Experts Warn That Gluten-Free Diets May Be Risky For Kids

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. 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 percen...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news