Gluten-free diets are lifesaving for children with celiac disease, but for those without the illness, the risks of the suddenly-popular diet outweigh any benefits, says a U.S. specialist in a new editorial.
Dr. Norelle R. Reilly, a pediatric gastroenterologist from New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center warns in a commentary in The Journal of Pediatrics that gluten-free diets offer no benefits to those who don’t need them.
In fact, she says, the diets might even contribute to nutritional deficiencies and obesity.
Dr. Reilly says many parents have developed the misconception that a gluten-free diet “is a healthy lifestyle choice with no disadvantages.” But she says many gluten-free products aren’t that healthy at all.
“Gluten-free packaged foods frequently contain a greater density of fat and sugar than their gluten-containing counterparts,” she writes. That may be why many people who start gluten-free diets later become overweight or develop obesity and insulin resistance.
As well, gluten-free products are often not fortified with B vitamins, folate, and iron, which could lead to nutritional deficiencies.
There’s been an explosive growth of gluten-free products on the market, with most consumers have no medical reason to choose them.
While there hasn’t been much research on what motivates healthy people to go gluten-free, one study in 2015 found the most common response for choosing a gluten-free diet was “no reason."
She says there is also a belief that a gluten-free diet will relieve kids’ stomach issues or prevent celiac disease. But for those without celiac disease or a wheat allergy, there are no proven health benefits, she writes.
What’s more, adopting a gluten-free diet without seeing a doctor first could hinder an actual diagnosis of celiac disease.
Reilly says there are no data to support the misconception that gluten is somehow “toxic,” nor is there any evidence that kids who have parents or siblings with celiac disease need to eat a gluten-free diet as well.
Reilly notes a few other potential consequences of going on a gluten-free diet unnecessarily. One is financial, since gluten-free foods tend to be more expensive than their regular counterparts. There are also social consequences, since many who choose the diet report feeling isolated and excluded in certain social situations.
For all these reasons, she says the diet “may carry more risk than benefit for children.”
She adds doctors should have discussions with patients choosing gluten-free diets to ensure they understand the lack of proven benefits, the potential risks, and the myths about gluten.
“Health care providers may not be able to end the gluten-free diet fad,” she writes, “but they can certainly begin to play a larger role in educating patients, excluding CD, and preventing nutritional deficiencies in those choosing to stay gluten-free.”
