A new study reveals that including significant portions of gluten in infants starting at four months old could help prevent the development of coeliac disease. The research was recently published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics as a part of the Enquiring About Tolerance (EAT) Study.
American and British researchers collaborated in the study to discover how coeliac disease can be prevented. In the UK, nearly 1% of the population is affected by the condition. In the United States, about three million people have coeliac disease and over 90% of cases remain undiagnosed.
Coeliac disease or gluten intolerance occurs when the immune system attacks tissue cells when gluten is consumed. This causes damage in the small intestine and results in a variety of symptoms such as indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, and stomach aches.
Gluten is found in the cereals wheat, barley, and rye. Symptoms could be triggered by the consumption of foods containing these cereals such as pasta, bread, and beer.
A blood test can identify if a person has a gluten intolerance. Typically, children as young as two or three years old can be tested for the disease after experiencing symptoms.
Gluten intolerance can also complicate health with other diseases and conditions. In a study from 1999, researchers discovered that children diagnosed with coeliac disease at age two to four had a 10.5% chance of developing an autoimmune disorder.
Early Introduction of Gluten
The EAT Study included 1,303 children from England and Wales between 2009 and 2012. By 2018, a total of 1404 children were tested for antibodies that indicate coeliac disease.
Some of the children had early consumption of gluten at four months old. They were compared to children who consumed breast milk only until six months old and those who avoided food they were allergic to. Those that consumed gluten were given four grams of wheat protein each weak in the form of Weetabix and another wheat-based cereal.
The results of the study showed that those who consumed gluten after six months had higher chances of developing coeliac disease as early as three years old. Seven out of 516 children that consumed gluten later the other group developed gluten-intolerance. On the other hand, none out of 488 children that consumed wheat-based cereal as early as four months old developed the disease.
Applying the Same Method to other Autoimmune Diseases
Professor Gideon Lack from King's College London shared that their study is the first to provide evidence that early consumption of gluten before six months old has a significant impact on preventing coeliac disease later on. Perhaps the same "strategy may also have implications for other autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes," rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Dr. Kirsty Logan, also from King's College London said that further investigations need to be made on how the early introduction of gluten affects the prevention of coeliac disease and other autoimmune diseases. They hope to conduct larger clinical trials in the future.
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