“Gluten-free” May Cost Your Microbes - Probiotics

“Gluten-free” May Cost Your Microbes

International Probiotics Association

How did gluten become such a pariah? With its presence blamed for common gut problems, gluten has been swept from parts of the marketplace. However, for better or worse, eliminating components or categories of foods from diets will impact health. Even short-term changes in diet were shown to alter the gut microbiota structure.  Studies revealed that a gluten-free diet also caused a reduction in beneficial bacteria.

Eliminating gluten in daily diets may be necessary, as in celiac disease. Or it may be a choice predicated on probable cause. Either way, beneficial microbes may suffer. Replenishing with supplements may be advised.

On the flip side, probiotic therapy may bolster immune and gut health, lessening the impact of gluten and reducing need for such a restrictive diet. One delicious alternative could be sourdough bread; organisms in the fermented dough degrade gluten.

Get the full story here:  http://internationalprobiotics.org/gluten-free-may-cost-your-microbes/