Gluten free diets are on the rise, not just in the general population, but in women trying to
conceive and expectant mum's too. While this diet is an absolute must for those
with coeliac disease, is it a diet that everyone should be adopting? Keep watching to find out!
My name is Melanie McGrice, and as a dietitian with a focus on pregnancy and infant nutrition,
I understand the long-term impact of a mother's diet on her growing baby. That's why I've made
it my mission to assist moms in making informed choices during the first thousand days of life.
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, and should be completely avoided by
people with coeliac disease because when they consume gluten, an autoimmune reaction to the
gluten causes damage to the small intestine, leading to nutrient malabsorption and a host
of health problems including symptoms such as diarrhoea, bloating and/or stomach ache.
Sometimes, these gastrointestinal symptoms don't occur and the only
manifestation is secondary disorders such as osteoporosis, anaemia or infertility.
The link between coeliac disease and fertility is being explored
but it's thought that when a person is undiagnosed and continues to eat gluten,
the nutrient malabsorption they experience may play a role in their fertility status.
As up to 30% of infertility cases are unexplained, many researchers believe
that a significant portion of these couples may have undiagnosed coeliac disease. This link has
spread like wild-fire leading the public to jump on gluten free diets as a 'cure' for infertility.
For mum's-to-be with coeliac disease, continuing to consume gluten can also lead to a higher risk
of miscarriage, preterm birth, and low birth weight. Good quality research, however, does
show us that an early diagnosis of coeliac disease minimises these risks. In addition to this, some
animal research also suggests that if a mum with coeliac disease follows a strict gluten free diet,
then she may minimise the risk of celiac disease in her baby (who is genetically predisposed).
Hearing this kind of research could scare any mum into avoiding gluten,
because the harm seems bigger than just cutting out this single ingredient.
But going gluten-free also comes with some risks, especially if it's not properly planned.
For example, gluten is often found in foods that are rich in nutrients
that are important for critical periods of bub's development and growth such as folate.
Folate is needed in adequate amounts to help the neural tube close in the early weeks of pregnancy;
not consuming enough can lead to neural tube defects such as spina bifida.
Another important nutrient that may be missing, includes fibre.
This is because grains are naturally rich in fibre and gluten-free foods are often made from lower
fibre starch or refined flours. This lack of fibre can have a number of detrimental effects; not only
is fibre important for regular bowel movements, but some preliminary research has linked a low
maternal fibre intake with an increased risk for coeliac disease in her offspring!
Choosing more processed gluten-free foods can also lead to an insufficient intake
of other important nutrients such as vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium.
If you do need to follow a gluten free diet, your best bet is to choose a variety of whole,
minimally processed foods that are gluten free over their highly processed counterparts.
Some great nutrient dense options include fruits, vegetables, lean proteins,
and naturally gluten-free grains such as quinoa, brown rice, and millet.
It is also important to note that if you do actually have coeliac disease and are
on a gluten-free diet, it will be impossible to diagnose (because the diagnosis involves
looking for antibodies, which won't be made if you're not consuming gluten).
Meaning that for a positive diagnosis, you'd need to go back to eating gluten for a while.
At the end of the day, going gluten free is a must for some but if you
suspect you have coeliac disease, you should get it checked out before you go
gluten free and should change your diet with the help of a dietitian to ensure
that that you're not missing anything vital that could hurt you or your bub.
If you have any questions, please pop them into the comment box below or send me a query on any
of my social media channels. Don't forget to subscribe to my channel to get notifications for
any new videos so that you can keep up to date on the latest and greatest prenatal research!
I hope you enjoyed this video and I look forward to seeing you in the next one!