Study: Kissing after gluten is safe for people with celiac disease

Patients with celiac disease can breathe a sigh of relief: a kiss from a partner, even after a gluten-filled sandwich, seems to be safe, especially if the person who ate the glutenous food drinks water before the kiss.

According to Discover Magazine, researchers conducted two experiments with 10 couples, each with one partner having celiac disease, to investigate gluten transfer during kissing. In each session of the study, the non-celiac partner consumed 10 salty crackers and then kissed their partner for 10 seconds.

“In one session, the partners waited five minutes before kissing; in another, they drank half a glass of water before kissing,” the study reported. Researchers measured the gluten transfer by analyzing the saliva of the partner with celiac disease. They found that although gluten was present after kissing a partner who had consumed gluten-rich foods, the amount was less than 20 parts per million, which is considered safe and allowed in gluten-free products, as required by the Food and Drug Administration.

“For clinicians, we can now say to patients, ‘You don’t have to go to extreme measures,'” stated Dr. Anne Lee, assistant professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University, according to Discover Magazine. She added that patients with celiac disease can relax more knowing that the risk of gluten cross-contact through kissing can be reduced to safe levels if the eating is followed by a small glass of water.

The study will be presented at Digestive Disease Week, the largest international gathering of physicians and researchers in gastroenterology. Prior to the research, there was no scientific evidence regarding gluten transmission through kissing, leaving healthcare providers to advise patients based on best judgment.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder where the body cannot tolerate gluten, a protein found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye. Ingesting gluten causes intestinal damage in people with celiac disease, even if it doesn’t trigger immediate symptoms, and even a tiny crumb of gluten can cause harm. Symptoms can include digestive problems, such as abdominal pain, indigestion, and diarrhea, and untreated cases can lead to additional gut symptoms like bloating and flatulence.

Partners of people with celiac disease have expressed concern about inadvertently transferring gluten via kissing, leading to anxiety about whether gluten can pass through contact with the lips of a partner who has just consumed a snack rich in gluten. “Love and kisses, some of life’s greatest pleasures, can bring unexpected concerns for people with celiac disease,” the study notes.

“The advice we gave about kissing and celiac disease was based on precautions and assumptions. We used our best judgment. I thought it was important to investigate whether there were actually risks,” stated Lee, according to Discover Magazine.

The findings showed that in both scenarios and for the majority of participants, the gluten amount detected was minimal—under 20 parts per million, well below the level that is intolerable to people with celiac disease. Only two of the 20 kisses studied resulted in gluten concentrations above the acceptable threshold, and neither of these kisses occurred after water was consumed.

“This is at least one thing we can say is not something you have to worry about. Go ahead and kiss,” added Lee, according to NBC News.

Understanding how gluten is transmitted through kisses can be useful for people with gluten intolerance or sensitivity, who may experience symptoms like bloating, fatigue, or mental fog after exposure to gluten.

Dr. Joseph Murray, a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic who was not involved in the research, said, “Gluten exposure has to be at a certain threshold for someone with celiac disease to react. It looks like for most of these people it was well below this threshold,” according to NBC News.

The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.

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