The gluten-free scam

I think good science related to diet and nutrition is very hard to do because of the difficulties controlling/monitoring what people eat. Nutrition science is also chronically underfunded because of the difficulties inherent in studying it and because the importance of diet/nutrition is under-appreciated (though this has changed somewhat in recent years). I think there is much that we do not know, so I would never presume to question someone who finds symptomatic relief with dietary change. I think the gluten-free movement is very likely overdone and oversold, but it is also probably helpful (for reasons we don't understand) for at least some percentage of the people who adhere to it (and don't have celiac disease). Marylago is a case in point.


That said, there are obviously a lot of fad diets that come and go. And I can't argue with this:

eliz said:

Honestly, I'm so tired of hearing about people's diets, their intestinal issues, their bloat, their gas, their poop, whatever. Do whatever you like but I don't want to read or hear your proselytizing. This goes for gluten free/dairy free/paleo etc etc whatever the the latest fad is.

Adele said:

Sandwiches are delicious, @sprout. The MSG story is interesting, though.

http://www.businessinsider.com/msg-allergy-doesnt-exist-2013-8

Aside: the gluten-free cupcakes at Trader Joe's are amazing. Fairly certain they are all sugar, lard, and unicorn tears.

And Unicorn Poop, which is also delicious!

That looks scrumptious. I wonder if we're allowed to keep backyard unicorns in Maplewood...

I think our cartoon correspondent has this about right: cutting out gluten has the salutary effect of also cutting out other stuff that was impacting folks' well-being.

I also suspect that the folks who go GF and end up feeling better are benefiting from the placebo effect. It's been long documented that most forms of alternate medicine have a placebo effect and, hence, actually "work" for some number of people. In this regard, I recommend Chapter 11 in Paul Offit's recent book, "Do You Believe in Magic." http://goo.gl/myy569 .

Adele said:

That looks scrumptious. I wonder if we're allowed to keep backyard unicorns in Maplewood...

You are as funny as you are hot, Lady! You kill me.

Adele said:

Sandwiches are delicious, @sprout. The MSG story is interesting, though.
http://www.businessinsider.com/msg-allergy-doesnt-exist-2013-8

Or we're allergic to some other unidentified ingredient that tends to be in Asian foods. (As indicated as a possibility in the article).

FWIW: My headaches are not instantaneous... they occur a few hours later. So, an observer would not get a reading of any effect unless they stayed with me until around the time I went to bed that night, and observed that I needed to take an ibuprophen to go to sleep. I rarely get headaches, and rarely eat Chinese food, so the link did not seem coincidental. And the several hours later, when I'm not thinking about it seems unlikely to be a placebo effect.

I just do not understand why DB can not be so sensible when it comes to his politics

And there is a big difference between saying we should not be eating bread with stuff that makes shoe soles (even if much of the bread that has it does taste like shoe soles) and somehow disparaging gluten, which is a natural ingredient that has been eaten for thousand of years and is a naturally occurring substance.

I would expect that things that are being done to make gluten free food palatable are in at least some cases (mainly by the big food companies I would expect) much less natural or good for you.

I have no problem with gluten myself (except that simple carbs slow me down and cause me to gain weight, so I avoid them all anyway), but when my son was newborn and nursing and reflux meds weren't helping, and I cut out food groups, one by one to see if anything would help, I found that cutting out gluten was the slam dunk for him and he became a baby who slept at night instead of writhing in pain.

Or maybe your child just got older by the time you got around to gluten and grew out of whatever was the issue.

I believe this part of the MSG article is not completely relevant:

Doctors can check for allergies by looking for specific antibodies against the allergen.

But, "no such antibodies or reactions are observed with MSG," Thomas told Business Insider in an email. "So whatever people experience, it is not a food allergy, unless they are allergic to something else in the meal that they are not normally exposed to. Typically such allergic reactions will first will occur in a foreign country or restaurant when eating food they don’t normally eat at home."

I think one can have a 'reaction' to something without being 'allergic' to something. I would think a 'headache' may not be an 'allergic' reaction, as tripping on LSD is not an 'allergic' reaction.

Also, I recently went to an allergist. My mouth has a reaction to walnuts whenever I eat them. However, I did not react at all to the 'walnut' scratch test on my skin.

@bikefixed may have some insight on this (or tell me if what I'm saying makes no sense at all)?

Your post got sent to the SOMSD education thread, too. I'll send you a PM.

sprout said:

Also, I recently went to an allergist. My mouth has a reaction to walnuts whenever I eat them. However, I did not react at all to the 'walnut' scratch test on my skin.

My tongue gets sore if I eat too many walnuts at once. Same happens to my husband. I've never gone to an allergist though so I can't say whether or not I would test positive.

zombie_zoinks said:

Or maybe your child just got older by the time you got around to gluten and grew out of whatever was the issue.

It happened over two days time, and my pediatrician is the one who suggested it. Sure, maybe there was some other reason, but I think the evidence is strong that this made the difference.

sprout said:

Adele said:

Since then, studies have repeatedly shown MSG is no more dangerous (and possibly less dangerous) than table salt. People have forgotten they ever thought it made them sick, and we're all eating it again.

Except my and my BIL as we both got intense headaches after eating Chinese take-out we got for years on X-mas eve. Now we get sandwiches instead.

The left side of my body would go numb for about 30 minutes after consuming something with MSG....So... I'm thinking that there may be something to the No MSG "craze." But maybe I'm an unhappy faker. ;-)

I don't think anybody's saying there aren't people with real food sensitivities. The problem comes when some ingredient to which a small percentage of people are sensitive gets unfairly demonized on a larger scale. Then it is exploited by food marketers, and suddenly people are spending a lot of time and money avoiding things that are probably totally harmless to them, or even good for them (in the case of some whole grains). Then the fad passes. I think the gluten-free craze has peaked and is now getting some backlash. A market correction we've seen before.

Eta: @boomie, aw. :X

What? You stop eating something and you feel better so you continue to avoid it? You're a moron! There's no scientific evidence! Bah!

Well if @drummerboy says it's all in your head...

davidfrazer said:

I think our cartoon correspondent has this about right: cutting out gluten has the salutary effect of also cutting out other stuff that was impacting folks' well-being.

I also suspect that the folks who go GF and end up feeling better are benefiting from the placebo effect. It's been long documented that most forms of alternate medicine have a placebo effect and, hence, actually "work" for some number of people. In this regard, I recommend Chapter 11 in Paul Offit's recent book, "Do You Believe in Magic." http://goo.gl/myy569 .

Seriously? You think that my issues were cured by placebo effect? That when I get so sick from eating something that I don't know has gluten in it, it's because of some kind of magical thinking makes me wish it so? How would I know it had gluten in it if I didn't get sick and then had to try to figure out what I ate?

You've got to be kidding me. Like I said above, this is not a new thing for me. It's been many many years, and I know what makes me sick, other than some of the comments on this thread.

Edited to correct grammar.

Marylago, don't you have celiac?

I don't get why some antiquated scientific notions are the be-all-and-end-all of ALL nutrition. Haven't we made great strides elsewhere? Why would nutrition and the study of the way our body works, be any different?

Do you know how long ago they made up the food pyramid and the ridiculous fact that grains are good for you? Who are "they" anyway? Isn't it conceivable that we may have learned MORE in the past 50 years?

At the very least, let's not act like it's witchcraft for crying out loud. If people feel better eating a certain way, why is it any concern of yours? Unless, of course, you're all the picture of health and fitness.. then judge away...

Ya, good point.

The food pyramid is built by lobbyists who influence the USDA.

doublehappiness said:

I don't get why some antiquated scientific notions are the be-all-and-end-all of ALL nutrition. Haven't we made great strides elsewhere? Why would nutrition and the study of the way our body works, be any different?

Do you know how long ago they made up the food pyramid and the ridiculous fact that grains are good for you? Who are "they" anyway? Isn't it conceivable that we may have learned MORE in the past 50 years?

At the very least, let's not act like it's witchcraft for crying out loud. If people feel better eating a certain way, why is it any concern of yours? Unless, of course, you're all the picture of health and fitness.. then judge away...

+1

I think it's the food "plate" now but yea, same concept.

boomie said:

Marylago, don't you have celiac?

No, I don't. Or let me correct that, by the time I got tested I was gluten free for long enough that they could not determine whether I was or not, and it wasn't worth it to me to start eating gluten for a few weeks for me to find out, especially since I was going to remain gluten free. My allergist says I have a wheat allergy but that doesn't explain why all gluten makes me sick. I started just not eating wheat--even before the doctor told me about the allergy--but found I had to cut out all gluten. I'm healthier for it, so I'm with doublehappiness. What's it to you? Is it harming you in any way, even remotely?

sprout said:

Also, I recently went to an allergist. My mouth has a reaction to walnuts whenever I eat them. However, I did not react at all to the 'walnut' scratch test on my skin.

There is something called the oral allergy syndrome that is different from systemic allergies, though I have not seen walnuts in the list of food offenders.

marylago said:

boomie said:

Marylago, don't you have celiac?

No, I don't. Or let me correct that, by the time I got tested I was gluten free for long enough that they could not determine whether I was or not, and it wasn't worth it to me to start eating gluten for a few weeks for me to find out, especially since I was going to remain gluten free. My allergist says I have a wheat allergy but that doesn't explain why all gluten makes me sick. I started just not eating wheat--even before the doctor told me about the allergy--but found I had to cut out all gluten. I'm healthier for it, so I'm with doublehappiness. What's it to you? Is it harming you in any way, even remotely?

Me? No I just thought you were one of the people DB actually didn't mean to target here. Clearly you have an allergy and an intolerance. Not sure why you're pouncing on me.

Oh, no, I wasn't talking about you. I was referring to David frazer's post.

Sorry, I got ahead of myself.

oh ok.