could result in a low intake of whole grains that are associated with healthy heart benefits. They worked out the quantity of gluten – a protein found in grains, specially wheat, that gives dough its elastic texture – the participants consumed.


collected by :Lucy William