A new study indicates that even people who aren’t allergic to gluten can benefit from a low-gluten diet.
How a low-gluten diet helps the body
A team of researchers at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark held a randomized trial of 60 healthy adults. None of the 22- to 65-year-olds had diabetes, celiac disease or any other disorders. For eight weeks, they stuck to a low-gluten diet (2 grams of gluten per day), then they went on a 6-week washout period (12 grams of gluten per day) before starting an 8-week high-gluten diet (18 grams of gluten per day).
Although the low-gluten and high-gluten diets were similar in calories and nutrients, they differed in where they got their fiber. The high-gluten diet had more barley, rye, and wheat, which are primary sources of gluten.
By looking at the changes in the participants’ intestinal fermentation, the scientists determined that the low-gluten diet change the participants’ gut microbiome. The had less discomfort from gas and experienced a small amount of weight loss.
The researchers believe that the alterations in the gut bacteria and function helped reduce the bloating these participants felt.
“We demonstrate that, in comparison with a high-gluten diet, a low-gluten, fiber-rich diet induces changes in the structure and function of the complex intestinal ecosystem of bacteria, reduces hydrogen exhalation and leads to improvements in self-reported bloating,” explains lead researcher Professor Oluf Pedersen. “Moreover, we observed a modest weight loss, likely due to increased body combustion triggered by the altered gut bacterial functions.”
But is it the gluten?
The researchers caution that the health benefits the participants experienced might have more to do with the quality of fiber, not just the fact that it was a low-gluten diet.
Many of the gluten-free choices on the market today are lacking in dietary fibers. The key might be to create fiber-enriched foods that are low in gluten.
