Gluten Free: Is It a Ticket to

Good Health?
Samantha Barash
Laura Wagner
Kiersten Waineo
Star Williams

Outline
Introduction

I.
I.

II.

Reasons for going gluten-free

Hypothesis, health outcomes
Body of knowledge

II.
III.
IV.
I.

II.
V.
VI.
VII.

Gluten
Celiac disease

Findings
Research articles

Conclusion and Implications

Quiz
Challenges

Introduction Gluten

Protein found naturally in most grains

Wheat,

barley, rye, triticale

Function: maintain elasticity of foods (dough)

Non-gluten containing substitutes:

Amaranth,

arrowroot, buckwheat, corn, flax, quinoa, etc.

Gluten-free flours available: rice, soy, corn, potato, bean

Found in many processed food items

In

processing gluten often used as a filler to improve

texture or thickness

Introduction Celiac disease

Immune reaction
Response to gluten
Damage to intestines
Abdominal pain and
diarrhea
No main cause
Gluten-free diet is
necessary for health

Consumer Reasons for Purchasing

Gluten-Free Products
5% to treat Celiac disease
6% alleviate asthma
9% alleviate depression
10% part of cleansing regimen
12% alleviate stress
13% improve mental functional concentration
18% alleviate joint pain

20% desire for healthier skin

21% other

25% to help me lose weight

33% nutritional value
39% digestive health
Making Sense of the Gluten Free Trend. (2009 September 2). Retrieved April 6, 2013 from
http://www.hartmangroup.com/hartbeat/making-sense-of-the-gluten-free-trend.

Hypothesis

A gluten-free diet in people without Celiac disease

results in adverse health effects.

Deficiencies
Gluten-free products not required by law to be
enriched
Enriched wheat main source of B vitamins

Folic

Acid
Thiamin
Riboflavin

Fiber
Inadequate

amount leads to constipation

 Research: Going Gluten-Free

Can Cause Deficiencies
Bituh et all
Determined intake of folate and vitamin B12

Blood

sample
Food frequency questionnaire

Results
Average

folate intake half of recommended

Below optimal folate and vitamin B12 status

Conclusion
Gluten-free

diet nutritionally unbalanced and deficient in

nutrients
Folate fortification for gluten-free products
Bituh, M., Zizic, V., Krbavcic, I., Zadro, Z., Baric, I. (2011) Gluten-Free Products Are Insufficient Source
of Folate and Vitamin B12 for Coeliac Patients. Food Technol. Biotechnol. 49(4), 511-516.

 Research: Gluten is Good for

your Gut
De Palma et all
Ten people went gluten-free for one month
Took fecal samples before and after
Results

Decrease

in number of beneficial gut bacteria

Conclusions
Gluten-free

diets may cause decrease in good bacteria

More research needed

De Palma, G., Nadal, I., Collado, M. C., Sanz, Y (2009). Effects of a gluten-free diet on gut microbiota and
immune function in healthy adult human subjects. British Journal of Nutrition, 102(8), 1154-1160.

Gluten and Skin

In people with Celiac

Adverse

skin reactions caused by gluten

Histamine

Inflammation,

insulin resistance, acne

Gluten free helps skin

In people without Celiac

If

successful, not because of gluten elimination

Because of increased F/V and decreased fat?
No correlation between diet and skin?
More research needed

Gluten-Free for Weight Loss

If weight loss, caused by

change in food choices
Fruits

and vegetables

Fewer options available

Gluten-free products higher
in calories
Gluten-free diet can be
healthy or unhealthy

 Research: Gluten-Free Diet

and Weight Gain
Dickey and Kearney
Took BMI of 371 Celiac patients
Compared BMI at diagnosis and 2 years later
Results

81%

gained weight

Conclusions
Following

gluten-free diet doesnt lead to weight loss

Gluten-free diet needs to be modified in Celiac patients

Dickey, W., and Kearney, N. (2006). Overweight in Celiac Disease: Prevalence, Clinical Characteristics, and
Effect of a Gluten-Free Diet. American Journal of Gastroenterology, 101, 2356-2359.

Conclusion and Implications

Hypothesis is accepted
Vitamin

deficiencies
Decrease in beneficial gut bacteria
No relationship to skin health
No clear correlation to weight

Gluten-free only necessary for people with Celiac

People who believe gluten-free is magic will benefit
More research needed

Rewards and Challenges

Rewards
Meeting

new friends in the Dietetics major

Learning how to combine writing styles into a cohesive
paper
Finding out more about a topic that interested us

Challenges
Working

around schedules
Writing a paper with four people
No studies on people without Celiac disease
More research needed

How We Overcame Obstacles

Created a Google doc
Met as a group to discuss findings

Planned

meetings early

Reserved a room in the library

Utilized

dry erase board to organize thoughts and ideas

Split up the paper so each person could write on a

certain topic or topics
Met again as a group

Put

final pieces together

Proofread
Added transitions

Quiz Questions
1. Following a gluten
free diet is a great way
to lose weight fast.
a.
b.

True
False

2. What are most gluten-free products an

insufficient source of?

a.

Lipids

b.

Carbohydrates

c.

B-vitamins

d.

Protein

ANY QUESTIONS?