Unnecessarily avoiding gluten could be harming your heart says the authors behind a new study published online by the British Medical Journal today.

Only those with Coeliac Disease need to avoid gluten, yet in recent years, some without the disease have been avoiding gluten, believing it is healthier for them.

The researches have however found this dietary trend could be leading people to miss out on healthy whole grains.

Whole grains can have multiple health benefits, including helping heart health.

Findings from the study were based off the survey results of nearly 65, 000 female Americans and 45, 000 male Americans. Survey participants completed questionnaires about their diet every four years from 1986 through to 2010.

The link between eating gluten and developing coronary heart disease was monitored over the 26-year period. After adjusting for known risk factors, no significant association between estimated gluten intake and the risk of subsequent overall coronary heart disease was found.

However, further analysis suggested that restricting gluten may result in low intake of whole grains, which are associated with lower cardiovascular risk.

The authors did point out that as their study was observational and so no firm conclusions can be drawn.

They however concluded that they do not recommend telling those without Coeliac Disease to restrict gluten when considering the health of their heart.

Related article

• Glutenfree eating linked to increased diabetes risk
• Gluten-free foods surge 63 per cent in last two years
• ‘Glutenfree’ claims lead global trends, Innova

Share