Forget diet fads: why gluten-free foods may be bad for your health

TRENDY gluten-free foods can actually be worse for your health, researchers have found.

A study compared more than 1,700 products and found gluten-free foods contained more fat, salt and sugar than regular versions.

The gluten-free items also had less fibre and protein – and weight for weight were nearly three times the price.

Gluten is found in wheat, rye and barley and gives food a chewy texture. Gluten-free products were initially designed for people who suffer from coeliac disease, a digestive condition which makes them intolerant to gluten.

For the one in 100 people believed to suffer with the autoimmune condition, it is essential they avoid gluten to stop getting seriously ill.

But gluten-free food has also become a trendy dietary preference with many claiming to be ‘gluten sensitive’ and avoiding it even though they do not have health problems. The popularity of the diet is thought to have been encouraged by celebrities such as Victoria Beckham and Gwyneth Paltrow, who have promoted ‘wheat-free’ lifestyles.

The University of Hertfordshire researchers, writing in the Journal Of Human Nutrition And Dietetics, said: ‘Evidence suggests that consumers consider a gluten-free diet as a healthy lifestyle. Gluten-free food is unlikely to offer healthier alternatives to regular foods, except for those who require a gluten-free diet for medically diagnosed conditions.’

The team took 679 gluten-free foods from major supermarkets, and compared them with 1,045 normal foods from the same outlets.

They found every food except crackers was higher in fat and lower fibre and protein.

Gluten-free bread had more than twice as much fat as normal bread, gluten-free pizza bases had more than twice as much sugar and white pasta had twice as much salt.

This may be because manufacturers make up for the lack of gluten by including more sugar, salt or fat to improve the taste.

Overall, gluten-free items were nearly three times as expensive – an average €1.29 per 100g compared with 50c per 100g for normal foods. Bread and flour were more than four times the price.

Dr Rosalind Fallaize, research fellow in nutrition and dietetics at the University of Hertfordshire, said: ‘It’s clear from our research that gluten free foods don’t offer any nutritional advantages over regular foods so are not a healthier alternative for people who do not require a gluten-free diet.’