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Health heavy metal intake through permanently gluten-free diet
More and more people abstain from gluten, even if you do not suffer from gluten intolerance or celiac disease. A recent study indicates that they are increasing their use of heavy metals, albeit in an area that should not be harmful to health.
The consumer magazine "Öko-Test" had already taken a closer look at gluten-free foods and found harmful substances such as arsenic or pesticides in many products. (Image: photocrew / fotolia.com) Many of the gluten-free foods that are consumed instead of wheat and other gluten-containing grains are often contaminated with heavy metals. It is known, for example, that rice or rice products have arsenic values which are too high and marine fish relatively high mercury concentrations.
The US study authors now wanted to know if this affects gluten-free diet. They evaluated the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. As part of the NHANES survey, approximately 5,000 representative US citizens are surveyed each year on their dietary habits and asked for blood and urine samples. The research team evaluated the results of nearly 12,000 respondents who participated in the survey between 2009 and 2012. Out of 4,000 persons, arsenic measurements were available in the urine. Thirty-two people said they were eating gluten-free. Lead, mercury and cadmium had been determined in serum in over 11,300 people, 115 of whom had given a gluten-free diet.
It was found that persons with a gluten-free diet had significantly higher blood levels of mercury, lead and cadmium compared to those with gluten-containing blood. The arsenic levels were also elevated in the urine. The values hardly differed between persons with and without celiac disease, as long as they did not use gluten. This points to the diet as the cause of the increased concentrations.
However, the heavy metal values were among the least of all health-threatening. The main reason for the increased mercury levels proved the fish consumption. However, the researchers point out that these could also be caused by the reduced protein and especially sulfur content associated with gluten-free diets. Since sulfur-containing amino acids are needed to bind heavy metals, their deficiency could also lead to increased serum-metal levels. Cadmium levels were three times higher in smokers - with or without a gluten-containing diet than in non-smokers.