A new study suggests that a gluten-free diet may pose serious health risks, after finding that the eating pattern may raise the risk of exposure to arsenic and mercury.

Share on Pinterest Researchers suggest that a gluten-free diet may increase the risk of arsenic and mercury exposure.

Study co-author Maria Argos, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), and colleagues recently reported their findings in the journal Epidemiology.

A gluten-free diet excludes foods that contain gluten – a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, as well as the byproducts of these grains.

For people with celiac disease – an autoimmune condition whereby gluten intake leads to intestinal damage – a gluten-free diet is the only treatment for the condition.

However, according to a 2012 survey, around 28-30 percent of us restrict our gluten intake or avoid consuming the protein completely, even in the absence of gluten sensitivities.

Rice flour is a common substitute for gluten in many gluten-free products. Argos and colleagues point out that rice can bioaccumulate arsenic, mercury, and other potentially harmful toxic metals from water, soil, or fertilizers.

Exposure to these metals has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other diseases.

“Despite such a dramatic shift in the diet of many Americans, little is known about how gluten-free diets might affect exposure to toxic metals found in certain foods,” note the authors.