Check out this answer from Consensus:
Gluten is not inherently unhealthy for the general population. However, for individuals with celiac disease, avoiding gluten is crucial. Gluten-free diets, while necessary for managing CD, can lead to nutritional deficiencies and other health issues if not carefully managed. For those without CD, there is no substantial evidence to support the need for a gluten-free diet. Instead, a balanced diet that includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins is recommended for optimal health.
Gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, has become a topic of significant debate in recent years. While it is essential for individuals with celiac disease to avoid gluten, the broader implications of gluten consumption for the general population remain contentious. This article explores whether gluten is unhealthy by examining the nutritional and health impacts of gluten and gluten-free diets.
Gluten and Celiac Disease
Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. The only effective treatment for CD is a lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD)1 2 3. However, the necessity of a GFD for individuals without CD is less clear.
Nutritional Deficiencies in Gluten-Free Diets
Several studies have highlighted potential nutritional deficiencies associated with GFDs. Gluten-free products often lack essential nutrients such as fiber, iron, vitamin D, vitamin B12, folate, magnesium, zinc, and calcium1 2 4 7. This is primarily because many gluten-free products are made from refined flours and starches, which are lower in these nutrients compared to their gluten-containing counterparts.
Fiber and Macronutrient Imbalance
A GFD can lead to a lower intake of dietary fiber, which is crucial for digestive health. Additionally, gluten-free products tend to have higher levels of saturated and hydrogenated fats, which can increase the glycemic index and glycemic load of meals1 4 7. This imbalance can contribute to various health issues, including cardiovascular diseases.
Health Implications of Gluten-Free Diets
While a GFD is essential for managing CD, its adoption by individuals without CD has raised concerns. Some studies suggest that a GFD may increase the risk of obesity due to higher fat intake and lower fiber consumption4 5. However, other research indicates that a GFD does not necessarily lead to overweight or obesity, especially when a balanced diet is maintained5 10.
Cardiovascular Risk
The long-term health effects of a GFD on cardiovascular risk factors are still under investigation. Some studies have raised concerns about potential micronutrient deficiencies and increased exposure to toxins such as arsenic, which could elevate cardiovascular risk3.
Safety and Nutritional Quality of Gluten-Free Products
The safety and nutritional quality of gluten-free products are critical for individuals with CD. The inclusion of pseudo-cereals like amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, sorghum, and teff can help improve the nutritional profile of a GFD7 9. These grains are naturally gluten-free and can provide essential nutrients that are often lacking in standard gluten-free products.
Oats in Gluten-Free Diets
The inclusion of oats in a GFD has been a topic of debate. Studies have shown that pure, uncontaminated oats can be safely included in a GFD without adverse effects on symptoms, histology, immunity, or serologic features of patients with CD6. However, the quality of evidence is low, and more rigorous studies are needed.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Frank Kneepkens has answered Extremely Unlikely
An expert from VU Universit Medical Center in Gastroenterology, Pediatrics
No, gluten is not unhealthy, on the contrary. As you will know, gluten is an important component of wheat and related cereals. It is a complex of proteins with ‘sticky’ properties that is essential for bread to rise and obtain its lightness. Wheat is part of the human diet for tens of thousands of years, and our predecessors were thriving on it.
There is one important exception: gluten is toxic for people with celiac disease, who count for approximately 1% of the general population. Celiac disease is an auto-immune condition in which the patient’s immune system behaves as if gluten is health-threatening and should be attacked. Doing so, it also destroys the small bowel lining, causing the patient to become ill. Celiac disease confines itself to those people who have special types of immune defence, known as HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8.
In general, the right investigations enable celiac disease to be proven or excluded with certainty. Yet, many people have the impression that gluten makes them ill, despite the fact that they do not have celiac disease. This condition, usually referred to as ‘non-celiac gluten sensitivity’ or NCGS, cannot be diagnosed or excluded with certainty. It has many things in common with irritable bowel syndrome, a very common condition.
There is growing interest in the possibility that certain groups of carbohydrates (i.e. not proteins, such as gluten), often referred to as FODMAPs (fermentable oligo-, di- and monosaccharides and polyols), induce the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and also NCGS. In a scientific article put on line in December 2017 by the authoritative medical journal Gastroenterology, the authors provide evidence that NCGS is not caused by gluten, but by another component of bread, namely fructans, one of the FODMAPs. So there is nothing wrong with gluten, but there is growing evidence that wheat-containing products, such as bread, may induce symptoms in people with NCGS because they are sensitive, not to gluten, but to fructans and possibly other FODMAPs.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Luud Gilissen has answered Unlikely
An expert from Wageningen University and Research Centre in Nutrition
Gluten causes celiac disease in ~1% of the population globally. Further, ~0.2% of the population may suffer from wheat allergy in which omega-5 gliadin (one of the gluten proteins) may play a causative role; in general, food allergies to (gluten containing) cereals are rare. During the last decade, a new condition seems to develop: non-celiac wheat/gluten sensitivity (NCGWS). This condition is largely based on self-diagnosis of higher educated women of 30-55 years old. A causative role of gluten has been excluded in NCWGS; maybe other wheat compounds are involved. A correlation may exist with the occurrence of IBS. To find this out, we recently started our ‘Well on Wheat?’ (WoW) project (prof Fred Brouns, University Maastricht is project leader; Cc) (www.um-eatwell.nl/wow/). Much epidemiologic research has been done over the last years clearly showing the evidence-based benefits of whole grain consumption, including whole grain wheat, in the prevention of several chronic diseases. Therefore, the Health Council of the Netherlands deliberately stimulates the daily consumption of at least 90 grams of wholemeal (wheat) bread or other wholegrain (gluten-containing) products in its recent ‘Dutch dietary guideline 2015’.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Glenn Gaesser has answered Unlikely
An expert from Arizona State University in Nutrition
Gluten is only an issue for people with celiac disease (~1% of US population), who must avoid gluten, and for people who have non-celiac gluten sensitivity (no accurate estimates available). The latter may have intestinal issues with gluten-containing foods, but this may be due to non-digestible carbs causing GI distress, not gluten per se. Otherwise, gluten poses no issues for the vast majority of the population. There may be unintended consequences of avoiding gluten. People on gluten-free diets consume fewer whole grains, and whole grain consumption is associated with lower risk of several chronic diseases. Also people on gluten-free diets have been reported to have higher levels of arsenic and mercury in their blood and urine. This may be a result of consuming more products made with rice flour, which contains higher levels of these toxic metals compared to wheat. So unless someone has a genuine medical reason for avoiding gluten, avoiding it may be hazardous to ones health.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Samuel Igbinedion has answered Unlikely
An expert from Louisiana State University in Gastroenterology, Nutrition, Hepatology, Medicine
Gluten is found in several substances, most notably in wheat. Gluten avoidance has become popular recently as it has been poorly mislabeled as unhealthy for the body. People who have gluten intolerance which can range from people with wheat allergy, celiac disease to other causes such as irritable bowel syndrome or the less known non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), should avoid gluten containing foods. However in the general population without these conditions, gluten can be very beneficial.
Newer research has shown that gluten consumption can lead to a decreased risk of developing Diabetes Mellitus. Further research has also shown that it can also decrease your risk of developing coronary artery disease. These are very healthy benefits that should not be disregarded.
The pathobiology of how gluten affects people with gluten intolerance is very interesting. In Celiac disease, the individual mounts an adaptive immune response to the exposure to gluten. In NCGS however, the response mounted to gluten is deemed to be an innate immune response. Gluten can also incite “gut dysbiosis” in people with these conditions which can lead to intestinal and systemic inflammation causing symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, headache, anxiety etc. Identifying NCGS is key as this is the population subset that likely reports “unhealthy” effects of gluten. Research is still needed in accurately diagnosing this condition. In people without these conditions, gluten is tolerated well and they don’t report disabling symptoms. They can reap the healthy benefits of a gluten containing diet.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Prof Reza Malekzadeh has answered Unlikely
An expert from University of Tehran in Gastroenterology, Medicine, Oncology
Gluten is a ‘sticky’ complex of proteins in Wheat and has been one of the major component of human diet for centuries. Gluten is of course not safe for 1% of world population who have celiac disease. More recently gluten intolerance has been reported in people without celiac disease and this condition is described as “non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Gastrointestinal signs and in a group of patients labelled as IBS seem to be improved after exclusion of gluten from their diet. Except for these groups of people otherwise gluten is safe and is not toxic.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Lionel Fry has answered Unlikely
An expert from Imperial College London in Pharmacology
Gluten is not unhealthy to those who do not have celiac disease.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Casey Pfluger has answered Extremely Unlikely
An expert from University of Queensland in Neurobiology, Neurology
If you do not have celiac disease (allergic reaction to gluten proteins) or gluten intolerance (inability to digest gluten proteins) then gluten is not bad for your health.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Amy Brown has answered Unlikely
An expert from University of Hawaii in Nutrition
Gluten is very unhealthy for those with gluten sensitivity (up to 6% of population; also known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS)) or celiac disease (1% of the population). A certain percentage of people with the following conditions may also react to gluten:
- Addison’s disease
- Allergic disease
- Autism (about 1/3 children; not all)
- Autoimmune liver disease
- Diabetes Type 1
- Down’s syndrome
- Eosinophilic esophagitis
- Infertility
- Psoriasis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Schizophrenia (actual recovery on gluten-free diet for a subset; not all)
- Selective IgA deficiency
- Sjögren’s syndrome
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Thyroid diseases – Autoimmune thyroiditis – Graves’s disease – Primary hypothyroidism
- Turner syndrome
- William’s syndrome
It is important to understand as a patient and a physician, that over 50% of people with celiac disease LACK gastrointestinal symptoms (listed below), but rather have extraintestinal symptoms (see list under gastrointestinal), and that 20% have NO symptoms at first. This may or may not be true for those with gluten sensitivity (no research to confirm yet). Gastrointestinal
- Nausea
- Gas
- Bloating
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Vomiting
- Increased risk of cancer of the intestine (adenocarcinoma), pharynx and esophagus, as well as non-Hodgkin lymphoma Malabsorption
- Fatigue or weakness
- Anemia
- Muscle cramps
- Bone or joint pain
- Arthritis
- Easy bruising
- Aphthous ulcers
- Dental enamel defects
- Weight loss
- Failure to thrive in infants/children
- Osteopenia/osteoporosis Reproductive
- Late menarche/early menopause
- Infertility
- Miscarriages Skin & joint
- Irritation
- Dermatitis herpetiformis
- Arthritis Neurological
- Concentration and memory problems
- Headaches or migraine (may be due to cerebral calcifications; reverses with gluten-free diet)
- Mood swings or depression
- Seizures
- Cerebral ataxia (damage or degeneration of nerve cells in the part of the brain controlling muscle coordination resulting in lack of coordination; 60% have MRI evidence of cerebellar atrophy)
- Peripheral neuropathy
If gluten is the cause for the above symptoms, then a gluten-free diet would eliminate the symptoms. “Strict adherence to a gluten-free diet should be emphasized to celiac disease patients. They may possibly avoid some of the more serious side effects such as infertility, premature births, cancer, autoimmune-related conditions and brain calcification. Both celiac disease and gluten-sensitive patients should be informed of these side effects, but the latter should be told that research has not yet confirmed if they too are susceptible.” However, if any of these symptoms do affect those with gluten sensitivity, then gluten would be considered very harmful for these susceptible individuals and they should be made aware of the possible risks that have not yet been confirmed by research as gluten sensitivity is a relatively new condition in the medical and research world.
Source: Brown AC. Gluten sensitivity: problems of an emerging condition separate from celiac disease. Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 6(1):43-55, 2012.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Kim Faulkner-Hogg has answered Unlikely
An expert from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Nutrition
Until more is known about the causes of the wide array of symptoms attributed to wheat intolerance, reduction of wheat is only one way of reducing symptoms FOR SOME PEOPLE.
Wheat and gluten grains have many other nutrients and fibre components that are beneficial for good health, so they should not be classified as unhealthy across the board…. While there is no doubt that people with Coeliac Disease need to strictly avoid gluten; Dermatitis Herpetiformis, Wheat Allergy, Bakers Asthma and Wheat Dependant Exercise Induced Anaphylaxis, are other conditions where components of the wheat proteins have been proven to trigger disease.
Diagnosis and management of avoidance of wheat or gluten, is unique to these conditions and the person experiencing them. Non-Coeliac Gluten Sensitivity or self-reported wheat intolerances, has been coined for people generally attributing decreased quality of life to gluten or wheat induced intestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms, (as listed previously).
To date medical science struggles with identifying the underlying cause of the list of symptoms being reported. The group from Monash University propose that wheat fructo-oligosaccharides (part of the carbohydrate fibre structure of the wheat) and not gluten protein, is the symptom trigger, but other researchers (Di Sabitini et al) report capsules of pure gluten as triggers for similar symptoms. In 1999 my Unit published a paper showing that natural and added food chemicals provoked a range of gastrointestinal, central nervous system, skin and respiratory reactions, and in the new century there are many publications indicating that fermentable sugars (FODMAPs) may also provoke a variety of lower gut symptoms. Both of these food elimination and testing protocols suggest that only some people have a reduction in symptoms when wheat is removed from the diet, but very few people become completely well from wheat exclusion alone.
As science has yet to determine the underlying mechanism and wheat has not been shown to do physical harm in this instance, a reduction in wheat/gluten intake is the advice suggested, not total avoidance. Too often the message of total avoidance for coeliac disease or wheat allergy becomes mistakenly applied to wheat intolerance.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Jennifer Harrison Elder has answered Unlikely
An expert from University of Florida in Nursing
gluten is unhealthy to those who have an identified allergy to gluten. There is speculation that there may be many more with sensitivities who are not aware of them. The recommendation is that if you suspect a gluten sensitivity you can implement a gluten elimination diet where gluten is totally eliminated and gradually reintroduced to assess sensitivity.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Rafael Franco has answered Extremely Unlikely
An expert from Universitat de Barcelona in Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, Antioxidants, Nutrition, Pharmacology, Asthma, Cell Biology, Biochemistry
Gluten is “bad” for individuals with allergy to gluten.
Gluten has been with mammals, including humans, for centuries and centuries. Bakeries are among the most popular “shops” all around the world. If it is bad we all should be dead by now.
I use to say that even water may be considered bad because you may die in the Sea or in a swinngpool or unhealthy because if you drink pure water only you will die.
In summary there is no sense to state as a general rule that gluten is “unhealthy”
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Rebecca Dewey has answered Extremely Unlikely
An expert from The University of Nottingham in Neuroimaging, Neuroscience
Unless you have any symptoms or reason to think you may have a disorder that is exacerbated by gluten, then there is no reason to avoid it. Many gluten-free foods are higher calorie/fat/sugar than the “regular” version, and most contain more additives as the role gluten played in the food needs to be fulfilled or replaced somehow (i.e. by adding a gum or a glue or a raising agent) and many dietary specific foods are given longer shelf lives due to the nature of their demand, so they may contain more preservatives (or at the very least, come in more wasteful packaging).
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Sylvan Katz has answered Extremely Unlikely
An expert from University of Saskatchewan in Complex Systems Science
Not a known issue unless you have Celiac disease. Lots of hype and misinformation
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Jussi Loponen has answered Unlikely
An expert from University of Helsinki in Food Science
Gluten is harmful for people with celiac disease, but it is blamed for much more. There is an increasing evidence that gluten is not the trigger in non celiac gluten sensitivity. Therefore this condition should rather be called non celiac wheat sensitivity. There is no reason to go for gluten-free diet, if you are not sensitized to gluten or wheat. I am confident that plenty of research will prove this and please note that wheat is among the most sustainable crops we have on earth.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Paul Ernsberger has answered Extremely Unlikely
An expert from Case Western Reserve University in Pharmacology, Nutrition, Cardiology, Nephrology, Endocrinology, Obesity
Gluten is plant source of protein that has an overall positive role in human nutrition. True celiac disease is very rare and can be tested for easily by a blood test and clinical symptoms.
For non-celiacs, gluten free diets are not health promoting and re often deficient in fiber.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Iga Rybicka has answered Extremely Unlikely
An expert from Pozna? University of Economics and Business in Nutrition, Food Science
Gluten-free diet (GFD) is the only treatment for celiac disease, Dühring’s disease, gluten sensitivity, gluten or wheat allergy. It is often a supporting therapy for other diseases, like Hashimoto disease, autism, irritable bowel syndrome, but its effectiveness has not been proven yet. So the answer for this question, up to January 2018, is: “no, there is no reliable, scientific evidence that gluten is harmful to healthy individuals”. Most of the people decide for the GFD because of other than medical reasons, like trend, sub-objective better health or to support the member of the family. We are free people and we can do whatever we want. But when deciding for this diet, we need to be very rich (these products are several times more expensive than gluten products), well-educated in human nutrition (GFD is hard to balance due to high content of fat and low of carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals) and we are not food lovers (these products are often aroma- and tasteless). Moreover, gluten-free products are often heavily processed and full of different ingredients, also artifical food additives.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Tim Crowe has answered Extremely Unlikely
An expert from Thinking Nutrition in Nutrition
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and triticale. Sometimes gluten is found in oats. That’s because oats may have been processed with the same equipment as other grains that contain gluten. Coeliac Australia recommends that oats not be included as part of a gluten-free diet for someone with coeliac disease.
Gluten helps foods maintain their shape, acting as a natural ‘glue’ that holds food together. It also helps to give foods a soft chewy texture. Because of its unique physical properties, it is why gluten is frequently added to processed foods to improve texture.
The one condition where there is an indisputable reason to follow a gluten-free diet is coeliac disease. Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder characterised by inflammation of the small intestine. The inflammation is triggered in response to foods that contain gluten. On exposure to gluten, the finger-like projections which line the small intestine (called villi) become inflamed and flatten. This reduces the surface area of the intestines available for nutrient absorption leading to various malabsorption problems.
There is growing recognition that some people who do not have coeliac disease or a wheat allergy could still have a degree of sensitivity to gluten. These people can be described as having non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). But unlike coeliac disease which has a clear way to diagnose the disease, there is no medical test for NCGS.
After excluding coeliac disease or wheat allergy as a culprit, a ‘diagnosis’ of NCGS relies on self-reported symptoms. These symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and fatigue that come on following eating gluten-containing foods. It is not uncommon for a person to self-diagnose and self-treat themselves as having NCGS.
Whether NCGS is a real condition or not is still a matter of debate among experts. So far, only a small number of well-designed research has been conducted. The studies show mixed results in reproducing symptoms of gluten intolerance in controlled dietary trials. Several clinical trials have found that when someone with NCGS is given gluten (but is not aware of it), it is difficult to replicate the reported gastrointestinal symptoms.
Leading experts are now proposing that self-reported gluten sensitivity could just be a marker for dietary changes that reduce the number of other food components that can cause gastrointestinal problems. Called FODMAPs, these are different types of carbohydrates such as lactose, fructose, fructans and sugar alcohols that can cause irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) like symptoms in some people. Wheat contains FODMAPs, but so too do many other foods such as milk, pears, plums, onions, garlic, and legumes.
Are gluten-free diets healthy?
The growth in gluten-free products to meet the demand and interest in following a gluten-free diet is good news for people with coeliac disease. But for everyone else, the presence or absence of gluten in a food is not a reliable measure of the nutritional quality of that food.
Gluten-free products often have less protein and more added sugar than similar products made with gluten. One Australian study comparing gluten-free foods with matched gluten-containing foods found that gluten-free foods were not nutritionally superior to gluten-containing foods. So, choosing foods based on being gluten-free does not tell you a lot about the food.
Gluten-free foods are normally more expensive than similar foods containing gluten. Common price differences of at least double compared to gluten-containing products not unheard of. This can make following a gluten-free diet expensive. This is an expense a person does not need to bear if there is no medical reason for them to avoid gluten.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Alastair Ross has answered Unlikely
An expert from AgResearch in Nutrition, Food Science
With the obvious caveat of people with coeliac disease, people have tolerated including wheat, rye and barley as part of their diets for thousands of years, and these grains have been a key part of enabling the expansion of human civilisation. From a health research perspective, dozens of studies have flound that people who eat the most wholegrains (usually mostly wheat, oats or rye) have lower risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes compared to those who eat the least. Although this does not compare gluten to non-gluten, it is strong evidence that for most people eating gluten containing cereals is not unhealthy. There are people who find that they feel better when they avoid gluten-containing foods, which may be due to many factors, not all of which may be due to gluten. There is a class of antinutrients (chemicals producted by plants to protect themselves from pests) called wheat trypsin inhibitors which have recently attracted attention as being a possible reason behind what has been termed ‘wheat intolerance’. What receives little attention is that following a gluten-free diet can lead to decreased intake of several nutrients which are otherwise easily obtained from cereal-based foods. This is relevant especially for folate.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Ludovico Abenavoli has answered Extremely Unlikely
An expert from University Magna Graecia in Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Nutrition
Gluten free diet in non celiac people is actually popular, and supported in the media and social networks by gossip, VIP and market. The hypothesis is that a gluten free diet is useful to lose weight and to improve phisical performance. However, scientific data ara available. Its is important to highlight that a home-made gluten free diet without control, increase the risk of nutritional deficiencies. The consequences are dangerous not only for healthy, but especially worrisome for pregant women and young and older people.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Ismael San Mauro has answered Near Certain
An expert from Research Centers in Nutrition and Health in Nutrition, Food Science, Health, Genomics
Gluten could be a trigger to neuronal and digestive disease (via gut-brain axis and inflamation and leaky-Gut). We review in this articule about that: Can gluten contribute to degenerative and neuronal diseases? http://revistas.proeditio.com/jonnpr/article/view/918/pdf918 Best
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Guillermo Lopez Lluch has answered Extremely Unlikely
An expert from Universidad Pablo de Olavide in Cell Biology
No, it is not unhealthy. Gluten is only a protein that, for unknown reasons, produce immunological response in some subjects but for most of the human population, gluten is only another protein without any other relevance appart of its function as source of aminoacids as other proteins.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Karol Sestak has answered Near Certain
An expert from PreCliniTria in Immunology, Virology, Gastroenterology, Nutrition
Gluten (gliadin components) can certainly cause health issues in individuals with gluten sensitivities. There are several forms of gluten sensitivity from which the most studied and known is celiac disease. However, dietary gluten can also trigger allergic and non-celiac types of inflammations. Although non-celiac gluten sensitivity can also be triggered by other types of molecules than dietary gluten-derived gliadins, it is strongly suspected that gluten plays a role there as well. It is important to emphasize that level of sensitivity (immune reactivity) to dietary gluten consumption varies greatly among different individuals. Domestic animals (fed processed cereal grains) can also suffer with celiac and non-celiac forms of gluten sensitivity.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Umberto Laforenza has answered Extremely Unlikely
An expert from University of Pavia in Physiology
gluten is an important source of vegetable protein to be discouraged absolutely for celiac patients. For the rest, it is just about urban legends.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Elena Calandre has answered Extremely Unlikely
An expert from Universidad de Granada in Pharmacology, Gastroenterology
No gluten is by no means unhealthy; it should only by avoided by people suffering celiac disease of experiencing clearly proved non-celiac gluten sensitivity. There is an excessive concern with this and similar subjects in the web with people avoiding normal healthy foods in based on non scientifically proved allegations.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Anil K Verma has answered Unlikely
An expert from Università politecnica delle Marche in Gastroenterology
Gluten is a complex protein gives softness to wheat flour. It can not be considered as harmful. In some individuals (1 in 100) who are predisposed to an unique HLA allels (HLA DQ 2 and/or HLA DQ8) this gluten may handled differently from those who do not display HLA DQ allels. In these person (having HLA DQ allels) this gluten finally disturbs the normal structure of villous and causes an inflammation in intestine. Such individuals should undergo for some simple tests depending on the tests result, they may advised to eliminate gluten from their diet. Until they will not include gluten in their diet they will be as normal as anyone else. These individuals can even digest <20ppm of gluten. So this gluten may cause a problem in digestion but should not be considered as harmful. This condition takes place in one individual out of hundred worldwide.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Marco Paoloni has answered Unlikely
An expert from Sapienza Università di Roma in Medicine
Gluten is unhealty for people affected by celiac disease or gluten sensitivity or glten allergy. It’s a matter of fact, however, that gluten free diet are becoming more and more popular, mostly because of public opinions, often shared by means of media and social media. It must be considered, however, that there is a sub-group of patients in whom, even without a diagnosis of gluten-related pathology, a gluten-free diet carried out for transitional periods can lead to the disappearance of certain types of symptoms. These are mainly patients with multiple enthesopathies, mainly located in the lower limbs, without other apparent causes underlying the symptoms. Paoloni M, Tavernese E, Ioppolo F, Fini M, Santilli V. Complete remission of plantar fasciitis with a gluten-free diet: relationship or just coincidence? Foot (Edinb). 2014 Sep;24(3):140-2. doi: 10.1016/j.foot.2014.06.004
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Morten Dall has answered Unlikely
An expert from University of Copenhagen in Cell Biology, Physiology, Hepatology
Certain haplotypes are more sensitive towards the development of celiac disease, but for the majority of the population, to my knowledge no adverse effects of gluten have been identified. However, in patients in risk of type 1 diabetes development, a gluten-free diet might be beneficial. Type 1 diabetes patients have a high prevalence of gluten intolerance, but interestingly, a majority of cases reports type 1 diabetes prior to celiac disease development, indicating that a gluten-free diet could prevent the progression of type 1 diabetes development. Indeed, in both animal models for type 1 diabetes and in a local patient case study, very beneficial effects of gluten-free diet in preventing disease progression was reported. In animal models for type 1 diabetes, gluten-free diet feeding to the pregnant mother decreases diabetes development in the offspring. (some of the litterature is discussed in this research article: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0066474) If a similar relationship exists in humans, gluten intake might contribute to type 1 diabetes development (along with other factors – it must be stressed that gluten is NOT the sole contributor). For this reason, I rate it unlikely that gluten is unhealthy – most people will experience no adverse effects what so ever. But gluten intake in pregnant women and in susceptible individals might contribute to celiac disease development, and might also have a role in the development of autoimmune disease.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Valentina Leccioli has answered Unlikely
An expert from University of Pavia in Nutrition, Molecular Biology
Coeliac patients need to avoid gluten, and individuals with wheat allergy need to avoid wheat containing products, but according to recent scientific evidence, sympthoms in non coeliac gluten sensitive patients could instead be caused by other non-gluten proteins such as amylase trypsin inhibitors; furthermore, it has been proposed that a preexisting particular dysbiotic profile could contribute to the onset of the disease. It may be that gluten is not directly responsible for non coeliac gluten sensitivity, and certainly healthy individuals don’t need to avoid gluten.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Mauro Bozzola has answered Unlikely
An expert from University of Pavia in Paediatrics, Medicine
Gluten is unhealthy for subjects with specific diseases including gluten intolerance, allergic reaction to gluten and gluten-sensitivity, not for healthy people. The home-made gluten free diet without medical control could be often dangerous, particularly if prolonged. So, is not suitable.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Margaret Clagett-Dame has answered Extremely Unlikely
An expert from University of Wisconsin in Nutrition
Gluten is only unhealthy for those that have Celiac’s disease. Avoiding gluten otherwise may cause deficiencies in otherwise healthy people.
Is Gluten unhealthy?
Itamar Grotto has answered Extremely Unlikely
An expert from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Epidemiology, Biostatistics
There is no proven evidence in the scientific literature that found a casual link between gluten free diet and healthier results.