The age of the introduction of gluten in children’s diets would not be in question, neither for intolerance to this protein, nor for celiac disease, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal Pediatrics.
This global study drew a parallel between the age of introduction of gluten in children in different countries and the risk of developing celiac disease.
In Sweden, children start eating gluten at 22 weeks, in Finland at 26, in the United States and Germany from 30 weeks. Over 5 years, researchers analyzed the medical data of 6,400 diabetic children from these four countries followed as part of the TEDDY study (The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young). All carried a genetic marker for celiac disease.
The results of the study revealed that the age of the first spoon of gluten was not a risk factor for intolerance to this protein or for celiac disease. In contrast, researchers assume that girls are more likely to be gluten intolerant than boys. And having a family member with celiac disease would also increase your risk of developing it.
Celiac disease in numbers
Celiac disease is a lifelong intolerance to certain protein fractions of gluten. It causes villous atrophy (destruction of the villi in the small intestine). This results in malabsorption of nutrients, especially iron, calcium and folic acid. Its symptoms are painful (chronic diarrhea, bloated stomach, anemia …) and the only treatment for celiac disease is to follow a strict gluten-free diet for life because there are no drugs today.
Today, 150,000 people suffer from this disease and according to the Association Française Des Intolérants Au Gluten (Afdiag), only 10 to 20% of patients are diagnosed in France.
Read also:
Gluten sensitivity: not to be confused with intolerance!
Gluten intolerance: a site for eating gluten free around the world!
