The science is in - why gluten sensitivity is probably fake
Unless you have celiac disease, your sensitivity to 'gluten' probably has nothing to do with gluten at all
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Unless you have Celiac Disease, your sensitivity to “gluten” probably has nothing to do with gluten at all. Following is the transcript of the video.
Your gluten sensitivity may not be caused by gluten. A recent study shows that the real culprit could be fructan. Fructan is a type of carbohydrate. You can find it in grains like wheat, rye, and barley. But it's also in gluten-free foods like agave, artichokes, asparagus, garlic, leeks, and onion.
Researchers put fructan and gluten to the test with 59 people. The people weren't allergic to gluten but they ate gluten-free due to digestion sensitivity.
Over six weeks, all participants tried three different muesli bars: Bar one: Contained gluten, bar two: Contained fructan, and bar three: No gluten or fructan.
Participants rated how each bar affected their digestion. Here's how the bars stacked up: 24 people experienced the most discomfort from the fructan bar. 22 people experience the most discomfort from the placebo. 13 people experienced the most discomfort from the gluten bar.
This was a small study, but it's the latest in a growing body of research. The take-home message? We may have been wrong about gluten all along.
• Why bottled water is one of the biggest scams of the century
• This 12-year-old came up with a way to stop allergies before they star
• Millennium Falcon found on Google Maps
Read the original article on Business Insider UK. © 2016. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments