Latest news with #AnneLee
The Hill
06-05-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Celiac sufferers can safely kiss bread-eaters, study says
People with celiac disease can safely kiss their partners who have just ingested gluten, according to the results of a new study — though researchers recommend drinking some water first. The analysis, whose findings were presented Monday at Digestive Disease Week 2025, sought to answer a question that its authors say is frequently asked but minimally researched. 'Everyone worries about whether gluten is getting into their food at a restaurant, but no one really looked at what happens when you kiss afterwards,' said Anne Lee, a Columbia University assistant professor of nutritional medicine who presented the data. 'The [previous] advice we gave about kissing and celiac disease was based on precaution and assumptions,' Lee added in the statement. 'We were using our best judgment. I felt it was important to do research to see if there was any actual risk.' Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects approximately 1 percent of the population, triggered by the consumption of gluten found in bread, pasta, soy sauce and other foods. Symptoms vary, but they can include gastrointestinal issues such as indigestion, abdominal pain and diarrhea, as well as some non-digestive symptoms including fatigue, joint pain and neurological issues. The disease can also cause long-term damage to intestines without resulting in immediate symptoms. The study looked at 10 couples that each included one individual with celiac and one without. In the first part of the study, the person without celiac had 10 saltine crackers, waited five minutes, then kissed their partner for anywhere from 10 seconds to a minute. In part two, the person repeated those steps, but drank 4 ounces of water instead of simply waiting before smooching. Researchers measured the results through surveys, urine and saliva tests of the partner with celiac to detect for the presence of gluten. In both parts, the majority of couples reported the gluten found in the saliva of the individual with celiac disease was under the maximum level allowed for food products to be marked gluten free and considered safe: 20 parts per million. In the first part of the survey — without any water — two individuals reported gluten above that threshold, one of whose urine test also came back positive, but no symptoms were reported in the surveys. When participants drank 4 ounces of water before the kiss, all participants reported gluten levels under 20 ppm. 'For clinicians, we can now say to patients, 'You don't have to go to extreme measures,'' Lee said. '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,' she added.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Does Kissing Expose You to Gluten? Scientists Investigated The Risks
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways When someone is diagnosed with celiac disease, they have a lot of questions, but there's a common one that doctors say they get a lot: Can you kiss someone who has just eaten gluten? In recent surveys, as many as 40 percent of celiac patients say they are hesitant to swap spit with romantic partners who eat gluten for fear they will end up with a mouthful of the irritant. Anecdotally, some online even report experiencing cracked lips, mouth sores, diarrhea, or gut issues after smooching. That's not exactly a romantic outcome. But is kissing a real and common source of gluten contamination, or are these fears overblown for the average celiac patient? The truth is, very few studies have investigated how much gluten remains in the mouth after eating, or if that gluten can be passed to another via saliva. At last, a small new trial brings some preliminary comfort to millions. The findings were recently presented at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) conference in California, and while they are not yet peer-reviewed, they suggest that kissing someone who has just eaten gluten is not an issue most celiac patients need to worry about, or go to extreme measures to avoid. "Everyone worries about whether gluten is getting into their food at a restaurant, but no one really looked at what happens when you kiss afterwards," explains nutritionist Anne Lee from Columbia University. "I felt it was important to do research to see if there was any actual risk." Lee and her colleagues' experiment involved 10 couples, in which one partner had celiac disease and the other didn't. The one without the autoimmune disease consumed 10 saltine crackers before kissing their partner for 10 seconds. In one trial run, participants waited five minutes after eating to kiss their partner. In another trial, they drank four ounces (120 ml) of water before kissing their partner. Nobody reported any celiac symptoms in the 12 hours after the kiss. Only one person showed gluten in their urine after the kissing. In both tests, the amount of gluten measured in the celiac person's mouth was very minimal. In the majority of cases, and all instances with a glass of water before kissing, it was less than 20 parts per million (ppm). That's a concentration, not an absolute amount, but 20 ppm is an accepted standard that is allowed in gluten-free products in most countries, including the United States. In places like Australia, standards can be as strict as 3 ppm. Even in those stricter cases, however, research suggests a small fraction of gluten-free products can still slip through the cracks with higher amounts of the protein. Thankfully though, people with celiac disease face low risks of getting sick from contaminated gluten-free foods. "The risk from kissing?" asks gastroenterologist Vincent Ho in a new piece for The Conversation. "Even lower. If you want to look out for your loved one with celiac disease, how you prepare food is more important." Gluten thresholds explained. (National Celiac Association) When adding up all the foods eaten in a day, the US National Celiac Association says that sticking to gluten-containing foods below 20 ppm would protect most people from intestinal damage. "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," says Lee. The newest trial needs to be replicated with larger sample sizes, and it's probably not robust enough to convince a celiac patient with personal experience of being 'glutened' by kissing that they don't need to take any precautions. That said, celiac disease experts have long suspected that contamination from kissing is generally not much of a concern. "It is unlikely that kissing will cause a reaction in most people with celiac disease, but any risk can be further reduced by asking your partner to brush their teeth, rinse their mouth, or waiting at least an hour to kiss after they have consumed gluten," the Canadian Celiac Association of British Columbia advised on its Facebook page earlier this year. "As always, do what feels right for you and your health!" The research was presented at this year's Digestive Disease Week conference. Related News
India Today
05-05-2025
- Health
- India Today
Can you transfer gluten with a kiss?
For years, many people with celiac disease have worried about whether close contact, like a kiss, with someone who recently ate gluten could trigger a team of researchers from Columbia University has said the risk is very low, especially if a few simple precautions are scientists, who presented their findings at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2025, said that when it comes to kissing about gluten transfer the fear is Gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, can trigger serious immune reactions in people with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder affecting around 1% of people worldwide. Because the gut lining can be damaged even by tiny amounts, avoiding gluten entirely is Anne Lee collaborated with a team of researchers from Columbia University's Celiac Disease Centre, including Dr. Benjamin Lebwohl, Director of Clinical Research, and Dr. Peter H.R. Green, Director of the measure the real risk, researchers recruited 10 couples, each including one person with celiac disease. In two test sessions, the non-celiac partner ate 10 saltine crackers (which contain gluten).The couple then kissed for 10 seconds. In one test, they kissed after a 5-minute wait. In the other, the non-celiac partner drank 4 ounces of water before the conducted tests on the saliva of celiac patients' partners to measure gluten presence. The results showed very little gluten transfer-less than 20 parts per million (ppm), the threshold for certified gluten-free products. This indicates that the risk of gluten exposure from kissing is minimal, even if trace amounts water before kissing did reduce the risk slightly, but it's not a crucial step for safety. Dr. Lee emphasised that patients with celiac disease can be more at ease knowing that the risk of gluten transfer from a partner who has consumed gluten is minimal, especially if they follow the meal with a small glass of results are also beneficial for those with non-celiac gluten sensitivity, who, while not experiencing gut damage, may still experience symptoms like bloating or fatigue from gluten this study clears up common worries about casual contact after someone eats gluten and offers helpful advice for people who are sensitive to gluten-even if they don't have celiac shows that symptoms like bloating or tiredness can often be avoided by taking simple steps, helping people feel more at ease in everyday social situations.
Medscape
05-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
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.
The Guardian
05-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
People with coeliac disease should not fear kissing gluten-eaters, say scientists
People with coeliac disease can kiss gluten-eaters without concerns for their health, researchers have said after finding only trivial amounts of the protein are transferred during a french kiss. About 1% of people around the world are thought to have coeliac disease, an autoimmune condition triggered by gluten, although many do not have a clinical diagnosis. While the condition can be managed by avoiding gluten-containing food and drink, vigilance is also required to prevent incidental intake. Dr Anne Lee, an assistant professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University, said her previous research revealed such concerns could take a toll on quality of life, particularly around social interactions. 'There was a real hesitancy for individuals with coeliac disease to kiss their partner,' she said, adding some even reported taking a toothbrush and mouthwash for their date to use first. Research by Lee and her colleagues suggests people with coeliac disease can kiss goodbye to such anxieties. 'If you're out and your date or your partner is having a gluten-containing meal, [they can] have a swig of something to drink, and we know that you're going to be fine,' she said. The research, which has not yet been peer-reviewed but is to be presented at Digestive Disease Week 2025 in San Diego this week, involved 10 couples, each of whom included one partner with coeliac disease and one without. In two experiments carried out on different days, the team asked those without coeliac disease to eat 10 crackers containing gluten each, before either waiting for five minutes or immediately drinking 120ml of water and then kissing their partner for at least one minute with tongues. Immediately after each kiss, the saliva of the partner with coeliac disease was tested. The results reveal only two of the 20 kisses resulted in the partner with coeliac disease having a gluten concentration in their saliva above the 20ppm threshold that is acceptable for 'gluten-free' products. Neither of these kisses occurred after water was consumed, and only one was associated with a positive urine test for gluten the same evening. What's more, none of those with coeliac disease reported experiencing any symptoms in the six or 12 hours after a kiss. However, the team found the saliva of the cracker-consuming, non-coeliac participants had a gluten content far above the 20ppm threshold after eating, whether they were tested five minutes, 10 minutes or 30 minutes afterwards, or consumed 120ml of water before testing. David Sanders, a professor of gastroenterology at the University of Sheffield – who was not involved in the work – said that while the study was very small, the results should reassure people with coeliac disease. 'I admire the investigators for trying to take a scientific approach to something which has been a cause for concern within the coeliac community,' he said. Dr Mahima Swamy, of the University of Dundee, agreed, although she noted gluten sensitivity varied among people with coeliac disease, meaning those who are very sensitive may have be more cautious. 'If you [have] symptoms despite following these guidelines, then it may be that you [are] much more sensitive,' she said.
