New Study Suggests Too Much Gluten May Cause Celiac Disease In Babies

A series of studies, known as the TEDDY project (The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young), collects data from children with a genetic risk of celiac disease. A recent TEDDY study in Sweden found that children who ate more than 5 grams of gluten per day "were more than twice as likely to develop celiac disease than those who ate less," Food Navigator reported.

Despite the popularly held belief that introducing gluten before 17 weeks or after 26 weeks is linked to the development of celiac disease, the TEDDY study found no such link. Collected data has also debunked a theory that breastfeeding at optimal durations lowers the risk for celiac disease.

"Our findings indicate that the amount of gluten triggers the disease," Carin Andrén Aronsson, study unit manager from Lund University, said. "These findings may be taken into account for future infant feeding recommendations."

Further studies on the subject matter and more precisely determining the significance of diet on developing celiac disease will allow doctors to make more personalized recommendations rather than general dietary guidelines.