Nutritionists have found that gluten-free products are not healthier than regular ones

Scientists from the University of the Basque Country found that gluten-free foods are often more harmful than regular foods. The study is published in the journal Foods .

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Gluten-free products are necessary for people with gluten sensitivity, as well as those with celiac disease, that is, its intolerance. But some people prefer such products because they find them more beneficial.

As shown by a 9-year study by scientists, this is a delusion that in fact it can harm health.

The study involved a small sample of 25 people with celiac disease (20 women and 5 men) aged 27 to 60 years. They wrote down the gluten-free foods they ate. The scientists then compared the nutritional value of these foods with their gluten counterparts.

Many gluten-free foods were higher in unsaturated lipids (the “bad” fats) than gluten-containing foods, lower in fiber, and higher in salt. The scientists concluded that although the formulation of gluten-free products has improved every year, they cannot be considered nutritionally equivalent to their gluten-containing counterparts, nor are they a healthy alternative.