American researchers have experimentally confirmed that kissing partners who have eaten gluten-containing products beforehand is safe for people with celiac disease. The results of the work were presented at the DDW 2025 Digestive Diseases Conference (abstract Mo1242) and are set out in the event's press release.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that manifests itself as severe intolerance to the protein complex gluten (gluten) contained in cereals (wheat, rye, barley, etc.). The main method of helping with this disease is adherence to a strict gluten-free diet. Some patients fear that an attack of the disease may develop after kissing a partner who has eaten food with gluten. Although such cases have not been described in the medical literature, from a scientific point of view this question remains open, and doctors sometimes give empirical recommendations to avoid such situations.
Anne Lee of Columbia University in New York and colleagues recruited 10 couples in which one partner had celiac disease. In one session of the study, the non-celiac partners ate 10 soda crackers, and five minutes later, the couple kissed for 10 seconds. In a second session, the non-celiac partners ate the same number of crackers, drank half a glass of water, and the couple kissed again for 10 seconds. After each kiss, the celiac partner's saliva was collected and analyzed for gluten levels.
Gluten was detected in the saliva of all celiac partners in all sessions, even when the crackers were washed down with water (though the amount was reduced). However, in all cases the concentration of this protein was well below 20 parts per million, the level allowed in gluten-free foods and officially recognized as safe.
Thus, the recommendation to refrain from kissing a partner who has eaten gluten is inappropriate, since the amounts of gluten transmitted are insignificant and cannot cause an attack of the disease. In addition, drinking even a small amount of water can reduce the concentration of gluten.
Celiac disease is considered a purely congenital disease, but earlier researchers showed in an experiment on mice that its development can be provoked by an otherwise non-pathogenic reovirus. Although a gluten-free diet is vital for people with celiac disease, from a scientific and medical point of view, it is useless and potentially harmful for healthy people.