Celiac Disease Linked to Infertility in Females, But Not Males, Says Study

Celiac disease, characterized by an intolerance to gluten (a protein commonly found in breads, pastas, baked goods and other wheat-, barley- and rye-based products), has been casually linked to infertility in women.  However, there have been no conclusive findings as to whether men’s fertility is affected by the condition… until now.

Swedish researchers from rebro University Hospital tracked the children born to men with birthdays between 1914 and 1990 with and without celiac disease to determine the relationship between their fertility and the condition. 

Results showed no reason to believe that celiac disease was problematic in terms of the men’s childbearing abilities.  In fact, the males who had celiac disease actually had slightly more children on average than those without celiac disease.

As with all research, there were limitations to the study:

1. The research was only done on Swedish males, a homogeneous population.
2. The number of children born to each man could have been determined by other factors, including personal considerations, finances and societal norms.
3. Those in the study without celiac disease were not necessarily all evaluated medically; thus, they could have been afflicted with the disease without knowing they had it.

Still, this research provides good news for the millions of would-be fathers who have to be careful in terms of their gluten intake.

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