It's estimated that only one per cent of people in the Western world have celiac disease, the clinically-defined intolerance of gluten that causes inflammation and intestinal damage.
An estimated more than 12 per cent of people follow gluten-free diets, however, either because they are "gluten sensitive" or they have a misguided opinion that gluten is somehow bad for your health. One US survey in 2013 even found that up to 30 per cent of adults actively try to avoid gluten.
"The promotion of gluten-free diets among people without celiac disease should not be encouraged," say the Harvard scientists in their study. "The avoidance of gluten may result in reduced consumption of beneficial whole grains, which may affect cardiovascular risk."
However, gluten-free food on its own is not necessarily bad for you. Yes, it often contains highly-processed ingredients in lieu of gluten. But there are some healthy options available (e.g. some gluten-free bread and similar items) if you look at nutritional panels closely enough.
What is unhealthy, Harvard scientists believe, is omitting heart-healthy grains such as whole grain bread and oats from your diet.
This study, released this week, looked at coronary-related deaths amongst a group of 100,000 people and found that those who ate such grains were less likely to die of heart disease or a related death.
To date, most research on gluten and heart health has focussed on celiac patients. It is generally agreed that the pro-inflammatory effect of gluten on these people increases their cardiac risk. Outside of that, there is no solid research that gluten can be harmful to the cardiovascular health of others.
The gluten-free trend has often piggy-backed on the scientific observation that foods containing gluten are often high in glycemic index (GI), e.g. refined products such as white bread. It is such unhealthy products that have been linked to cardiovascular and other risks, and research confirming this is one of the reasons the gluten-free industry has been able to thrive in the last decade.
Whole grain intake, however, has been found to be inversely associated with coronary risk and cardiovascular mortality, Harvard's researchers say.
The dietary fibre from whole grains is the most beneficial part of these foods for your health: it can help improve blood cholesterol levels, and lower risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Whole grains have also shown to be beneficial in weight management and also contain protein.
Although the mechanism for it remains uncertain, Harvard scientists do not deny that gluten intake causes gastrointestinal symptoms for some non-celiac people.
For those who don't want to be uncomfortable, gassy, or experience diarrhoea or other ailments with gluten consumption, it is possible to get the benefits of whole grains from non-wheat sources such as brown rice-derivative foods.
/Stuff/
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