Those who have celiac disease, i.e. are allergic to gluten, cannot eat wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is a protein found in these grains and those who are intolerant suffer from, among other things, diarrhea, stomach pain, fatigue, vomiting, and mouth sores. About 1 percent of the population has celiac disease.
Now, researchers, among others, at Columbia University have investigated whether there is a risk for those who do not tolerate gluten to kiss someone who has just eaten gluten.
The study included ten couples where one was allergic to gluten. The non-allergic partner was given ten salty wheat crackers. Then the couples kissed for ten seconds and the levels in saliva were examined.
The couples performed the tests on two occasions, once when they kissed five minutes after eating the crackers and when the one who ate the crackers drank a deciliter of water before kissing. In both cases, the gluten levels were minimal in the gluten-intolerant individuals. The amounts were so small that they cannot pose a risk, according to the researchers.
"As a doctor, I can now tell patients that they do not need to take extreme measures," says Anne Lee, the researcher behind the study, in a press release.
The results are presented at a scientific conference but have not yet been published in any scientific journal.
