Evaluation of gluten exclusion for the improvement of rheumatoid arthritis in adults

Abstract

There is currently a growing anti-gluten trend which, except for individuals with coeliac disease and non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) for whom its intake is contraindicated, results in gluten (the main protein in wheat and other cereals) being considered harmful to health and excluded from diets, largely due to information distributed through social networks. However, in many cases the recommendation to exclude gluten from the diet goes beyond personal choice and is promoted by health professionals. This choice and/or recommendation is especially important to individuals with chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), for which this exclusion is justified to reduce the symptoms of the disease. The aim of this literature review is to assess whether there is scientific evidence to justify the elimination of gluten in patients with RA, neither coeliac nor with NCGS, to improve their symptoms and quality of life. The results of the search on gluten and RA carried out in the Embase database and the extraction of data from 16 articles included in the review are presented. No scientific evidence was found to recommend the exclusion of gluten in patients with RA.