I've been pondering whether to post this since it was discussed at my book club meeting earlier this week (actually on my birthday and a couple of people brought G-F desserts, which piqued the discussion). We don't always spend all our time talking about books, we are a varied group with many professions, avocations and interests.
The book club consists of eighteen members, not all attend regularly but do maintain a presence(and show up for parties). Two have had long-standing problems and have actually been diagnosed with Celiac disease by a board certified internist who specializes in Endocrinology. Two others have been eating G-F for a couple of years with mixed results. One thinks she feels better, the other has had skin and bowel problems that she did not have prior to this alternation in her diet and he doctor has advised her to eat more "sensibly" and eat a balanced diet.
One of the guys pulled up
this online article and discussion along with several others but I had him email this one to me and didn't bother with the many others. He has been doing a bit of "research" because of all the recent hype and a TV show "The Doctors" where they discussed the "gluten-free myth" at length.
I did do some very casual "research" on the number of books that have been published since this became a "fad" and it is extremely enlightening when one adds up the amount of money this is costing way too many people.
Just in our small group there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that not everyone benefits from a gluten-free diet. One man stated his grandson, very active in sports, has been less active and seems to have much less energy or even interest in soccer, an abiding passion just a couple of years ago. He stated that he had allowed the boy to eat whatever he wished while staying with him and with none of the supposed "symptoms" he exhibited that caused his mother to lay off gluten. She did not take the boy to a specialist and he was never diagnosed with any allergies or sensitivities to any food. In fact, the boy's pediatrician has been concerned about his lack of weight gain during the past year when he was in an active growth phase.
Make no mistake, I am not saying that everyone can consume gluten with impunity. Celiac disease is truly a problem but in the U.S. it is only .5% of the ADULT population and less than that in children. It requires specific tests to be correctly diagnosed but it my opinion, it is one of these things that merchandisers etc., are counting on people deciding to "self-test" or simply "guess" that they have this syndrome.
It's not always "dummies" that get snared in the traps set by advertisers of food and related products. Some very intelligent and well-educated people have bought into the idea that this is a wide-spread phenomena and responsible from every kind of symptom from arthritis to sciatica or varicose veins.
In his second paragraph, the author states exactly what I have been saying.
Two decades ago, when I was actively showing dogs and very athletic, gluten was considered a "super-food" for athletes. Pushing carbs - pasta especially, was the thing when one had a day full of running to do. Pasta with a little fat and some fresh veggies or fruits were a favorite breakfast of mine - with a more conventional "breakfast" at the end of the day, with eggs and sausage and potatoes.
I turned 72 last Wednesday, my doctor says I have great connective tissue which is why I look a lot younger than my age. I do have arthritis but it is traumatic osteoarthritis due to years of running with training and showing dogs.
I've consulted with a nutritionist and an endocrinologist because of my (very mild) diabetes. When I casually asked about G-F diets, both had a lot to say about people who go overboard on "fad" diets that have nothing to do with their underlying problems.
My internist said his wife had decided unilaterally that their diet should be G-F and it took him months to convince her that neither they or any of their children had any problems with gluten whatsoever. They returned to a regular diet and he says she actually feels better than she has for a couple of years - mainly because she isn't worrying or stressing about her diet.
I have seen so many nutritional ideas come and go that I am sure than within a few years this too will fade back into the reality zone and something new will have taken its place.
As Bob Hope once said about the 1960s health food movement: "There's a lot of nuts out there among the berries."
Not everyone is a nut. There IS definitely a syndrome in certain people who CANNOT consume gluten. However, it is rare and people who don't have it aren't doing themselves any good by avoiding gluten. AND they are making a lot of marketers very, very rich!
I hope I don't offend too many people with this post. As I have said, it can be a severe problem for some people, I just hate to see folks who don't really have the syndrome, convince themselves that this can cure all their problems. Sometimes it's best to see a doctor and make sure this is the actual cause.
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