A new UK study has discredited the perception that following a gluten-free approach could help improve the health of people who do not suffer from celiac disease. Researchers have found that going gluten free offers zero health benefits to ‘lifestylers,’ or healthy people who avoid gluten as a choice. The study accedes the gluten-free diet (GFD) is the best treatment for clinical gluten sensitivity (celiac disease and non-celiac sensitivity) but found the consumption of gluten does not generate symptoms in the general population. Researchers from the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, the University of Sheffield and the University of Reading said their study is the first to use a double-randomized controlled trial to analyze the health benefits of the GFD. Thirty healthy adult volunteers were given two flour sachets to add to their diet twice daily for two weeks, while otherwise continuing their GFD. The researchers concluded gluten does not cause symptoms in individuals who do not have a physiological susceptibility to it – that is, most of the population.
Source: bakeryandsnacks.com
Lightbulb Moment: This isn’t news to the dietetics community but nice to see it in print. Steer clear of diet trends that villainize a food or food group, they inevitably backfire. Want to track gluten free trends going forward? That’s where Culinary Tides, Inc. comes in.