why are so many people wheat (gluten) sensitive?
it's like a body-snatcher movie -- people are waking up wheat sensitive (gluten) ... seems like every other person i talk to can't eat wheat (or gluten) .... what's your take on this?
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13 Comments:
It's like lactose intolerance, whenever that came into being - fifty years ago nobody would have linked stomach upset to eating dairy products. Celiac and milder gluten intolerances have become easier to diagnose, and can account for problems that were seemingly unsolvable - I've read that many cases of chronic fatigue syndrome have been discovered to be undiagnosed celiac disease, and some doctors suspect Crohn's to originate as especially acute celiac disease.
The good thing about this is not only that the folks who are diagnosed successfully can now have relief by following the correct diet, but that wheat and gluten are being viewed with some suspicion by non-sufferers. This is a good thing because most western diets overrely on wheat bread vs. other grains like rice, which are whole foods (even whole wheat flour is compromised in the milling process - loses lots of nutrients), and are often easier for the body to assimilate than wheat.
That said, I love bread and I know I would have a really hard time if I were gluten intolerant!
producestories at 11:50PM on 07/15/09
I think there are a couple things going on. More people are being diagnosed correctly. And at the same time, more people are hearing about it and misdiagnosing themselves without being tested.
dbcurrie at 12:38AM on 07/16/09
@dbcurrie - You're undoubtedly right, but I wonder if the "misdiagnosis" is such a problem (unless it keeps them from diagnosing something else correctly). I have several friends who aren't diagnosed celiac but who avoid gluten because they don't like the way it makes them feel. But I can't imagine doing it without really noticing a difference, because avoiding gluten is so difficult, especially when eating out.
producestories at 8:16AM on 07/16/09
1. An unheard-of disease is now well-known
2. Self-diagnosis via the Internet
3. People avoiding carbohydrates and using a gluten intolerance as a convenient excuse
4. A vague sense that all gluten-containing foods are bad, since some people have allergies, and a feeling that no gluten=health (even though I find manufactured, gluten free foods to be very hard to digest, the few times I have tried them).
5. An over-reliance on foods with gluten in processed foods that have made somewhat sensitive people more sensitive via digestive overload
HeartofGlass at 9:23AM on 07/16/09
this is something i've been wondering about-seems like evey other day i run into more people with it. i got this from wiki, so take it with a grain (or ten) of salt, but it sounds reasonable enough:
"The rise of gluten sensitivity (particularly in adults) may reflect the convergence of many phenomena. An aging population, genetic risks associated with westernization, excesses in the diet, sensitizing chemicals (e.g.MSG, aspirin, NSAIDs), and allergy-enhancing chemical treatment of foods (e.g. enzymatic deamidation of gluten) may act together with natural defensive agents in foods to cross the threshold between normality and pathology"
gastronomeg at 11:10AM on 07/16/09
The main reason is simple: the human body was not manufactured to digest wheat! The thousands of years wheat has been cultivated is a miniscule amount of time in human history, and basically our bodies were not designed to process wheat (rather we are built to survive on fruits, vegetables-including starchy root vegetables, game meats, nuts, and seeds). Some can process it better than others, but a fairly large percentage of the population is benefitting from gluten's elimination from the diet. That said, carbohydrates are essential to the diet (yeah, forget what doctor Atkins said) and those who eliminate gluten should dramatically increase consumption of fruit and pseudograins (which are actually seeds) like quinoa, armaranth, and teff.
jay27 at 11:47AM on 07/16/09
Probably the same reason kids are all suddenly ADD/ADHD or the ever popular "depressed". Its trendy, and conveniet, and hard to "prove" somebody doesn't have the disease/condition.
side note- I have no doubts that SOME people really do suffer from these problems- just not the masses that claim too.
mhurst826 at 12:08PM on 07/16/09
@producestories, misdiagnosis of something like that probably isn't a problem if it makes them feel better. But it's the same as people who fake allergies because it's convenient. It makes other people skeptical about the condition when someone actually does have it.
dbcurrie at 1:17PM on 07/16/09
I've been gluten-free for over 15 years, before it was a "fad". I've gone through all the appropriate tests and I can tell you, prior to, I was always sick. My problem is more respiratory and associated to wheat. I can tolerate some in my diet but if I push myself, I'm down for the count.
Its great that there is recognition as it makes life easier, not only eating, but from the odd stares, laughs and misconceptions when I first divulged my sickness to others.
It is a hard diet and one I wish I didn't have to deal with.
khfrisco at 4:44PM on 07/16/09
It seems to me that it could also be another inflammation based disease that could be related to the fact that the immune system isnt challenged enough because of the rise of anti bacterial agents, and more cleanliness and the body starts attacking itself. Other examples include rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, IBS, etc.
jennywenny at 6:04PM on 07/16/09
@Heartofglass---you nailed it.
sailordave at 11:49PM on 07/16/09
@dbcurrie: Good point - faking allergies causes issues with those who have real problems by casting doubt on them...and there are definitely folks with such high gluten intolerance that they can require hospitalization if they consume any. As a kid I was a total allergy-faker. Sorry to those of you out there who are really allergic to onions. :(
But @khfrisco has an interesting point as well - even if a lot of people who have "self-diagnosed" don't really have the disease, there's a new market for gluten-free food products and new recognition of gluten intolerance as a known problem, so that can benefit those who have been suffering for years, who can now e.g. go to a restaurant and ask about gluten-free menu options without receiving a blank stare in response. (And they can eat delicious cupcakes in NYC.)
@jennywenny - Exactly! Refined foods + sterile lifestyle + environmental/food chemicals = compromised immunity. Also a diet high meat/dairy/grain compared to vegetables/fruit promotes inflammation.
producestories at 8:58AM on 07/17/09
I was just having a conversation with my mom about this the other day. She can't get over all these new "allergy trends" and insisted no one was ever allergic to wheat, gluten, diary, all that stuff when she grew up. I blamed it on science and how people probably didn't know they were allergic - now we know more information and the more people talk about their allergies, the more others realize their own.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 4:12PM on 07/17/09