EVALUATION OF THE GLUTEN-FREE BAKERY PRODUCTS CONSUMPTION IN RELATION TO HYPERTENSION AS RISK FACTOR FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Abstract

The gluten-free products market represents one of the most prosperous markets in the field of food and beverages in the immediate future. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of the gluten-free bakery products consumption on hypertension development as risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The study group was composed of volunteers from the general population and consisted of thirty healthy adults. The amount of bakery product for consumption was determined as follows: women consumed 150-200 grams per day; men 200-250 grams per day. There was no evidence of moderate or severe hypertension in our study, and this did not change during the whole research period. We found that six-week consumption of gluten-free bread and bakery products had a non-significant effect on reducing blood pressure as the major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The most significant decrease of blood pressure was recorded with a two-month pause (after the immediate end of consumption of gluten-free bakery products), where we found a statistically significant (P <0.05) decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure values compared to baseline. On average, the pulse rate varied during the study without significant differences from the initial value. We found significant reductions in serum sodium and chloride levels and a significant increase in blood serum potassium level (P <0.001) after six weeks of consumption of gluten-free bakery products. Two months after the gluten-free bakery product was consumed we found a significant increase in sodium, chloride and potassium levels opposite the first measurement (P <0.001). All participants had optimal sodium levels. We can summarize that dietary habits play a crucial role in the development of hypertension and the consumption of bread and bakery products can also affect it. However, the overall effect of bread and bakery consumption on the hypertension development depends on many factors, such as the composition of the bread and bakery products and the presence of gluten.