Occasional gluten not good for young coeliacs

Strict adherence to a gluten free diet has been found to be important for bone health in children and adolescents with coeliac disease. Previous work has shown that bone mineralization improves even after one year of adherence to a strict gluten-free diet but until now, the effect of occasional gluten intake, including gluten traces, was not known.

Researchers in Slovenia measured bone mineral density in 55 children and adolescents with coeliac disease who adhered to a strict gluten free diet, and compared the results with control group of 19 coeliac children and adolescents who were not on a strict gluten free diet.

A number of other parameters in relation to dietary intake of essential nutrients were also measured with results indicating that calcium intake and vitamin D levels were below recommendations in both groups.

The authors recommend calcium and vitamin D supplementation in all children and adolescents with coeliac disease in addition to adherence to a strict gluten free diet.

Reference: Blazina et al. 2010. Bone. Vol.47(3) pp. 598-603