How Low-Gluten Diets Harm Your Gut
In Malaysia, many people are choosing to eat less gluten (it is a popular diet for those with celiac disease).
How Low-Gluten Diets Harm Your Gut
In Malaysia, many people are choosing to eat less gluten (it is a popular diet for those with celiac disease).
However, recent studies show that cutting out gluten without a medical reason may actually harm your gut health. It can even change the way your body handles digestion and immunity.
Let’s take a closer look at what the research says.
Your Gut Needs Good Bacteria
Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria. These tiny organisms help your body digest food, fight off illness, and keep your stomach environment good for digestion. A healthy gut has a wide range of different bacteria. The more variety, the better.
When you follow a low-gluten or gluten-free diet, especially long term, your gut bacteria can lose this diversity. According to a study from Nutrients (2023), healthy people on a low-gluten diet showed a drop in good gut bacteria like Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. These are the same bacteria that support your immune system and reduce inflammation.
Cutting Gluten May Not Help If You’re Not Sensitive
If you do not have celiac disease or true gluten sensitivity, avoiding gluten might not do you any good. A clinical trial in Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology found that even after a gluten challenge (adding gluten back into the diet), there was no major impact on gut symptoms or bacteria among those without celiac disease. This suggests that many who go gluten-free may not actually need to.
Lack of Fiber Can Hurt Digestion
One problem with low-gluten diets is that people often avoid whole grains. Whole grains like barley and wheat are rich in prebiotics, which are food for gut bacteria. Without them, your gut microbes can suffer. A 2025 review in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology noted that people who eat less gluten tend to eat less fiber. Less fiber means less fuel for your good bacteria and weaker digestion.
A Balanced Diet is Better
The key message is this: if you don’t need to avoid gluten for medical reasons, there’s no need to feel guilty about eating it. Enjoying roti canai, whole grain breads, or mee tarik in moderation is not only okay, it may actually support your gut health.
Going low-gluten just because it sounds healthy can reduce the good bacteria in your stomach, cause fiber loss, and even affect how your immune system works. Unless a doctor tells you otherwise, it’s better to eat a balanced, fiber-rich diet with a mix of whole grains.
Low-gluten diets are often marketed as healthier or trendier. But science tells us a different story.
For most Malaysians, eating some gluten is safe and even beneficial. Don’t feel guilty about enjoying traditional foods with whole grains. Listen to your body, eat a variety of foods, and focus on balance—not fear.
Sources:
Celiac Disease Foundation: Effect of Gluten Exposure on Gut Microbiome
Science Direct: One Year of Gluten-Free Diet Impacts Gut Function and Microbiome in Celiac Disease
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