Nothing has been more overhyped in the food industry than the whole "gluten-free" concept. Glutens are proteins found in some grains like wheat. A very small percentage of the population, about 1 in 100 people, develops Celiac Disease, which makes them allergic to glutens. Everyone else can eat glutens without much fear. Or so we thought. Now a new scientific study has shown that there is another population group at risk.
A new study provides stronger evidence that feeding glutens to children under two years of age may indeed increase their risk of developing Celiac Disease. Most infants don't take solid food and families favor other foods for infants than gluten-containing meals.
It is probably best to avoid feeding grain-based foods to young children until the age of 2-1/2 or 3, just to be on the safe side. But the chances of a child developing Celiac Disease are still rather small so please don't panic if you have been feeding cereals to your toddlers.
Penn State published a study a few years ago that supported the idea of feeding autistic children a gluten-free and casein-free diet. Although you cannot reverse autism it may be that autistic children's symptoms are lessened with such a diet.
Glutens and caseins (proteins found in milk) may irritate the gastrointestinal system. If your children experience bloating, constipation, or diarrhea after consuming wheat, barley, rye, or milk-based products then try cutting back on those foods and see if that makes a difference. Autistic children often have GI problems, too.
We are still learning much about how foods affect our health and every new study leads to new debate but I think as the research piles up we'll eventually understand how the modern diet may be overtaxing the human system in a large segment of our population.
