Gluten free diet and nutrient gaps in celiac disease
What it found
In people with celiac disease, a gluten free diet was low in fibre and several vitamins and minerals, and meals tended to have a higher glycemic index and glycemic load.
It was also higher in saturated and hydrogenated fats.
What they found
Studies in people
Low in fibre
The gluten free diet was low in fibre. This is partly because people avoid grains, which are naturally rich in fibre, and because gluten free products are often made with starches or refined flours that contain little fibre.
Low in vitamins
The diet was also low in vitamin D, vitamin B12 and folate.
Low in minerals
It was low in iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium as well.
Unbalanced macronutrients
People on the diet often focused so much on avoiding gluten that they paid less attention to the nutritional quality of what they chose. Meals had more saturated and hydrogenated fats and a higher glycemic index and glycemic load.
What the authors conclude
“Despite the GF-diet is necessary in celiac disease treatment and the attention is on gluten avoidance, the evaluation of nutritional quality of the diet must be considered.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say that even though a gluten free diet is necessary in celiac disease, the nutritional quality of the diet must be considered.
- They suggest that educational strategies based on the relationship between nutrients, food and human health could be developed to improve treatment for celiac patients.
How it was done
The only treatment for celiac disease is lifelong avoidance of gluten. The authors wanted to check whether that diet still gives people the nutrients they need.
They searched two medical databases for articles published between 1990 and 2015 on the nutritional quality of a gluten free diet.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This review pulls together findings from other studies, so it cannot prove that a gluten free diet itself causes these nutrient gaps.
- It does not say how much of each nutrient a person would need to add, or whether supplements would help.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Camerino, Italy
The paper
- Title
- Gluten free diet and nutrient deficiencies: A review
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Vici G, Belli L, Biondi M, Polzonetti V (2016). Gluten free diet and nutrient deficiencies: A review. Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland). doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2016.05.002PubMed 27211234DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error