Gluten intake is not associated with islet autoimmunity or progression to type 1 diabetes in older infants and toddlers at risk of the disease, a new study shows.

The Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young (DAISY) which followed more than 1900 US children from 9 months to age 14 years, showed no association between age at introduction of foods containing wheat and barley and type 1 diabetes.

“There is no rationale to reduce the amount of gluten during childhood and adolescence in the high-risk population to prevent development of type 1 diabetes,” said Dr Nicolai Lund-Blix from the University of Colorado and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

Dr Lund-Blix and colleagues investigated whether age at introduction of gluten or cumulative gluten intake throughout childhood and adolescence was associated with the development of islet autoimmunity and progression to diabetes.