HYDERABAD: A study on the prevalence of gluten intolerance shows that more than 10% of the general population suffers from the condition, which if ignored can lead to intestinal cancer and heart disease. The finding, experts said clearly indicates that gluten sensitivity is far more prevalent than it was hitherto suspected. There is no cure for gluten sensitivity and the only treatment is to follow a gluten-free diet, according to doctors.

The finding, an offshoot of a diabetes research project taken up by the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (Nims) revealed that about 10% of the studied population, tested positive for ciliac sprue, the medical term for the condition.

"The people who tested positive for ciliac sprue were oblivious of their condition. They should therefore take precautions by following a gluten free diet otherwise they are prone to life threatening conditions including celiac disease and heart disease," said Dr P V Rao, head, endocrinology, Nims.

As part of the study, the team of researchers screened 300 members of the weaver community for diabetes, hypertension, auto immunity and obesity. Gluten is a protein naturally found in grains including wheat, barley and rye. However, it is also often added to many processed foods, used as an additive and even forms part of the recipe for certain cosmetics. There are many who test negative for celiac disease but may experience a condition called gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity, experts said.

The latest study comes a year after Nims conducted an inhouse screening of 298 children and 318 adults with diabetes for gluten sensitivity. About 16% of the tested population tested positive for celiac sprue. Their cases were presented in American Diabetic Association annual meeting in Chicago last year.

According to Dr Rao, all processed foods have gluten which if consumed by persons with gluten intolerance can damage their intestinal tissue. "Instead of breaking complex foods into simple sugars, fatty acids and amino acids, the complex foods directly cross over the intestinal barriers and enter the liver and therefore further damage the internal organs," he said.

Researchers said the persons screened were found to have secondary affects like diabetes and high fat content in the blood. Sprue symptoms are normally reported only in small children (below five years age group) including pain and swelling of abdomen and loose motions, they said. "People are increasingly moving from rice to wheat but wheat cannot be the panacea for all diabetics," one expert said.

