Exploring Dietary Patterns and Celiac Disease: What You Need to Know

Celiac.com 04/05/2024 - Living with celiac disease means adhering strictly to a gluten-free diet for life. But beyond simply avoiding gluten-containing foods, understanding the broader dietary patterns and their impact on health outcomes is essential for individuals with celiac disease. 

A recent study conducted in Iran has shed light on the relationship between dietary patterns and celiac disease, offering valuable insights for those managing the condition. The research team included Mehrnaz Morvaridi, Narges Sadeghi, Pezhman Alavinejad, Mehdi Sadeghian, Negin Tahvilian, Hossein Bavi Behbahani, Sara Ebrahimi, and Farnaz Farsi.

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The study, which involved 182 participants referred to the Khuzestan Celiac Association, utilized a validated 147-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to collect nutritional information. Using principal component analysis (PCA), researchers identified several dietary patterns among celiac disease patients and investigated their association with dietary intakes and body mass index (BMI).

Older Individuals with Higher BMIs More Likely to Follow Healthier Eating Habits

One of the key findings of the study was the significant relationship between age, BMI, and adherence to healthy dietary patterns. As age and BMI increased, participants demonstrated greater adherence to healthy dietary patterns, suggesting that older individuals with higher BMIs were more likely to follow healthier eating habits.

Importantly, the study found that individuals with the highest adherence to healthy dietary patterns had the lowest odds ratio for celiac disease, even after adjusting for BMI and energy intake. This suggests that maintaining a healthy dietary pattern may help reduce the risk of developing celiac disease.

Conversely, the study also revealed a significant association between adherence to unhealthy dietary patterns and the odds ratio for celiac disease. Even after adjusting for energy intake, individuals with higher adherence to unhealthy dietary patterns had an increased risk of celiac disease.

Interestingly, the study also identified a significant association between the odds ratio for celiac disease, and adherence to mixed dietary patterns. This association remained significant even after adjusting for energy intake, highlighting the potential impact of varied dietary habits on celiac disease risk. The findings underscore the importance of dietary patterns in the management and prevention of celiac disease. 

By adopting healthy eating habits, and avoiding unhealthy dietary patterns, people living with celiac disease may be able to better manage their condition and reduce the risk of adverse health outcomes. 

As further research in this area continues to emerge, people living with celiac disease can use these insights to make informed dietary choices and optimize their overall health and well-being.

Read more at BMC Nutrition volume 10, Article number: 48 (2024).

The researchers are variously affiliated with the Department of Nutrition Sciences, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; the Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran; the Alimentary Tract Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran; the department of Nutrition, YAS Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Associate faculty, Tehran, Iran; the Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran; the Nutrition and Food Security Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran; the Student Research Committee, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran; the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia; and the Minimally Invasive Surgery Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.