--- title: Celiac and Celiac Disease: Many Probiotics Contain Traces of Gluten description: A new study reveals that many popular probiotics contain traces of gluten, a concern for people who may have allergies or sensitiveness. canonical: https://time.com/3860361/probiotics-gluten/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-05-15T17:16:39.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:41:07.988Z article:section: Health og:title: Many Probiotics Contain Traces of Gluten, Study Says og:description: A new study reveals that many popular probiotics contain traces of gluten, a concern for people who may have allergies or sensitiveness. og:url: https://time.com/3860361/probiotics-gluten/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt390aadd1359ccf0b/698778978e060173ca45993d/health-pills-5.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: TIME.com stock photos Health Pills og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Many Probiotics Contain Traces of Gluten, Study Says twitter:description: A new study reveals that many popular probiotics contain traces of gluten, a concern for people who may have allergies or sensitiveness. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt390aadd1359ccf0b/698778978e060173ca45993d/health-pills-5.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Many Probiotics Contain Traces of Gluten, Study Says > Sponsored content. 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[Watch (HLS stream): Should I Drink Smoothies?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/yaJvnmtl.m3u8) (1:40)  _Published 2015-04-01. Are fruit smoothies good for you? Here's why 3 out of 5 experts said yes._ by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin May 15, 2015 5:16 PM UTC  Elizabeth Renstrom for TIME by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin May 15, 2015 5:16 PM UTC A new study reveals that many popular probiotics contain traces of gluten, which is worrying for people who may have allergies. Researchers at the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center analyzed 22 popular, high-selling probiotics and found that more than half of them (55%) contained gluten, according to research that will be presented on May 16 at Digestive and Disease Week in Washington DC. “We see a lot of patients \[with celiac\] and we have a lot of patients who have it and don’t feel better,” says Dr. Peter Green, professor of medicine and director of the Celiac Disease Center. “We found previously that about 25% of celiac patients use supplements or non-traditional medical products, and probiotics were the largest and most frequently consumed. Those people \[who used probiotics\] had more symptoms compared to people who weren’t taking these supplements.” Green says that data and the [recent news](http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/03/new-york-attorney-general-targets-supplements-at-major-retailers/?gwh=EF1B4CC992CBF6B3DA53D173B657FAFA&gwt=pay&assetType=nyt%5Fnow) revealing many supplements do not contain what they list on their labels prompted his team to look into the ingredients of probiotics. Using a detection technique called liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, the researchers measured the quantity of gluten in the probiotics. In general, for a product to be labeled “gluten-free,” the study authors note that gluten needs to be less than 20 parts per million. Their data show that most of the probiotics that contained gluten had less than that, but four brands contained more than the threshold. More than half of the probiotic brands tested by the researchers claimed to be gluten-free on their label. Green says it’s unclear whether trace levels of gluten could be harmful for someone with celiac disease. “It hasn’t been very well studied how much gluten will cause symptoms,” he says. “But why is there any gluten in these products, and why aren’t these better regulated? People have great faith in natural products, and that’s why a lot of people eat probiotics. They should be studied and they should be regulated.” If you have celiac disease, approach probiotics with caution, Green says. In addition to possible gluten contamination, we still don’t definitively know the benefits or harms of taking probiotics, he says. “Probiotics may turn out to be beneficial to individuals with different conditions, but to my mind, that has not be shown,” he says—and for someone with a gluten allergy, a probiotic with the ingredient could potentially be harmful. ### You Asked: Your Top 10 Health Questions Answered  You Asked: Are Cleanses Healthy? Potions that claim to clear your body of toxins might sound alluring, but do they deliver? Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Eating Dessert Really That Bad For Me? Bad news for sweet-eaters—except if you end your meals with this kind of treat. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What’s the Best Way to Whiten My Teeth? Yes, teeth whitening actually works—but here's why you have to dish out major bucks to see results. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Meditation Really Worth It? From easing stress to lowering heart disease risk, focusing your mind can do some amazing things for your body. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What’s the Healthiest Sweetener? Take a taste of the unsettled science of sweeteners. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Should I Go Paleo? The pros and cons of eating like a caveman. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Cracking Your Knuckles Bad? Here's what really happens to your joints when you snap, crackle and pop. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Running on a Treadmill as Good as Running Outside? You'll fool your body into thinking it's outside with this one small treadmill tweak. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Does Laughing Have Real Health Benefits? Here's proof that everybody could use a belly laugh. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What Is My Poo Telling Me? If you listen hard enough, you'll hear all kinds of health stories from #2. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] Should you drink smoothies? Three out of five of our experts say yes. They're one of the easiest ways to add fruit to your diet, says Joseph Price. His study found that only 4 % of kids ate a serving of fruit when they ate breakfast at school. But with smoothies on the menu, that number jumped to 45 %. Calories from fruit can add up quickly, says Laura Jeffers. So aim for a glass that's 70 % veggies and 30 % fruits. Still, smoothies just aren't that satisfying. People ate 12 % more calories when they drank their food instead of eating it, found a study by Richard Mattes. [ MUSIC ] Two of our experts think fruit smoothies in particular can do some real damage. Blender blades destroy the insoluble fiber in produce, says Robert Lustig. Which means that there's nothing keeping the sugar from being rapidly absorbed. That overwhelms the liver he says. And all that extra sugar might put us on a path to metabolic syndrome and other health problems. Vegetables have far less sugar, so green smoothies are far less of a risk he says. Even though they're insoluble fiber still takes a beating. Smoothies are so new, there's no research on there long term impacts points out Barry Popkin, but he thinks they might be the new fruit juice. Seemingly healthy, but a sugar bomb in disguise. Is contributing to diseases like diabetes. So go ahead and whip up a smoothie. 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