Can Sharing a Kiss Lead to Gluten Transfer?
People with celiac disease shouldn't worry too much about sharing a kiss with someone who just ate food containing gluten, a small study found. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study with 10 couples — one partner with celiac disease and one without.
To test variations in gluten content in saliva, the partner without celiac disease received a gluten load (10 crackers with 59,107 ppm or 590 mg gluten) and provided a saliva sample after four different protocols: After waiting 5, 15, and 30 minutes, and after immediately drinking 4 oz of water without waiting.
There were two protocols to test gluten transfer via kissing: Waiting 5 minutes after gluten ingestion and then kissing and drinking 4 oz of water after gluten ingestion and then kissing without waiting. The couples were instructed to kiss with an open mouth for at least 1 minute, involving the tongue and saliva transfer.
In the two kissing protocols, saliva was collected from the partner with celiac disease immediately after the kiss.
Urine was tested for gluten absorption each evening and the morning after each kissing exposure. TAKEAWAY: Gluten was detectable in the saliva of the partner without celiac disease in all protocols, though not at worrisome levels, according to the authors.
Levels of gluten for the participants with celiac disease varied from < 5 ppm to 153.9 ppm; however, only two exposures resulted in levels > 20 ppm.
One positive urine test was found in the evening the day of a gluten exposure; the saliva concentration in the partner with celiac disease was 153.9 ppm; all other urine tests were negative.
Participants with celiac disease reported no symptoms at 6 and 12 hours after the kiss. IN PRACTICE:
'Patients with celiac disease can be more relaxed, knowing that the risk of gluten cross-contact through kissing a partner who has consumed gluten can be brought down to safe levels if food is followed by a small glass of water,' the lead author said in a press communication. SOURCE:
Anne Lee, PhD, assistant professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University, New York City, presented the study at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2025. LIMITATIONS:
This was a small study, not yet published, and without data in the abstract on patient demographics, characteristics, and other factors that may have influenced the findings. DISCLOSURES:
No funding information was provided. Lee disclosed no conflicts of interest.
Medscape Medical News © 2025 WebMD, LLC
Cite this: Can Sharing a Kiss Lead to Gluten Transfer? - Medscape - May 05, 2025.
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