So You Really Shouldn’t Go Gluten-Free Unless You Have Celiac Disease, According To A New Study

Chances are you know someone who swears by a gluten-free diet—maybe you’ve even been eschewing bread and pasta yourself. For people with celiac disease, it’s a medical necessity. But for the rest of us? A new study says by going gluten-free you may be doing more harm than good.

According to a study published in BMJ , people who go gluten-free likely decrease the amount of whole grains they consume, which can potentially increase their risk for heart disease. (It should be noted that gluten-free whole grains do exist.) Analyzing data from 64,714 women and 45,303 men without a history of coronary heart disease over a 26-year period, researchers—while acknowledging that additional data is needed—highly discourage a gluten-free diet for people who don’t have celiac.

That said, it’s important to take these kinds of studies with a grain of salt (or quinoa, as it were).