Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-m):

  • You've found your Celiac Tribe! Join our like-minded, private community and share your story, get encouragement and connect with others.

    💬

    • Sign In
    • Sign Up
  • Jefferson Adams

    Can a Gluten-free Diet Lower the Risk of Diabetes?

    Jefferson Adams

    By Jefferson Adams •

    0
    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    Image: Wikimedia Commons
    Caption: Image: Wikimedia Commons

    Celiac.com 07/14/2014 - Early life intestinal problems have previously been shown to influence diabetes rates. There is also some evidence that a gluten-free diet can lower rates of diabetes, but just how strong is the influence of gluten-free diet on the development of diabetes?

    Image: Wikimedia CommonsA recent study by a group of researchers in Denmark suggests that maternal gluten-free diet greatly reduces inflammation and rates of diabetes in the offspring of certain mice. This study led the team to hypothesize that a gluten-free diet, which is known to decrease type 1 diabetes incidence, may also offer protection against diabetes when followed during the pregnancy and lactation period.


    Celiac.com Sponsor (A12):




    Celiac.com Sponsor (A12-m):



    The research team included Camilla H.F. Hansen, Åukasz Krych, Karsten Buschard, Stine B. Metzdorff, Christine Nellemann, Lars H. Hansen, Dennis S. Nielsen, Hanne Frøkiær, Søren Skov and Axel K. Hansen. They are variously affiliated with the Department of Veterinary Disease Biology of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen, the Department of Food Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, the Division of Toxicology and Risk Assessment of the National Food Institute at the Technical University of Denmark in Søborg, Denmark, and the Bartholin Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark.

    For their study, the team fed pregnant non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice either a gluten-free diet, or a standard diet, until all pups were weaned to standard diet. Overall, mice which experienced early life gluten-free diets had dramatically lower rates of diabetes and insulitis.

    An analysis of gut microbiota using 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed a major difference between both mothers and their offspring, marked by higher levels of Akkermansia, Proteobacteria, and TM7 in the gluten-free diet group. Gluten-free fed offspring showed increased M2 macrophage gene markers and tight junction-related genes in the gut, along with higher levels of pancreatic FoxP3 regulatory T cells.

    Gluten-free offspring also had reduced intestinal gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines. Finding more T cells in the pancreas expressing the mucosal integrin α4β7 suggests that this is due to an increase in gut-primed immune cells moving to the pancreas.

    The study shows clearly that a gluten-free diet during the fetal and early postnatal life lowers rates of diabetes. This may be due to a change in gut microbiota and a reduction in pro-inflammatory conditions in the gut and pancreas.

    Clearly, further study is needed to better understand the factors at play, and how they relate to diabetes reduction efforts.

    Source:

    0
    Go to articles

    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    Guest Mary Thorpe

    It is not stated which type of diabetes is reduced: 1 or 2. Type 1, I presume?...Just went to the article through the citation given and indeed it's type 1 diabetes that the gluten-free diet protects against.

    Share this comment

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites


    Join the conversation

    You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
    Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

    Guest
    Add a comment...

    ×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

      Only 75 emoji are allowed.

    ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

    ×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

    ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

    ×

  • Join eNewsletter

  • About Me

    Jefferson Adams

    Jefferson Adams is Celiac.com's senior writer and Digital Content Director. He earned his B.A. and M.F.A. at Arizona State University, and has authored more than 2,500 articles on celiac disease. His coursework includes studies in science, scientific methodology, biology, anatomy, medicine, logic, and advanced research. He previously served as SF Health News Examiner for Examiner.com, and devised health and medical content for Sharecare.com. Jefferson has spoken about celiac disease to the media, including an appearance on the KQED radio show Forum, and is the editor of the book "Cereal Killers" by Scott Adams and Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-m):



  • Related Articles

    Scott Adams
    Clin Immunol. 2004 Apr;111(1):108-18
    According to German researchers, delaying the introduction of wheat and barley proteins could reduce the incidence of diabetes. The scientists looked at mice on diets that were modified according to protein source, and specifically looked at mice pups from female non-obese diabetic mice. Mice on lifelong wheat-free and barley-free diets (their protein source was poultry) had significantly reduced levels of diabetes (45% by age 32 weeks vs. 88% in control mice), and when they did develop diabetes, its onset was delayed. Interestingly the development of diabetes in these mice was not fully restored after adding...