By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay reporter
FRIDAY, May 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) – Going gluten-free is a trend that is good for your body and mind. However, a new study finds no evidence that gluten is bad for your brain.
In nearly 13,500 middle-aged women, the researchers found no association between the consumption of wheat, barley, or rye (the sources of gluten) and intellectual abilities.
According to the study’s authors, the only people who will spiritually benefit from avoiding gluten are those with celiac disease who cannot digest it.
“People without real gluten sensitivity due to celiac disease should not eat gluten-free on the assumption that they will improve their brain health,” said lead author Dr. Andrew Chan, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and vice chairman of gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital, both in Boston.
“This is in contrast to some anecdotes and the popular press that gluten is harmful and can contribute to cognitive decline or what is known as ‘brain fog’,” he said.
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The study participants had all taken part in the Nurses’ Health Study II, a study of risk factors for chronic diseases in women. Both nutritional data and mental function were assessed as part of this study. Mental ability tests included speed, attention, and memory. None of the women had celiac disease.
Based on this data, Chan and his team found no effect of gluten on mental abilities. They assume they would get the same result with men, he said.
“We found that in people with no history of celiac disease, low-gluten diets were not associated with improvements in cognitive function,” said Chan. “The evidence just isn’t there to support a diet change for that purpose.”
According to Harvard University, the gluten-free food industry grew 136% between 2013 and 2015, with sales of nearly $ 12 billion in 2015, and most of the people who buy the products do not have celiac disease. People without celiac disease who follow a gluten-free diet may be at increased risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
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Samantha Heller, a senior clinical nutritionist at NYU Langone Health in New York City, examined the results and agreed that gluten will not rot the brain.
“Ignore the scare tactics and misinformation that gluten is a brain toxin,” she said. “People who have no medical reason to avoid gluten, such as celiac disease, a wheat allergy, or gluten sensitivity without celiac disease, can eat gluten-containing foods without fear that these foods will cause cognitive impairment or brain inflammation.”
What affects brain health are other mostly preventable diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, Heller said.
Type 2 diabetes is associated with an approximately doubled risk of dementia, and studies have shown that patients with heart disease increase the risk of thinking disorders by 45%. People who are overweight or obese are at higher risk for Alzheimer’s and dementia, she said.
“Let’s focus on what we can do to prevent these all-too-common diseases,” said Heller. “The approach is similar for everyone and also helps improve brain health.”
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Your advice:
- Include physical activity in your daily routine. Run, walk, swim, ride a bike, do yoga, dance – whatever you enjoy.
- Add more vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, asparagus, carrots, and zucchini to your meals – all vegetables are good for you.
- Eat fresh fruit in season.
- Enjoy more whole grains like 100% whole grain bread, multigrain cereals and crackers, oats, buckwheat and bulgur.
- Switch from fats like butter to vegetable oils like extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or canola oil.
- Swap animal protein (burger, cheese, steak, sausage, pork) for beans, nuts, nut butter, edamame, tofu, seitan and vegetarian burgers.
- Keep yourself well hydrated with drinking water, seltzer, or tea (herbal or traditional).
The study was published online May 21 in the journal JAMA Network Open.
More information
To learn more about gluten, visit Harvard University.
SOURCES: Andrew Chan, MD, MPH, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and vice chairman of gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston; Samantha Heller, MS, RDN, Senior Clinical Nutritionist, NYU Langone Health, New York City; JAMA Network Open, May 21, 2021, online
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