Gluten-free Diet May Lead to Arsenic, Mercury Overload in the Body

Highlights

A diet free from wheat, barley and rye which contain gluten is a gluten-free diet.
It is usually recommended for those with gluten intolerance or celiac disease.
Gluten-free diets have become popular in the U.S. and people follow it as it reduces inflammation.
People who eat a gluten-free diet may be at risk for increased exposure to arsenic and mercury which are toxic to the body.

People who eat a gluten-free diet are more exposed to rice and its products and may be at risk for increased exposure to arsenic and mercury.

These are toxic metals that can lead to cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurological effects, according to a report in the journal Epidemiology.

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Are you gluten intolerant? Stay away from gluten allergy and celiac disease by shifting to gluten-free diet plan that is healthy yet not boring.

‘The arsenic levels were almost twice as high for people eating a gluten-free diet and mercury levels were 70 percent higher indicating the unintended consequence of a gluten-free diet.’

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A diet free from wheat, barley and rye which contain gluten is a gluten-free diet. Gluten is made up of glutenin and gliadin. These proteins can trigger digestive problems in those with gluten intolerance or celiac disease.

Gluten-free diets have become popular in the U.S., although less than 1 percent of Americans have been diagnosed with celiac disease.

A gluten-free diet is recommended for people with celiac disease, but others often say they prefer eating gluten-free because it reduces inflammation - a claim that has not been scientifically proven. In 2015, one-quarter of Americans reported eating gluten-free, a 67 percent increase from 2013.

Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is labeled as a digestive disorder associated with malabsorption as well as an abnormal immune reaction to gluten.

Gluten-free products often contain rice flour as a substitute for wheat. Rice is known to accumulate arsenic and mercury in the body. These toxic chemicals from fertilizers, soil, or water, affect health but little is known about the health effects of diets high in rice content.

Maria Argos, assistant professor of epidemiology in the UIC School of Public Health, and her colleagues looked at data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey searching for a link between gluten-free diet and biomarkers of toxic metals in blood and urine.

Gluten-Free Diet Followers on the Rise Among People Without Celiac Disease
Gluten-free diet is recommended for people with an autoimmune disorder called celiac disease. But people without the disease also go gluten-free claims a study.

They found 73 participants who reported eating a gluten-free diet among the 7,471 who completed the survey, between 2009 and 2014. Participants ranged in age from 6 to 80 years old.

People who reported eating gluten-free had higher concentrations of arsenic in their urine, and mercury in their blood, than those who did not. The arsenic levels were almost twice as high for people eating a gluten-free diet, and mercury levels were 70 percent higher.

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"These results indicate that there could be unintended consequences of eating a gluten-free diet," Argos said. "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."

"In Europe, there are regulations for food-based arsenic exposure, and perhaps that is something we here in the United States need to consider," Argos said.

"We regulate levels of arsenic in water, but if rice flour consumption increases the risk for exposure to arsenic, it would make sense to regulate the metal in foods as well."

Reference

Maria Argos et al., Gluten-free diet may increase risk of arsenic, mercury exposure, Epidemiology (2017) http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0000000000000640.

Source-Medindia