|
1000
|
Abstract/Summary
|
-
BACKGROUND: Despite the fact that the prevalence of celiac disease (CD), an autoimmune bowel disease triggered by gluten, has almost been constant at 1%, already one in four US-American citizens claim to avoid gluten from their diet. The popularity of gluten-free products has risen worldwide and manufacturers report record turnovers. Besides CD, mostly non-medical reasons underlie the recent boom of the gluten-free diet (GFD). Celebrities and bestseller authors reach millions of followers with the hypothesis that gluten is responsible for overweight, reduced performance or other adverse health effects. RESULTS: Recent studies find higher concentrations of heavy metals in blood and urine, especially arsenic and mercury, among people following a GFD compared to people not following a GFD. Other recent studies show an association between GFD and the risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. CONCLUSION: The elevated concentrations of heavy metals can so far not be attributed to diet shifts in a GFD. However, due to the natural growth in flooded paddies, rice readily absorbs arsenic and mercury and can accumulate the toxins in the bran. As gluten-free products often contain a large share of rice flour, this connection should be subject to further studies. The lower amount of dietary fiber consumed when grains are withdrawn from the diet could explain the higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
|
