Study: Gluten-free diet not always needed

Gluten-free diets have become a popular way to manage gluten sensitivity, but a new analysis suggests that many people who stop eating gluten may not need to do so.

Health experts have claimed that this special diet can ease digestive ills in those who are sensitive to gluten, a substance found in wheat, barley, rye and possibly oats. Some even think avoiding gluten might reduce headaches, fatigue, hyperactivity and autism symptoms.

But when comparing the number of mentions of gluten sensitivity on Google to the number of scientific articles on the subject, Italian researchers found that the Google mentions far outweighed mentions in the medical literature, at a ratio of 4,598 to one.

"Clinically, we see a lot of suspicion that gluten reactions are responsible for numerous health problems, and it's difficult to counter this belief. There are a lot of alternative practitioners out there that blame gluten for everything, even though there's not a lot of science behind it," said Dr. Joseph Levy, division director of pediatric gastroenterology at New York University Langone Medical Center.

In the article, published Tuesday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the Italian researchers say gluten has become "the new diet villain" in the United States. American marketers claim that 15 percent to 25 percent of consumers want gluten-free foods, and popular estimates suggest that as many as 17 million Americans are gluten-sensitive.

There's no official data, however, on the prevalence of gluten sensitivity in people who don't have celiac disease, the study authors say.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that damages the lining of the small intestine when gluten is eaten. This damage prevents the small intestine from absorbing the nutrients in food, and people with celiac disease slowly become malnourished. It's essential that anyone with celiac disease maintain a gluten-free diet; even occasional slips can cause damage.