Putting kids on gluten-free diets even if they
don't have celiac disease or a wheat allergy may carry more risks than
benefits, experts warned.
In recent years, gluten-free diets have become
increasingly popular. A 2015 survey found that 25 percent of Americans said
they consume some gluten-free foods, up from just 8 percent in 2013, according
to the market research company Mintel Group.
However, celiac disease (CD), the immune
condition that makes people sick if they eat gluten, is very rare. Less than 1
percent of people in the United States have celiac disease.
Some people who start a gluten-free diet may have
misconceptions about gluten, or not be aware that the diet can come with risks,
according to a new commentary paper in The Journal of Pediatrics.
"Out of concern for their children's health,
parents sometimes place their children on a gluten-free diet in the belief that
it relieves symptoms, can prevent CD or is a healthy alternative, without prior
testing for CD or consultation with a dietitian," said Dr. Norelle R.
Reilly, author of the commentary and a pediatric gastroenterologist at Columbia
University Medical Center in New York. [9 Snack Foods: Healthy or Not?]
But the perception that a gluten-free diet is
healthy in and of itself is a myth. There's no scientific evidence that a
gluten-free diet brings health benefits to people who don't have celiac
disease, wheat allergy or nonceliac gluten sensitivity, the commentary said.
(Nonceliac gluten sensitivity may affect up to 6 percent of people and involves
gastrointestinal symptoms that are specifically induced by gluten.)
What's more, a gluten-free diet can come with
risks, particularly if people follow the diet without speaking with a doctor or
dietitian first, Reilly said.
Gluten-free packaged foods are often higher in
fat and sugar than are products that contain gluten, and studies have found
that some people become obese or overweight after starting a gluten-free diet,
the commentary said.
In addition, many gluten-free foods are not
fortified with vitamins and minerals, and so following a gluten-free diet may
lead to nutritional deficiencies, Reilly said.
Some people may think that a gluten-free diet can
prevent celiac disease in children, but studies haven't found a link between
when children start eating gluten and their risk of celiac disease. "There
is no evidence to support a [gluten-free diet] for asymptomatic children without
CD, or for delaying gluten introduction to infants to prevent CD," the
commentary said.
Gluten-free products also tend to be more
expensive than products that contain gluten, and people who must follow a
gluten-free diet sometimes report feeling socially isolated because of their
diet, the commentary said.
"Parents should be counseled as to the
possible financial, social and nutritional consequences of unnecessary
implementation of a gluten-free diet" in children, Reilly said
.
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