Fads are a basic part of human society. They influence the clothes we wear, the words we use and the TV shows we watch. Sometimes, unfortunately, they even affect the food we eat.
The flood of interest in gluten-free diets and gluten-free products is definitely a fad. Fueled in part by dubious-at-best celebrity endorsements, tens of millions of Americans have cut back on gluten consumption or are considering doing so.
But a major new medical study strengthens the case made by previous studies: Going gluten-free may hurt your health, not help it.
The new study, published in the British Medical Journal, found that gluten-free diets could increase the risk of heart attack for people who don't have celiac disease. The study's top take-away: "The promotion of gluten-free diets among people without celiac disease should not be encouraged."
Here's the background:
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Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and a few other grains. Celiac disease, also known as gluten intolerance, prevents some people from digesting gluten properly. The condition damages the surface of the small intestines and blocks the ability to absorb certain nutrients.
The disease also is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, which is reduced with a gluten-free diet, the new study notes.
But the study reached this conclusion: "Long-term dietary intake of gluten was not associated with risk of coronary heart disease. However, the avoidance of gluten may result in reduced consumption of beneficial whole grains, which may affect cardiovascular risk."
In ordinary English, that means avoiding gluten appears to be risky.
The scope of the study, led by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, gives added credibility. It examined more than 100,000 health professionals without a history of heart disease. What's more, it began in 1986 and was updated every four years until 2010.
Let's be clear on this: Celiac disease is serious. It afflicts 0.7 percent to 1 percent of Americans. (Estimates vary.) We sympathize with them and the challenges they face. And we recognize that the study stressed following a gluten-free diet tends to improve heart health for people with the disease.
But the overwhelming majority of Americans don't have it, and avoiding gluten can lead them to develop nutritional deficiencies, particularly of the B vitamins and fiber, experts say.
If you have concerns about gluten, talk with your doctor or a nutritionist. Or seek out reliable, impartial information such as the new study ( http://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1892 ) or this layman-friendly material, http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/going-gluten-free-just-because-heres-what-you-need-to-know-201302205916 .
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Going gluten-free may be hip. But don’t let a fad influence what you eat; sound nutrition is far too important for that.
