Going gluten-free? A new study shines some light on potentially unwanted side effects of skipping that morning bagel.
In a report published by the scientific journal Epidemiology, researchers found that practitioners of a gluten-free diet may be exposed to increased levels of arsenic and mercury — toxic metals that can lead to cardiovascular disease, neurological problems and cancer, among other things.
Gluten-free diets are recommended for people with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that damages the small intestine upon ingestion of gluten protein found in wheat, rye and barley.
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Even though less than 1 percent of Americans have been diagnosed with celiac disease, 25 percent of Americans reported eating gluten-free food in 2015, up 67 percent from 2013. (Gluten-free food is often touted as reducing inflammation — a claim that hasn’t been scientifically proven.)
For the study, researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Chicago, University of Michigan and Dartmouth University looked at 7,471 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2009 and 2014. Of those surveyed, 73 people reported being on a gluten-free diet.
Test results of urine and blood samples found that arsenic levels were almost twice as high among the gluten-free group compared with those on a conventional diet; mercury levels were 70 percent higher in the gluten-free group.
“These results indicate that there could be unintended consequences of eating a gluten-free diet,” said Maria Argos, assistant professor of epidemiology in the UIC School of Public Health, in a university news release. “But until we perform the studies to determine if there are corresponding health consequences that could be related to higher levels of exposure to arsenic and mercury by eating gluten-free, more research is needed before we can determine whether this diet poses a significant health risk.”
The study noted the prevalence of rice flour — often used as a substitute for wheat — in gluten-free foods. Rice has a reputation for soaking up metals from soil, fertilizer and water — mercury and arsenic among them. But not much is known about the health effects of rice-heavy diets.
“Although we can only speculate, rice may be contributing to the observed high concentrations of metal biomarkers among those on a gluten-free diet,” the researchers wrote. “Emerging evidence suggests rice-based products can contain high levels of toxic metals; rice is a recognized source of arsenic and methylmercury exposure.”
jbhernandez@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @joeybear85
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