Gluten Free Diet May be a Risk for Cancer and Diabetes?

Listen to Michele's radio interview (bottom of this blog).

Last month it was gluten free and its links to diabetes and this month it’s linked to cancer. The information is confusing … or is it?  Is it the media creating titles that the research does not reflect?  Hmmm, I am beginning to think so. The average “Cathy” (my mum) would read a title like that and go off on a tailspin and tell everyone she knows that gluten free products cause cancer, truly thinking she was educating and helping the masses. The issue is that the title of the article may not truly reflect what the research said.

Last week’s report in the Journal of Epidemiology reported that toxic metals in blood and urine have appeared in people who eat gluten free, which may cause them to be at risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurological diseases. They then go on to say that this is most likely an unintentional cause rather than the reason. Rice may be the culprit. Gluten-free products often contain rice flour as a substitute for wheat. However, rice is known to bio accumulate certain toxic metals, including arsenic and mercury from fertilizers, soil, or water, but little is known about the health effects of diets high in rice content.

More of us are becoming aware of these growing rice concerns and the scientific reports released last year discuss the need for risk reduction when consuming inorganic rice due to the high arsenic levels. And, there is more research about gluten free…. Last month’s frenzy about gluten free diets being linked to diabetes needed to be teased out. Yes, gluten free products can be alarmingly high in hidden sugars, but to say it will cause diabetes is an extremity. The sugar content in ‘frankenfood’ gluten free products will cause blood sugar disturbances. The reason most nutritionists would put people on gluten free diets is to calm digestive distress whilst encouraging a person to move to a whole foods way of life. If it doesn’t calm inflammation, reduce bloating, decrease irritable bowel symptoms, or increase energy then we reintroduce gluten and let the person decide what is right for them.

We try to get our clients to move to more real food and less packaged and processed. Food manufacturers have clapped on to gluten free and many manufacturers just pump in sugar, tapioca, rice filler and other food void of nutrients. When people are consuming something that is labelled ‘gluten free’ but has more than 10 ingredients then I am suspicious. You should be too.

Feel free to contact us at info@ahealthyview.com for an appointment or any information. Listen to Michele's radio interview with Talking Lifestyle below - Monday 27th March, 2017.