Gluten-free warning: Ditching bread could knock YEARS off your life

A study published in the British Medical Journal has discovered ditching whole grains could shorten your life by putting you at greater risk of death from cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.

Whole grains – which include whole-wheat bread, rye and barley – boost your heart health, according to the group of scientists from Harvard and Columbia University.

Indeed, they found for every three additional servings per day of whole grains there was a 25 per cent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

Their research, conducted over 26 years, confirms for the first time that ditching gluten when you don’t suffer from coeliac disease has no benefits to your heart.

Before now there had been no conclusive information about the link between whole grains and mortality.

But in this study the researchers found people who avoided fibre-rich whole grains missed out on several health benefits, and increased their consumption of refined grains.

They discovered those who ate the lowest dietary gluten had a 15 per cent higher risk of heart disease.

This contradicts the common belief that going gluten-free has its own health benefits.

It’s true for coeliac sufferers who can reduce inflammation, intestinal damage and increased risk of heart disease, but for most people it’s unnecessary and possibly harmful.

It’s unclear what this means for those with non-coeliac gluten sensitivity, which a 2016 study by Columbia University found existed.

Sales of gluten-free foods rose by 12.6 per cent in 2016.

However, only one per cent of the population is actually diagnosed with coeliac disease, although it’s thought there are thousands living with the condition undiagnosed.

Sources of gluten-free fibrous grains include brown rice, buckwheat and quinoa.

According to the Whole Grains Council, other benefits of whole grains include reduce risk of type 2 diabetes and better weight management.

It can also reduce risk of asthma, lower likelihood of colorectal cancer and lessen gum disease and tooth loss.

However, you can develop coeliac disease at any time – a recent study by the University of Chicago found having a cold was enough to trigger it.

Symptoms include diarrhoea, problems digesting food and itchy rashes.