
Diverse Early-Life Diet Linked to Lower Celiac Disease Risk
Greater food variety in a child's second year of life — but not healthy eating — was linked to a reduced subsequent risk for celiac disease.
METHODOLOGY:
Researchers analysed data from an observational, longitudinal, population-based cohort study in Norway to examine associations between dietary diversity and healthy eating in the second year of life and the subsequent risk for celiac disease.
Pregnant women were invited to participate between 1999 and 2008, and dietary data of toddlers were collected from their caregivers at 18 months of age.
They used the dietary diversity score (0-4) to assess variation in dietary intake and the Healthy Eating Index (0-36) to assess children's diet quality, with higher scores indicating more varied diets and healthier foods, respectively.
The diagnosis of celiac disease was on the basis of registry data and responses to questionnaires collected at ages 7 and 8 years regarding the presence of celiac disease.
TAKEAWAY:
Of 64,536 children followed up to a mean age of 16.1 years, 1033 (1.6%; 60.4% girls) were diagnosed with celiac disease (mean age at diagnosis, 8.6 years).
Higher dietary diversity at 18 months of age was associated with a lower subsequent risk for celiac disease (adjusted odds ratio per SD increase, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.85-0.98) after adjusting for gluten intake, iron supplementation, and early-life infections.
No significant association was found between healthy eating and the subsequent risk for celiac disease.
IN PRACTICE:
"These findings may indicate an interplay between the variation of the diet, gluten amounts, and infections as part of the celiac disease exposome that should be further investigated," the authors wrote.
SOURCE:
This study was led by Elin M. Hård af Segerstad, PhD, Department of Pediatric Research, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. It was published online on July 16, 2025, in Clinical Nutrition.
LIMITATIONS:
The 18-month dietary questionnaire provided limited and variable detail across food groups. Levels of food processing and saturated fat intake were not considered. Participant selection was skewed towards more educated women with healthier eating habits, potentially introducing bias.
DISCLOSURES:
This study was supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program. One author was supported by the South East Norway Health Authorities. The cohort study was supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services and the Ministry of Education and Research. The authors reported having no conflicts of interest.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pharmacy warning of unsustainable demand for weight loss medication
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has issued a warning that the burgeoning demand for weight loss injections may be unsustainable, citing a significant mismatch between public interest and clinical suitability for the treatments. The NPA, which represents over 6,000 independent community pharmacies, highlighted this concern. A poll commissioned by the association revealed that 21 per cent of respondents had attempted to access weight loss treatments in the past year, either online or directly from a pharmacy. This figure surged to 35 per cent among 16 to 34-year-olds, contrasting sharply with just seven per cent of those over 55. There were also 41% who agreed they would opt for weight loss treatments on the NHS if they were made available to them. This figure rose to 64% among 25 to 34-year-olds, despite many of these patients being unlikely to be clinically eligible. The NPA says the poll, in which 2,002 people were interviewed, reflects an increasing demand for private and NHS weight loss services. NPA chairman Olivier Picard said: 'Weight loss jabs are one of the biggest drug innovations this century, but growing demand for weight loss treatment highlights the need to make sure this is appropriate for those who want it. 'It's clear from this polling that many more people are interested in getting weight loss jabs than would actually be suitable for treatment. 'We want to make sure supplies are carefully managed so that those in most clinical need can benefit from weight loss medication.' Spiralling demand, fuelled partly by social media, could see people being tempted to resort to unregulated online suppliers instead of regulated pharmacies staffed by medical professionals, they fear. Online suppliers may not be offering weight loss jabs alongside a structured programme aimed at helping them change their behaviour. Wegovy and Mounjaro are among a number of drugs that are recommended to help tackle obesity on the NHS. Mounjaro and Wegovy are licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in patients with a BMI of over 30 or between 27 and 30 but with a weight-related co-morbidity. This occurs when an individual who has obesity develops another medical condition due to their weight. The NHS currently rolls out Mounjaro to patients with a BMI of over 40 and at least four co-morbidities, the NPA says. The NPA is calling for new regulations to protect patients buying weight loss medication online, so there is a full two-way consultation and all relevant historical medical records are reviewed before the treatment is prescribed. They are waiting for more details about the role pharmacies could play in the rollout of the NHS weight management programme. At least 85% of weight loss medication prescriptions were made by pharmacies in April this year, the NPA estimates. Mr Picard said: 'Pharmacists are experts in medication and many have extensive experience delivering weight loss injections as part of a package of care, including lifestyle advice. 'Pharmacies are well placed to help roll this treatment out on the NHS, and help people make the best use of these powerful medicines.'
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Brains Aged Faster In 2021–2022: What Did The Pandemic Do To Us?
A new study suggests that the pandemic may have had a significant impact on our brains, whether or not we contracted COVID-19. Leveraging an extensive database of brain scans, British researchers say that people's brains showed accelerated aging during 2021 and 2022, including signs of shrinkage. While people who were infected with COVID also showed cognitive decline, like slower processing speed, the study was notable because it said even the non-infected were likely to experience harm to their brain. While the study did not delve into the exact causes of the accelerated aging, the study's first author, Ali-Reza Mohammadi-Nejad, a neuroimaging researcher at the University of Nottingham, theorizes that it may have been the result of stress and other factors. 'But it is likely that the cumulative experience of the pandemic—including psychological stress, social isolation, disruptions in daily life, reduced activity and wellness—contributed to the observed changes… In this sense, the pandemic period itself appears to have left a mark on our brains, even in the absence of infection,' said Mohammadi-Nejad, per NBC. The researchers found that males and 'those from more socioeconomically deprived backgrounds' experienced the most significant brain aging. Overall, the pandemic was thought to be linked to a 5.5-month acceleration in the aging process. This is not the first time researchers have reached similar conclusions. Last year, a previous study found that teenagers experienced dramatic brain aging during the pandemic. Notably, the study suggested that girls' brains aged 4.2 years faster and boys' brains aged 1.3 years faster, on average. The latest study does not indicate whether the structural changes identified in individuals who have never contracted COVID will result in any noticeable changes in brain function. Nor does the study confirm whether the physical changes will persist over the long term, says Adam Brickman, a professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, who was not involved in the study.


Bloomberg
7 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Roche to Test Whether New Drug Can Prevent Alzheimer's Disease
Roche Holding AG plans to test whether an experimental medicine can prevent Alzheimer's disease symptoms in high-risk people, its latest investment in one of the most failure-prone areas of drugmaking. The new late-stage study will focus on people who are at risk of cognitive decline, Roche said in a statement late Sunday. The goal would be to slow down the emergence of symptoms, or prevent them entirely.