The researchers also recognized that designing controlled clinical trials for humans is difficult because of the different texture of gluten-free food. This might explain the scarcity of empirical evidence for excluding gluten for people who do not have gluten sensitivities.
Moreover, the University of Otago team remarked in their study paper that “[f]uture studies need to reveal whether our findings in male mice are translatable to humans and whether gluten-induced astro- and microgliosis may also develop in gluten-sensitive individuals.”
In the meantime, Dr. Tups stressed that the study does not suggest that everyone should stop eating gluten:
“We are not saying that gluten is bad for everyone. For gluten-tolerant people to go entirely gluten-free may have health implications that may outweigh potential benefits. Often people don’t consume whole foods, and highly processed gluten-free products are often low in fiber and high in sugar.“