Gluten-Free Diets May Be Unsafe For Kids And Cause Gastrointestinal Problems

Gluten-free diets are required by people who suffer from celiac disease and undergo gut problems. However, gluten-free food's image as a "health food" is making everybody keep away from it. Still, a new study shows that gluten-free diet may not benefit children who are not having celiac disease.

While just one percent of the adult population suffers from celiac disease, no study has established any link between gluten and intestinal problems among children.

In fact, gluten-free processed foods may even be lacking in vitamin B complex, vitamin D, fiber, calcium, magnesium, and iron, leading to gastrointestinal problems. Moreover, nutrition-free diets can lead to a rise in fat and calorie intake.

"Especially in a young child, when we're looking at removing basically an entire food group from the diet, if there aren't enough appropriate substitutions in there, we run the risk of poor growth, malnutrition and missing out on a lot of their necessary vitamins and minerals," said Jennifer Willoughby, pediatric dietician at Cleveland Clinic Children's. "They lose out on a lot of B vitamins, a lot of iron, and fiber if the diet is not followed in a proper way."

A gluten-free diet may even mask signs of more serious diseases in children.

"They were trying to treat some sort of condition or symptom, such as an abdominal pain, diarrhea, headaches, or problems with attention," said Norelle Reilly, author of the commentary. "Kids will often improve no matter what you do. So it's often hard to tell if they're improved because of a dietary change."

Hence, it is not advisable to go off gluten without proper consultation with health practitioners.

The findings were published in the May 13, 2016, issue of The Journal of Pediatrics.