Gluten-Free Cereal Products and Beverages: A Review of Their Health Benefits in the Last Five Years

Abstract

In the past decades, food products and beverages made from gluten-free cereals were initially created for certain groups of people who experience gluten-related disorders such as wheat allergies, gluten ataxia, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and the most well-known, celiac disease. Nowadays, the consumption of gluten-free products is not only restricted to targeted groups, but it has become a food trend for normal consumers, especially in countries such as the UK, the US, and some European countries, who believe that consuming a gluten-free product is a healthier choice compared to normal gluten-containing products. However, some research studies have disapproved of this claim because the currently available gluten-free products in the market are generally known to be lower in proteins, vitamins, and minerals and to contain higher lipids, sugar, and salt compared to their gluten-containing counterparts. The use of other gluten-free cereals such as sorghum, millet, and teff as well as pseudo cereals such as buckwheat and quinoa has gained significant interest in research in terms of their various potential health benefits. Hence, this review highlights the potential health benefits of some gluten-free cereals and pseudo cereals apart from corn and rice in the last decade. The potential health benefits of gluten-free products such as bread, pasta, crackers, and cookies and the health benefits of some other non-alcoholic beverages made from gluten-free cereals and pseudo cereals are reported.

The ultra-processed foods hypothesis: a product processed well beyond the basic ingredients in the package

“…Notably, vitamin D intake from unfortified foods or as derived from sunlight exposure and the folate contents of/intakes from vegetables are almost always inadequate (30) to produce similar health effects to fortified foods (31)(32)(33) , meaning that national public health policies often focus on fortification and/or supplementation of diets (27,34) . Also worthy of mention are special foods for people who are lactose intolerant or living with coeliac disease or children with inborn genetic diseases, which are often lifesaving but require application of specialised food processing techniques (35) . Dietary fibre provides another example, where benefits for gut health, heart health (36) and protection against some forms of cancer are notable yet intakes often fall below dietary recommendations (37) .…”

Safety Assessment of Foods and Drinks Consumed by People on a Gluten-Free Diet

“…Many studies emphasize the importance of healthy and tasty GF products, which the food industry has been invited to produce [ 17 , 48 ]. There are many potential health benefits of consuming gluten-free cereal products and beverages made from cereals or pseudo-cereals.…”

“…There are many potential health benefits of consuming gluten-free cereal products and beverages made from cereals or pseudo-cereals. Cereals and pseudo-cereals such as millet, sorghum, teff, quinoa and buckwheat have the potential to increase the nutritional components and health benefits of products such as pasta, bread, cookies, crackers and other unmentioned products that utilize gluten-free grains as their raw ingredients [ 3 , 17 ].…”

“…According to Myhrstad et al, the cost of this diet ranges from 46 to 443% more than a regular diet [ 13 ], and Fry et al reported that gluten-free products had a 159% higher price compared to regular gluten-containing foods [ 15 ]. Many scientists believe that the choice of naturally gluten-free raw materials is the best alternative both in terms of health and economy [ 3 , 17 ]. The most prominent autoimmune gluten-related disorder is CD, which is increasing worldwide in incidence by 1–2% [ 18 , 19 , 20 ].…”

Abscisic Acid Perception and Signaling in Chenopodium quinoa

“…Quinoa seeds contain high protein levels, and also provide all essential amino acids, in contrast to cereals [5]. Moreover, this pseudocereal is suitable for gluten-free diets, for instance for people with celiac disease [6]. Even more, cooked quinoa seeds have a low glycaemic index (GI), in the range from 35-53 [7].…”