News
Coeliac Disease, Why?
According to a new study, it is not timing that can trigger coeliac disease, it’s quantity.
One of the main theories about why children become gluten intolerant suggests that the problem could be due to an early stop to breastfeeding, or no breastfeeding at all, with children exposed too early to gluten. The onset of intolerance could actually be triggered by the excessive quantity of gluten introduced at once in the babies’ diet.
The Teddy Project, a joint venture between universities in Sweden, Finland, Germany and the US, studied the development of nearly 9,000 children in the participating countries. It is the amount introduced to children's diets that matters, says lead researcher Carin Andrén Aronsson of Lund University, with large amounts being the biggest risk factor.
It is still unknown why coeliac disease occurs. Research to date has focused on early dietary habits and factors such as breast-feeding and geographical origin to shed light on the condition.
Currently, the only effective treatment for coeliac disease is to adhere to a gluten-free diet.
One of the main theories about why children become gluten intolerant suggests that the problem could be due to an early stop to breastfeeding, or no breastfeeding at all, with children exposed too early to gluten. The onset of intolerance could actually be triggered by the excessive quantity of gluten introduced at once in the babies’ diet.
The Teddy Project, a joint venture between universities in Sweden, Finland, Germany and the US, studied the development of nearly 9,000 children in the participating countries. It is the amount introduced to children's diets that matters, says lead researcher Carin Andrén Aronsson of Lund University, with large amounts being the biggest risk factor.
It is still unknown why coeliac disease occurs. Research to date has focused on early dietary habits and factors such as breast-feeding and geographical origin to shed light on the condition.
Currently, the only effective treatment for coeliac disease is to adhere to a gluten-free diet.