gluten-free diet may hurt gut fl ora and immune function, potentially precipitating an overgrowth of harmful intestinal bacteria for those on gluten- free diets. The gluten components that cause problems for the wheat-sensitive may act as prebiotics and feed good bacteria for the rest of us, says Greger. “Wheat bran contains the important
wheat-based prebiotic arabino-xylan- oligosaccharide,” explains Case Adams, a Morro Bay, California, naturopath and author of The Gluten Cure: Scientifi cally Proven Natural Solutions to Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivities. “It feeds the probiotics that produce enzymes which help break down gluten and gliadin proteins.” Researchers from Pennsylvania’s
University of Reading conducted multiple studies showing that arabino-xylan- oligosaccharide derived from wheat bran increases benefi cial bifi dobacteria populations in the guts of humans. It is disappointing that a number of highly publicized studies done on celiac patients have been inappropriately applied to the general population, notes Adams.
Gluten may also boost immune function. In a study published in the journal Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, researchers found that after less than a week on a diet with added gluten protein, subjects experienced signifi cantly increased natural killer cell activity, which could improve their ability to fi ght cancer and viral infections. An earlier study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that high-gluten bread improved triglyceride levels better than regular gluten bread. Plus, Greger says, avoiding gluten means missing out on all the fi ber, B vitamins, trace minerals and other nutrients from whole grains like wheat, barley and rye. A whole-grain-rich diet has been repeatedly shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and some forms of cancer in studies from such institutions as the University of Minnesota and Lund University, in Sweden. “Most gluten-free processed foods are not made with nutrient-rich, health-protecting whole grains,” adds Katherine Tallmadge, a Washington, D.C., registered dietitian, nutrition
coach and author of Diet Simple. Ingredients such as potato starch and cornstarch with little nutritional value typically help take the place of wheat fl our. “The gluten-free label has little to do with nutritional value.” French fries and many candies, for example, are naturally gluten-free.
Impact of Self-Diagnosis Self-diagnosing a gluten issue can delay a doctor’s accurate assessment, cautions Greger. “We diagnose celiac by looking for the infl ammation caused by gluten in celiac sufferers. If they haven’t been eating a lot of gluten, we might miss diagnosing the disease. Thus, instead of being on a gluten-free diet, we want celiac suspects to be on a gluten-loaded diet, such as four to six slices of gluten-packed bread daily for at least a month before they come in for a diagnostic exam.”
Studies are ongoing and information continues to evolve regarding the pluses and minuses of a gluten-free diet.
Judith Fertig writes food health articles and cookbooks from Overland Park, KS (
JudithFertig.com).
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The Franz Center January 2017 27
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