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Medicines Gluten-free food can cause lasting damage to the heart
A so-called gluten-free diet should actually lead to health benefits. However, researchers have found that such a diet does not seem to be good for the health of the human heart.
Scientists at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York and the Harvard Medical School in Boston found in their study that a gluten-free diet can harm our heart. The experts published the results of their study in the medical journal "BMJ".
For reasons of health, some people try to largely dispense with gluten in their diet. However, medical researchers have found in a recent study that avoiding gluten seems to increase the risk of heart disease. (Image: photocrew / fotolia.com) Does gluten-free nutrition harm the heart?
If people are not suffering from celiac disease (gluten intolerance), they should not take a gluten-free diet, say the experts. Although such a diet is believed to provide health benefits, scientists have now found that it is not conducive to heart health.
There is a connection between a gluten-free diet and heart problems
In their analysis, the researchers also found that a gluten-free diet in people with celiac disease or a wheat allergy is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. While there is a widespread belief that gluten-free diets help those affected, this does not seem to apply to the human heart, scientists say.
Those affected can reduce the risk by changing their diet
About one percent of people in the United States suffer from celiac disease. The excessive autoimmune response can lead to damage to the small intestine. Researchers have already found that people with celiac disease are at an increased risk for heart disease. However, this risk can be reduced if those affected reduce their gluten-free diet, explains author Dr. Benjamin Lebwohl from the Columbia University Medical Center based on the new study results.
Many people try to avoid the consumption of gluten
There is virtually no evidence that people without celiac disease and similar illnesses benefit from the reduction in gluten intake, the researchers claim. Nevertheless, some people believe that eating gluten increases the risk of adverse health effects, including obesity and heart disease. Most people who followed a gluten-free diet suffered from celiac disease, the study authors explain. A 2013 national survey has already found that one-third of people in the United States are trying to minimize or even eliminate the consumption of gluten, the researchers add.
Physicians examine the data of more than 170,000 subjects
For the current study, the researchers examined data from 121,700 female nurses. In addition, a group of 51,529 male volunteers was examined. In addition to collecting data on their health, participants periodically filled out so-called food questionnaires, the authors say.
How much gluten did the subjects eat??
Subjects were divided into five different groups based on the amount of gluten in their diet. The people who consumed the least amount of gluten during this period consumed about three grams of the protein daily, say the doctors. The people who consumed the highest amounts consumed about eight to ten grams per day.
Slightly more heart disease has been noted in people with gluten-free diets
In total, there were 352 coronary events related to heart disease per 100,000 people per year. By contrast, among the people with the highest gluten consumption, there were only 277 incidents per year per 100,000 people, say the scientists.
Protects whole grains from heart attacks?
When people avoid gluten, they usually consume little wholemeal bread with their diet. That's what can cause negative health effects, says author Andrew Chan of Harvard Medical School in Boston. In particular, the risk of heart attacks seems to decrease as people eat more whole grains. For people who restrict their diet, this can lead to various deficiencies, adds Chan. These deficiencies can then have a negative impact on the entire body, the study author continues. (As)