Researchers at the University of Roehampton, South West London, are looking for volunteers with coeliac disease to take part in a study examining the effects of so-called gluten friendly bread on gut health and the inflammatory / immune responses.
What is gluten friendly bread?
It’s bread made from flour milled from hydrated wheat grain to which microwave energy has been applied. The energy ensures very high temperatures are reached, at which point a chemical reaction occurs which alters the gluten proteins, reducing their reactive potential, but without compromising the characteristics exploited in the manufacture of baked goods.
One of the researchers told us that the resulting flour “might be considered a very low gluten content flour (20-40ppm gluten)”, which of course cannot be deemed gluten free, but it is believed that the modification of the proteins renders them unrecognisable to the immune system of coeliacs.
You can read more about it here.
Who are the researchers looking for?
Biopsy-confirmed coeliacs aged 30-70, living within an hour of Roehampton (Nr Putney, SW15), who have been on a gluten-free diet for at least a year, and do not have extremely high sensitivity to gluten.
What will be required?
Initially, during assessment visit, completion of health questionnaire, consent form signature.
If accepted, you’ll be randomly allocated to consume either gluten friendly bread (portion containing either 1.5g, 3g or 6g gluten) or the placebo / control bread – to be consumed daily alongside your regular diet.
You will need to keep a five-day food/drink diary before the study begins, and a stool log for the study duration.
Five further appointments, with blood, stool and urine samples required, between November 2016 and March 2017.
How do I find out more?
Email Triana Bergillos-Meca, Postdoctoral Research Assistant, at triana.bergillos-meca@roehampton.ac.uk or Dr Adele Costabile, Lecturer in Nutrition, at adele.costabile@roehampton.ac.uk