Why Gluten Free Diets Don’t Cause Diabetes

by Damian KristofMay 8, 2017

A recent study hijacked by the media has reported that Gluten-Free diets are associated with an increased risk for type 2 Diabetes; and like so many of these studies upon closer inspection we can see that these reports are…flawed to say the least.

The study suggests that amongst a population of subjects consuming Gluten and eating Gluten-Free diets, those that did consume Gluten were at a 20% lower risk of being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. These findings have been music to the grain industry’s ears as they now protest that Gluten Free diets are no more than the latest fad.

Let’s take a closer look at this….

The study ignored two key factors in these people’s diets:

The Quality of “Gluten Free” Foods

There is a very high probability that these Gluten-Free diets contained a high amount of Gluten-Free ‘foodstuffs’ - replacements of conventional wheat products that contain high levels of cornstarch, rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato flour. These ingredients alone, independent of Gluten, are well known to increased risk for type 2 diabetes, weight gain, inflammatory conditions, heart disease, cancer, and dementia and so it seems naïve to ignore the prevalence of these in a misguided Gluten-Free Diet.

The Prebiotic Fiber Intake in the Diet

The key nutrients found in wheat and grain based products (containing gluten) are prebiotic fibers. When we remove gluten containing foods such as grains and do not supplement with enough legumes and root vegetables in the diet we often fall short of our prebiotic fiber needs and experience the adverse affects of nutrient deficiency including the risk for diet and lifestyle diseases such as – you guessed it: type 2 diabetes.r everyday.

So what’s the takeaway from all of this?

The main message is here is simple: Gluten Free Diets Don’t Cause Diabetes. In fact, Gluten Free diets can be extremely beneficial in lowering your risk for all diet and lifestyle related diseases when practiced properly.

A health promoting Gluten Free diet is one rich in prebiotic fiber in the form of fruits, vegetables, high-quality protein sources such as wild-caught fish and grass fed beef, healthy fats such as avocados, nuts and seeds, beans and legumes like buckwheat and other lentils and could include some dairy and ancient (and Gluten Free!) grains like rice, millet, amaranth and quinoa if you can tolerate them.

Had they compared this form of Gluten Free diet against the other I would expect to see some very different results…

Damian Kristof

Chiropractor | Naturopath | Nutritionist

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Related Podcast Episodes

12 June, 17 - 100NO 219: Do Gluten Free Diets Cause Diabetes?
28 March, 16 - TWG 246: Gluten gluten gluten with Dr. Alessio Fasano

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