Micronutrient Analysis of Gluten-Free Products: Their Low Content Is Not Involved in Gluten-Free Diet Imbalance in a Cohort of Celiac Children and Adolescent

Abstract

Data about the nutritional composition of gluten-free products (GFP) are still limited. Most studies are based on ingredient and nutrition information described on the food label. However, analytical determination is considered the gold standard for compositional analysis of food. Micronutrient analytical content differences were observed in a selection of GF breads, flakes and pasta, when compared with their respective gluten-containing counterparts. In general terms, lower iron, piridoxin, riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, folate, manganese and vitamin B5 can be underlined. Variations in biotin and vitamin E content differed among groups. In order to clarify the potential contribution of the GFP to the gluten-free diet’s (GFD) micronutrient shortages, analytical data were used to evaluate GFD in a cohort of celiac children and adolescent. Participants did not reach recommendations for vitamin A, vitamin E, folic acid, vitamin D, biotin, iodine, and copper. It does not seem that the lower micronutrient content of the analyzed GFP groups contributed to the micronutrient deficits detected in GFD in this cohort, whose diet was not balanced. Nevertheless, GFP fortification for folate and biotin is proposed to prevent the deficiencies observed in GFD, at least in the case of pediatric celiac disease.

Updated Food Composition Database for Cereal-Based Gluten Free Products in Spain: Is Reformulation Moving on?

“…More importantly, access to such data is even more restricted, since there is a broad lack of micronutrient data in food composition tables, databases, and food labels. This statement warrants the need of providing new data on mineral and vitamins in GF food products, to complete food composition tables or databases, to cover regulatory purposes, and/or to assess population dietary intakes [ 12 ]. Composition data are useful to evaluate the adequacy of nutrient intake of celiac patients, on which the debate is still open, and are, therefore, strongly needed [ 13 ].…”

New Software for Gluten-Free Diet Evaluation and Nutritional Education

“…Furthermore, the role of GFP in the diet should not be forgotten. After demonstrating that nutritional composition of GFP differed from that of their gluten-containing analogues [9], this has been a matter of concern for our group [17]. For all of these reasons, the aim of the present work was to create a software containing the nutritional composition of GFPs that could help people with celiac disease and their clinicians in the design and evaluation of a balanced gluten-free diet (GFD).…”

Nutritional Value of Grain-Based Foods

“…They compared the data with equivalent gluten-containing products and were able to produce a research article on micronutrient analysis of gluten-free products. Their low content was not involved in gluten-free diet imbalance in a cohort of celiac children and adolescents [17]. Micronutrient analytical content differences (minerals and vitamins) were observed in gluten-free products when compared with their gluten-containing counterparts.…”