Gluten Replacement Nutrition Boost

Replacing standard gluten-free flours with those made from grains like oats and quinoa may improve the nutritional profiles, says a new US study.

According to researchers from the Coeliac Disease Centre at Columbia University in New York, substituting with alternative flour sources improved intakes of protein, iron, calcium and fibre.

“By adding three servings of gluten-free alternative grains, the nutrients (fiber, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate and iron) are improved,” observed the study, led by Anne Lee, in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. “By adding the alternative grains, the amount of protein, fat and calories from these foods would also be added to the diet.”

Lee and her co-workers performed a retrospective review of the diet history of 50 randomly selected people with coeliac disease in order to establish a ‘standard’ gluten-free dietary pattern. Analysis of this pattern revealed that almost 40 per cent of meals and snacks contained no grains, while of the 60 per cent containing grains, rice was the grain most often used.

The dieticians then devised an ‘alternative’ gluten-free dietary pattern by incorporating grains that were naturally gluten-free, or gluten-free products made from ‘alternative’ flours, including oats, quinoa, and high fibre gluten-free bread. “The inclusion of alternative grains or grain products provided a higher nutrient profile compared to the standard gluten-free dietary pattern,” reported the study.

“The grains used in the present study are widely available and often were less expensive. Therefore, altering the grain in the diet could potentially increase dietary compliance by reducing the economic burden of the diet.

“Because the present study focused only on the nutritional analyses of the two diets, the impact of the alternative pattern on dietary compliance, patient acceptability and long-term nutritional status warrant further study.”

The findings could lead to enhanced products for the growing gluten-free food market. Coeliac sufferers need to avoid gluten in their diet and other sectors of the population are also choosing to follow a gluten-free diet. However, there have been concerns that some gluten-free products made with rice, corn and potato flour and xanthan or guar gum to improve texture have sub-optimal levels of essential nutrients.