Interesting New Study

[srthomas21]

a look at the new study published in the May issue of the British Journal of Nutrition: (3)

* 30 patient with diagnosed celiac disease were placed on a gluten-free diet for a one month period.

* Pre and post study analyses indicated that the number of friendly bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus diminished after the removal of the glutenous foods.

* There was also an unwelcome increase in the number of pathogenic bacteria including Enterobacteriaceae and E. coli.

* In addition to the undesirable shift in the good-to-bad bacteria population, there was evidence of decreased gut-related immune system activity.

[Glamour]

Why does good flora diminish after REMOVING glutinous food...you think it would get better without all the yeast food

[Swimmr]

Hmm that is kinda hard to digest *pun intended*

Um, yeah I would like to know why the good bacteria diminishes. Perhaps when we go gluten free, the good bacteria goes away because we aren't ingesting typically "good" things in the general sense. Even though our intestines cant absorb it...ummm so it leaves...and...yeah, I'm lost

That is not easy to rationalize.

[Jestgar]

You'd need a more detailed description of the gluten-free diet. If it's a bunch of high carbohydrate replacement stuff, I could see that not being so good. If they replaced gluten food with whole food, maybe the result would be different.

[srthomas21]

Here is the link to the full study

I think you have to pay $45 to get it though

Open Original Shared Link

[Jestgar]

Here is the link to the full study

I think you have to pay $45 to get it though

Open Original Shared Link

The link you sent me stated that the experiment was done on 10 healthy adults.

They replaced gluten containing foods with equivalent ones certified as gluten-free.

the gluten-free diet had half the polysaccharides. Also other differences, but none significant.

In the discussion they state that the decrease of 3 types of beneficial bacteria could be directly related to the decrease in polysaccharides, which serve as a direct food source for bacteria in the distal colon.

It's also a one month study. What they measured could be a temporary effect from the change in diet. You'd need a longer study to find out if the change in gut flora composition is permanent. You'd also need to look at people with Celiac to find out if the same thing happens.

[TownieHeather]

The link you sent me stated that the experiment was done on 10 healthy adults.

They replaced gluten containing foods with equivalent ones certified as gluten-free.

the gluten-free diet had half the polysaccharides. Also other differences, but none significant.

In the discussion they state that the decrease of 3 types of beneficial bacteria could be directly related to the decrease in polysaccharides, which serve as a direct food source for bacteria in the distal colon.

It's also a one month study. What they measured could be a temporary effect from the change in diet. You'd need a longer study to find out if the change in gut flora composition is permanent. You'd also need to look at people with Celiac to find out if the same thing happens.

Somebody else posted this study too! I don't understand why it's getting so much press when it's looks so inconclusive to me - all that things that you pointed out Jestgar along with the fact that it was only 10 people!

[srthomas21]

I think I linked to the wrong article but now I can't find the correct one.

The study I mentioned was done on 30 Celiac patients that were newly diagnosed. I wish I could find the correct link.

[chiroptera]

I find this very interesting because I had NO problems with any food at all until I almost died from a severe c. difficile infection in 2003. My gut was ripped out but thank goodness I didn't have a complex toxic megacolon that burst. SO, for me anyways, the c. difficile (I believe) caused my problems with gluten and casein.

I am SO much better now off of those foods.