Should Your Kids Go Gluten-Free?

In this article feature, I spoke with author Jarrad Saffren regarding the evidence, or lack there of, behind whether your kids should go gluten free.

Is going gluten-free really necessary? What foods contain gluten? Are there any evidence-based reasons to recommend this restriction?

My contribution to the article was the following quote, “Gluten is just a protein found in wheat. There’s no scientific reason to avoid it unless you have a gluten intolerance, Celiac disease, or just don’t feel well when you eat gluten.”

Going gluten free has become so popular, under the guise that it can aid in gastrointestinal health, bloating, and overall wellness. Unless your body does not properly digest gluten, there is no reason why it should cause gastrointestinal distress.

According to the article, A Gluten-Free Diet, Not an Appropriate Choice without a Medical Diagnosis, "A review of existing data shows that there are detrimental effects to going gluten free, including loss of the dietary fiber, deficiencies in dietary minerals and vitamins, and potential heavy metal exposure".

Find out by reading the article! Link to the full article: https://www.metrokids.com/should-your-kids-go-gluten-free/

Resources

Diez-Sampedro A, Olenick M, Maltseva T, Flowers M. A Gluten-Free Diet, Not an Appropriate Choice without a Medical Diagnosis. J Nutr Metab. 2019 Jul 1;2019:2438934. doi: 10.1155/2019/2438934. PMID: 31354988; PMCID: PMC6636598. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31354988/

#glutenfree #evidencebased #dietaryrestrictions #pediatrics #childnutrition