Is a gluten-free diet healthy, or really just a fad? WSJ investigates.

Is the Gluten-Free diet healthy or just a fad?

SHOPPERS are paying higher prices for trendy gluten-free foods with little or no nutritional difference to regular products, health researchers warn.

The biggest Australian study of its kind of thousands of supermarket items found getting on the gluten-free bandwagon for no medical reason, just a belief the foods are healthier, is misguided.

Marketers cashing in on the fad are even slapping gluten-free labels on goods such as sausages, salami, hot dogs, and corn and potato chips that don’t naturally contain gluten.

A gluten-free diet is necessary for coeliac disease sufferers but there is also a “tidal wave” of demand from other consumers dumping, said Dr Jason Wu, study lead author and George Institute for Global Health senior research fellow.

“The foods can be significantly more expensive and are very trendy to eat, but we discovered a negligible difference when looking at their overall nutrition,” Dr Wu said.

“Consumption of GF products is unlikely to provide health benefits, unless there is clear evidence of coeliac disease, gluten intolerance or allergy to gluten-containing

grains.”

Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley and oats.

The George Institute and University of Sydney study, published in the latest British Journal of Nutrition, evaluated 3213 packaged products in 2013.

Bread, breakfast cereal, dry pasta, cereal bars, cakes, sweet biscuits, ice cream, potato chips, processed meats and lollies were assessed.

Gluten-free pasta had an average 52 per cent less protein and breads had 32 per cent less.

Dr Wu said gluten-free dry pasta scored nearly 0.5 fewer health stars than non-GF products, while there was no significant difference for breads or breakfast cereals.

Staple foods had similar saturated fat and total sugar to standard products, contrary to overseas research suggesting manufacturers increased these to compensate for lost taste.

Gluten-free breads had higher dietary fibre, while breakfast cereals had less. Gluten-free cakes featured lower saturated fat levels, but higher sugar.

Gluten-free ice cream, corn chips, potato chips and lollies had higher health star ratings, however their overall nutritional quality remained poor.

“One of the main concerns is the ‘health halo’ effect where if you label something as healthy there is a risk people will eat more of it, especially if it is gluten-free junk food,” Dr Wu said.

Despite only 1 per cent of Australians being diagnosed with coeliac disease, more than one in 10 adults follows a gluten-free or wheat avoidance diet, a food science conference heard last year.

karen.collier@news.com.au. Twitter: @KarenCollierHS