Gluten-free diet too expensive for Australian families

A gluten free diet is unaffordable for most families according to Australian researchers.

The study conducted by researchers from the University of Wollongong and published in the Dietitians Association of Australia's journal "Nutrition & Dietetics" on Tuesday found some items can cost up to 500 percent more than "regular" foods.

"A gluten-free diet is unaffordable for the majority of family types we studied and for most families receiving welfare payments in Australia,"said researcher Kelly Lambert.

The purchase price of a basket of gluten-free staple foods was up to 17 percent higher than the equivalent gluten-containing foods, according to the study.

The findings have led researchers to call on the Australian government to consider a national subsidised medical foods program in Australia, similar to a model being used in the U.K.

The program would enable those in need of such foods to access them via a prescription at a more affordable price.

Coeliac disease, a gastrointestinal condition managed solely through a lifelong gluten-free diet, affects one in 100 Australians.

"Following a gluten-free diet is crucial in preventing complications such as bowel cancer osteoporosis and infertility,"Lambert said.

"For Australian families with a member affected by coeliac disease, the expense of a gluten-free diet is an unavoidable reality." Endit