Gluten-free products are considered healthier – even though there is no scientific evidence for this for people without celiac disease. This impression is created, among other things, by EU Regulation No. 828/2014, which allows the labeling „gluten-free“ without assuming a medical indication in the buyer. Combined with influencer communication and health media that rarely differentiate between target groups, gluten-freeness has established itself as an implicit health attribute in the market.
The data is clear. A study with around 110,000 participants, published in the British Medical Journal, found no link between gluten consumption and the risk of coronary heart disease in healthy individuals. Gluten-free products often have deficiencies in fiber, folic acid, iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. For people with celiac disease, a gluten-free diet is essential for survival – for everyone else, it is neither necessary nor risk-free.
This shows how labeling logics and market interests can legitimize a dietary trend without a scientific basis for the healthy.
Sources:
Farewell, Benjamin et al.; Long-term gluten consumption in adults without celiac disease and risk of coronary heart disease: prospective cohort study; in: BMJ 357 (2017); doi: 10.1136/bmj.j1892
Penagini, Francesca et al.; Gluten-Free Diet in Children: An Approach to a Nutritionally Adequate and Balanced Diet; in: Nutrients 5:11 (2013); doi: 10.3390/nu5114553
Vici, Giorgia et al.; Gluten-free diet and nutrient deficiencies: A review; in: Clinical Nutrition 35:6 (2016); doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2016.05.002
