Gluten-free food may not be best diet option

BRITAIN: Gluten-free foods should not be considered a healthy substitute to regular food because they usually contain high levels of fat and sugar, and low levels of protein, experts have said.

Researchers from European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) have called for the widespread reformulation of gluten-free products so they match the products they replace.

The warning follows an assessment of 654 products from 25 brands that were compared to similar items containing gluten. It found that gluten-free food has a significantly higher fat content and a poor nutritional composition in comparison to regular products.

Many of the products that contained gluten – especially breads, pastas, pizzas and flours – also contained up to three times more protein than their gluten-free substitutes.

The researchers warn that the imbalance is so severe it could affect children’s growth and increase the risk of childhood obesity.

Dr Joaquim Calvo Lerma, a ESPGHAN researcher, said ‘‘As more people are following a glutenfree diet to effectively manage coeliac disease, it is imperative that foods marketed as substitutes are reformulated to ensure that they truly do have similar nutritional values. This is especially important for children, as a well-balanced diet is essential to healthy growth and development.’’

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley and gives food a chewy texture and elasticity during the baking process.

About 1 per cent of Britons are genuinely gluten-intolerant. However the proportion of adults adhering to gluten-free diets in the UK could be higher than 12 per cent. – Telegraph Group