If you suffer from gluten intolerance or Celiac disease, you probably know that following a low-gluten or a gluten-free diet can help ease your symptoms. But a new study suggests that a low-gluten diet may also have benefits for healthy adults – those who don’t have any gluten issues at all.
In the study, Danish researchers focused on 60 middle-aged adults with no known Celiac disease or any other gluten disorders. Participants underwent two separate 8-week diets – one low-gluten and one high-gluten. And in between, the subjects returned to their normal diets for six weeks.1
What the researchers discovered was that, in comparison with the high-gluten diet, the low-gluten diet created changes in the intestinal microbiome, or gut flora, which also lead to improvements in self-reported bloating.
Your Microbiome –– A Brief Refresher
Science has shown that your gut is home to a diverse array of bacteria (and other microbes) that play an essential role in the well-being of you, their “host.”
Now, you might view bacteria as a bad thing, but probiotics are friendly bacteria that help keep your gut balanced and healthy.
This balance of bacteria in your gut may be more essential than you realize. Research continues to suggest that an imbalance of microorganisms in your gastrointestinal tract could be behind many ailments.2
Now, back to that study…
A Relationship Between Wheat Consumption and Gut Flora?
The discoveries that the researchers found within the gut microbiome of their subjects suggested a close relationship between gut bacteria and wheat intake (gluten is a protein found in wheat). 3
The study concluded that the positive effects of a low-gluten diet may not only be due to the reduction of gluten itself, but also by the changes in the gut flora that occur because of the reduction of gluten. Of course, gluten conditions can also be genetic, but this is some interesting food for thought.
Final Thoughts on Low-Gluten
If you follow Dr. Gundry’s way of eating, you already know that gluten is just one of several lectins that can play havoc with your intestinal system. As our diets have become richer in wheat over the last 100 years or so, gluten sensitivity has seemingly been on the rise – both mildly, and more seriously, like with Celiac disease.
But just remember that something can be low-gluten but still be loaded up with other nasty lectins. So, if you’re switching to a low-gluten diet, you should also take a look at other lectin-filled grains that can turn up in gluten-free products. Grains like:
- Corn
- Rice
- Oats
- Buckwheat
- Quinoa
- Soybeans
- Legumes
Be careful blaming gluten for all of your dietary issues. Because even if you switch to a healthy, gluten-free diet, you may still end up suffering from a sensitivity to these other lectins.
Remember: Gluten-free and grain-free are not synonymous.
Instead, look towards substitutes, like almond flour, coconut flour, hazelnut flour, cassava, arrowroot, or any of these other great choices on Dr. Gundry’s YES list.
Learn More:
Dr. Gundry’s Spicy Ginger Cookie (Gluten-Free & Sugar-Free)
Gluten Free Muffin You Make In The Microwave [90 secs]
Dr. Gundry’s Delicious Gluten-Free Stuffing Recipe
Sources:
1.https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-07019-x
2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867412001043
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16167966
