HEALTHY FAMILY
Should Your Child
Go Gluten-Free?
Two local dietitians explain why gluten-free diets
can cause more harm than good
F or children with celiac disease, cutting
out gluten — a protein found in wheat,
rye and barley — can prevent digestive
issues and dramatically improve quality of
life. In recent years, though, the gluten-free
diet has become a popular (albeit unproven)
remedy for health conditions ranging from
eczema to autism spectrum disorder.

Such experimentation is usually safe for
adults. But placing your child on a gluten-free
diet for reasons other than a wheat allergy or
a gluten-related medical condition can actually
cause more harm than good.

FCAFOTODIGITAL/E+ Kids need calories
Often, restricting the types of foods that
children are allowed to eat inadvertently
reduces their daily calorie intake. According
to the USDA, school-age kids require
anywhere between 1,200 and 2,600 calories
per day, depending on factors such as sex and
activity level.

“Grains provide good energy while children
are still growing and their brains are still
developing,” says Brittany Shapiro, a registered
dietitian and owner of Capital Pediatric
Nutrition in Washington, D.C. She specializes
in the treatment of food allergies, picky eating
and weight management.

Children who do not consume enough
calories each day may fail to meet developmental
milestones. They may be thinner and shorter
than expected for their age. In severe cases,
undernutrition in childhood can limit adult
height and brain growth.

“We should really reconsider making any
kind of changes that are going to negatively
affect growth — both weight and height — in
the pediatric population,” Shapiro says.

Grains are important
The USDA also recommends that school-
age children consume between four and
nine ounces of grains per day. At least half of
BY CEOLI JACOBY
consume enough of these nutrients, especially
since some of the most popular sources of
unrefined grains — like whole-wheat bread or
bran flakes — contain gluten.

“There is definitely a risk of vitamin
deficiency in simply eliminating this category
of important foods,” says Nancy Tringali Piho,
a registered dietician nutritionist at Good
Food Nutrition Group in D.C., of the gluten-
free diet.

Dietary fiber, which aids in digestion and
prevents constipation, is another component
of grains. Adults on gluten-free diets can easily
meet the recommended daily amount by
consuming high-fiber foods like beans, peas
and raspberries. However, this goal can be a
challenge for gluten-free children, who are
notoriously averse to fruits and vegetables.

“If we have a child that thrives and survives
on pasta, bread and cereal, and we have to
go gluten free, we’re going to have to work
really hard to find alternatives — and a lot
of children will reject those alternatives,”
says Shapiro.

The best way to ensure that a child’s
nutritional needs are met is to offer a variety of
foods — including wheat, rye, spelt, barley and
other gluten-containing products.

“As dietitians, we would emphasize that
there is no reason to put a child who does
not have celiac disease or a diagnosed gluten
intolerance on a gluten-free diet,” says Tringali
Piho. “This is not something that parents
should simply play around with as a test.”
The only circumstance in which parents
should take steps to remove gluten from their
child’s diet is under the supervision of the
these should be whole, or unrefined, grains. child’s medical team, which might include
Grains provide essential nutrients, including a primary care physician, an allergist or
B vitamins, that help the body release energy, a gastroenterologist.

“If their medical team thought that it was
iron that carries oxygen in the blood and
minerals such as magnesium and selenium, warranted to trial, then a dietitian should help
guide the family on how to effectively carry out
both of which promote bone health.

Children on gluten-free diets may struggle to that kind of a diet,” says Shapiro. n
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