Organic food consumption and Gluten-free diet, is there a link? results in French adults without celiac disease

Summary

The rising popular belief that gluten is detrimental for health has led to growth in gluten avoidance in people without celiac disease. Little information is available on their dietary profiles and their behavior regarding other specific dietary-related features. Our aim was to compare the consumption of organic foods between gluten avoiders and non-avoiders, and their places of food purchase. We described their sociodemographic and dietary profiles. The study population included participants of the NutriNet-Santé cohort who both completed a food exclusion questionnaire and an organic semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (n=23,468). Food intake and organic food consumption ratios were compared using ANCOVA models adjusted for age, sex and energy intake. Associations between gluten avoidance and organic food consumption as well as places of food purchase were investigated with multivariable logistic regression. Participants avoiding gluten were more likely to be women and had a healthier dietary profile. Organic food consumption was higher among gluten avoiders (48.50% of total diet for total avoiders, 17.38% for non-avoiders). After adjustments for confounders, organic food consumption and purchase in organic stores were positively associated with gluten avoidance: aOR Q5 vs Q1organic food=4.95, 95% CI=3.70-6.63 and aOR organic stores vs supermarkets=1.82, 95% CI=1.42-2.33 for total avoiders. Our study highlights that individuals who avoid gluten are high organic consumers and frequently purchase their foods in organic stores which propose an extended offer of gluten-free food. Further research is needed to determine the underlying common motivations and the temporality of the dietary behaviors of healthy people avoiding gluten.