Gluten-free is a costly and often unneeded alternative.

[andiesenji]

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. 

[judydawn]

Thank you andie, I often wondered about this myself.  There is no doubt in my mind that a doctor must diagnose the problem before people embark on this route.

[Twitterpated]

I guess it's like everything. All things in moderation unless your body is unable to tolerate it. I agree with the point that there are many marketers getting very rich from people who have no control over what they can and can't eat.

[mkr]

Unfortunately JD there is no diagnostic test for gluten intolerance, as opposed to those diagnosed with Coeliac disease.

To be honest I'm surprised anyone would remove gluten from their diet unless it is causing them major problems. A gluten free diet is hard to maintain, expensive, makes it extremely difficult to eat out, and may be nutritionally inferior depending on the type of alternative foods consumed.

On the other hand, including a wide variety of grains in the diet (rather than just wheat, wheat and more wheat) can only be a positive thing.

I'm not sure that labelling a GF diet as a "fad" is helpful to those suffering with Coeliac disease or gluten intolerance. All the people I know with these conditions would much rather be able to enjoy gluten containing foods without distress given the choice.

[judydawn]

I didn't know that mkr.  In this day and age I would have thought a test would be available for gluten intolerance. Let's hope they are working on one because so many children these days seem to have this problem.

[andiesenji]

Unfortunately JD there is no diagnostic test for gluten intolerance, as opposed to those diagnosed with Coeliac disease.

To be honest I'm surprised anyone would remove gluten from their diet unless it is causing them major problems. A gluten free diet is hard to maintain, expensive, makes it extremely difficult to eat out, and may be nutritionally inferior depending on the type of alternative foods consumed.

On the other hand, including a wide variety of grains in the diet (rather than just wheat, wheat and more wheat) can only be a positive thing.

I'm not sure that labelling a GF diet as a "fad" is helpful to those suffering with Coeliac disease or gluten intolerance. All the people I know with these conditions would much rather be able to enjoy gluten containing foods without distress given the choice.

My point was not that the GF diet should be labeled as a fad per se., only that there are unscrupulous marketers out there preying on an unsuspecting public with stories that all kinds of symptoms, that having nothing to do with gluten intolerance, are due to the consumption of gluten.  They make money by convincing people that, if they buy these more expensive products, they will be prettier, stronger, have better hair, better skin and everything except getting richer. 
Well, there are actually some people who try to get people to invest their money and their time in multi-level marketing of some of these products.  This has long been proved to be a money-maker for those who start these businesses and those who sell others on it but not for the poor person way down the line who wants to make extra money.  They end up spending way more than they ever earn.
I have also seen these same people lose friends because of the selling tactics they are encouraged to pursue. 

Telemarketing is a huge business in the US - 24 hours a day there are channels that try to sell anything and everything. 

There is even an App called the Gluten Free Final Solution  that lists GF restaurants all over the US. 
One of the "featured" restaurants is owned by a corporation that has ventured into a number of "niche" restaurants during the past twenty years.  It is difficult to discover exactly who the owners are because of shell companies but it's obviously someone with deep pockets because they have survived several law suits and product recalls because of mislabeled food products. 

[faffa_70]

I agree with the everything in moderation for those that are able. It is "thought" that DS4 "might" have a gluten intolerance along with all of his other allergies, we seem to get around that with the everything in moderation as gluten products don't make up the best part of his diet thank goodness.

I do really feel for those that HAVE to be GF - especially after reading all that Brazen went through with her little one, knowing just how difficult it can be catering for allergies and intolerances.

[faffa_70]

We posted at the same time Andie - I can't believe what you have just posted. That is absolutely amazing and astounding!!! The sad thing is these days people are uneducated and will just reach for the "quick fix" that is fed to them 

[andiesenji]

It is a pity that some people are willing to believe anything spoken by some celebrity types.

These are seldom well-informed people, and far to often they are eager to get their names and faces out on the airwaves anyway they can and happily accept money for "endorsements" for things that they don't really use.

On one local TV channel they have a show that purports to be about "news" for health, nutrition, exercise and so on. 
Some of the so-called celebs that have appeared on this show certainly do not practice what they preach. 
They advise people who are trying to lose weight to take questionable "herbal" products - unproved "teas" and so on, while later that evening they are caught on camera at some trendy joint, eating stuff that is the total opposite of their pitch.

I don't trust anyone who wears a size zero, has a bust that is obviously manufactured and yet says they eat a "carefully balanced diet an takes the "supplements" that they are selling.  No way!

One of the Britney Spears lookalikes that has shown up on some of these "shows" does advocate a gluten-free diet but was recently photographed chowing down at Pinks, a famous hot dog place that is certainly a long, long way from GF. 
Thousands of little girls, who should be eating a truly good, balanced diet, are doing all the wrong things because their idols tell them to buy these products. 
It's just really sad.   
And it can eventually be bad for people who actually do have the condition because it gets to the point that most people won't believe it.

I don't know if any of your remember the era of "hypoglycemia" some forty years ago, when any symptoms were attributed to this phantom low blood sugar thing.  They blamed everything from PMS to migranes on "hypoglycemia" and it went on for a few years until it was finally buried under tons of real research that proved it was all a myth. 
Bob Cummings, the actor, made a ton of money selling a "supplement" to alleviate the symptoms of hypoglycemia - sugar pills - and eventually he was sued and lost a big chunk of money in fines. 

[cookie1]

I loved reading your posts Andie. Whilst I do firmly believe that some people do have lots of problems with gluten I wonder how many just decide it's a good idea.
 One year when I waas checking the medical conditions of children listed on their enrolments I came across a mother who had listed her child as allergic to seafood. I rang to check and asked what we should do if she had a reaction at school and what sort of reaction it would be.  Her reply was that the child had once vomited after eating prawns and the mother had decided she was allergic to seafood. With further discussion I couldn't get her to even consider that it may have been a once off, or to have further tests done. I can't help but wonder if this happens with regard to gluten.
Having said that I have a couple of freiends who can't tolerate gluten and there is no way they are putting it on, so it is a very real problem in many cases.

[brazen20au]

i avoid eating gluten wherever possible. my 5yo and my sister were diagnosed with Cd within 12 months of each other. my other 2 children and i tested positive for the gene which must be present for CD (but doesn't mean you will develop CD). i havne't stopped them eating gluten, though i do try to use as little as possible for the evening meal. for myself though i do try to eat as little as possible. because of my family history i have a 1 in 10 chance of developing CD so IMO it's not worth taking too many chances with. i don't completely avoid gluten but it's easy for me to be mostly GF because we have GF in our household anyway. I've noticed recently while i've been eating more gluten bread than usual that i do feel more sluggish and just generally bleh, however i've also been very stressed so who knows what is causing it.

FWIW i embrace the GF fad because it means it is MUCH easier for rora to be GF now than it was for my friend who was gluten intolerant while pregnant 7 years ago, when there was next to nothing available in the supermarket, let alone in restaurants etc!!! 

[earth mumma]

This is interesting.  When My DS was 2 he looked like a starving 3rd world baby.  He was so skinny and had this huge distended tummy.  He was a fussy eater and would hardly eat a bite after lunch.  He had problems with his bowels and got sick very easily and had enlarged tonsils and snored so loudly we could hear him 3 rooms away!! I really wanted to avoid him having any surgery and we took him to a Naturopath who suggested that we take him off not just wheat but gluten.  I was horrified and wondered how I was going to manage without gluten in his diet (this was btm - before Thermomix).  We did no testing as it involved a general ansethtic.  When I finally came around to going gluten free I was astonished as to the change in him.  He put on weight, his bowels inproved, his tonsils shrunk and he stopped snoring.  His energy levelled out (before he was a little hyperactive).  We very very strict for the first 2 years and whenever we slipped up he would get sick.  I thought it could be celliacs disease, but slowly we tried to reintroduce gluten into his diet and now he can tolerate lots of differnt grains, but he still seems to be sensitive to wheat.  Every now and again he might OD on gluten products and need to go gluten free for a while until he feels better, but it really doesn't seem so hard now.  Thankfully he seems to find spelt is fine for him so I make any cakes with this and pizza doughs etc.  It is so much easier to be gluten free with a TM.  So for my ds I think it is more of an intolerance rather than celliacs.  I think in Australia the availability of good healthy gluten free products is fantastic, we are very lucky here. When we went to America 3 years ago it was really difficult to find gluten free stuff and ended up eating lots of nachos. I also agree with andiesenji that unless it's needed it is not necessarily a healthy choice to go gluten free (the rest of the family aren't gluten free but will eat gluten free meals - gluten free lassagne, rice porriage etc).       

[zebraa]

We eat reduced Gluten and the advantage of that is that we consiously include a good wide range of other grains. I see that as only a positive.

With a TMX gf is easy and cheap.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

We tend to have most things in moderation in our family, including wheat. Some people have wheat (and gluten) for breakfast, lunch and dinner in some form or another and I don't think that's healthy. Eating a variety of grains provide our bodies with different nutrients and different levels of nutrients.  With regard to gluten-free diets, I have seen their introduction change lives dramatically - particularly for one young child with severe autism.  I think they are quite extreme, but absolutely necessary for a small number of people.

[brazen20au]

This is interesting.  When My DS was 2 he looked like a starving 3rd world baby.  He was so skinny and had this huge distended tummy.  He was a fussy eater and would hardly eat a bite after lunch.  He had problems with his bowels and got sick very easily and had enlarged tonsils and snored so loudly we could hear him 3 rooms away!! I really wanted to avoid him having any surgery and we took him to a Naturopath who suggested that we take him off not just wheat but gluten.  I was horrified and wondered how I was going to manage without gluten in his diet (this was btm - before Thermomix).  We did no testing as it involved a general ansethtic.  When I finally came around to going gluten free I was astonished as to the change in him.  He put on weight, his bowels inproved, his tonsils shrunk and he stopped snoring.  His energy levelled out (before he was a little hyperactive).  We very very strict for the first 2 years and whenever we slipped up he would get sick.  I thought it could be celliacs disease, but slowly we tried to reintroduce gluten into his diet and now he can tolerate lots of differnt grains, but he still seems to be sensitive to wheat.  Every now and again he might OD on gluten products and need to go gluten free for a while until he feels better, but it really doesn't seem so hard now.  Thankfully he seems to find spelt is fine for him so I make any cakes with this and pizza doughs etc.  It is so much easier to be gluten free with a TM.  So for my ds I think it is more of an intolerance rather than celliacs.    

actually earth mumma the only way you can know that is via the blood test and the biopsy, and he needs to be eating sufficient gluten for those to work. natropaths who suggest removing off gluten without proper medical testing make me furious. did you know that some people have NO symptoms yet still have coeliac disease? so not having much of a reaction means nothing. did you know that people with coeliac disease who consume gluten put themselves at risk of bowel cancer?  so it really is worth knowing for sure...
this is a great document that explains it all http://www.coeliacsociety.com.au/downloads/Sept%2008%20Making%20Sense%20of%20your%20diagnosis.pdf