Is Gluten Free a Fad or Legitimate?

There are some people who legit have issues with Gluten, but that is rare. For anyone else, it is just the latest fad.

People who say it's a fad crack me up. How do they know? Bc they're ok with gluten? I'm ok with alcohol. Doesn't mean there aren't alcoholics. I went off wheat and my headaches got so much better. I sleep better too. My restless leg syndrome also lessened notably. So don't tell me it's a fad. If I eat it, I feel it. Not everyone has the issue but some of us do. You likely don't so I wouldn't bother going gluten free...

To the average person with no health problems, no, gluten free makes no difference.
But there has been great strides in understanding conditions that make a person gluten sensitive or even gluten intolerant. So now people who suffer from celiac, or something similar, have options to eat a more varied diet.

Gluten free is legitimate for people with celiac's disease, of which I know 2. Both of them will get pretty ill if they eat gluten. For the average person, who has no problems digesting gluten, it is an expensive way to feel superior about yourself.

There are many people who believe gluten in today's variety of wheat causes damage to seemingly normal people, leading to a spike in arthritis, IBS, Crohns, and many other health issues. Today's wheat is different from the wheat variety of 50 years ago - wheat farmers and scientists have developed a shorter grain wheat that matures in less time and can yield larger, more frequent crops - but it is that variety of wheat people who didn't have problems in their youth are starting to react to. Some people treat it like a fad because they do it only to lose weight. I'm fine with that because for me, I get sick when I eat it, so the more popular it is, the easier it is for me to find stuff I can eat. I have a sister with Celiac, a daughter with a diagnosed wheat sensitivity, and a mother with Crohn's. Since it runs in families, it is likely the Crohn's comes from celiac, but my mother thinks it's all a silly fad because she has eaten wheat all her life with no problem… except that she developed Crohn's… So… Most people with Celiac or wheat sensitivities don't understand that's what it is because the symptoms can be so hidden and diverse - it's only after not eating it for a while and then adding it back into the diet that they become aware of the connection.

Since going gluten free, my triglycerides are a third of what they were, my hair has stopped falling out, I think more clearly, my arthritis has cleared up, and if I do eat it, I get very ill for about a week.

And yes, grain fed meats are not what our ancestors ate. Grass fed beef, however, is available and much tastier! Buy local, buy organic - the national meat industry is scary!

I spend a whole lot of my professional time educating people about this. There's so much misinformation.

Some of it is real - Celiac Disease, for example. They have to remain gluten free, although we can do a lot to help them minimize reactions through accidental cross contamination. So Celiacs, with proper cellular nutrition, can reduce the inflammation and be able to eat in restaurants or in homes that contain gluten products, go to birthday parties, etc., without fear of a huge reaction as long as they avoid direct and substantial consumption of gluten.

Some of it is semi-real - there is nothing inherently wrong with gluten, but the type of wheat we eat now is not what people ate for thousands of years (GMO, rapid harvest in depleted soils, etc.), and we tend to have whole meals around it vs. using it as a side dish. For example, Italian meals typically had one serving of pasta but other courses of meats, cheeses & vegetables - while Americans have built entire meals on pasta.

In this country, we also feed our livestock on grains, which is not their natural diet, so when we eat meat, we aren't eating what our grandparents ate. This is the big problem with the paleo diet - today's cattle and poultry are not what prehistoric humans ate!

Finally, is some of it marketing? Sure. Gluten free products are more expensive, but some people feel that paying more means they are getting quality. It's not as bad as convincing the public to buy hundreds of gallons of unregulated bottled water per family, vs. drinking regulated tap water, but it's the same idea.

But think about it - why do we have these gluten and inflammation and auto-immune and food sensitivity issues in such huge percentages now, when they were virtually nonexistent 25 and 35 years ago? Why didn't our grandparents (and our parents) have these problems in such high degree? They ate gluten, and sugar, and peanuts and tree nuts and dairy and soy. So is the culprit these items, or what we've done to our bodies and our food over the last generation? In food science, we're able to have most people be able to eat reasonable amounts of these foods without huge elimination diets. But we're ADDING in, not removing. And we're extremely careful about the balance of what we add.

A huge culprit is inflammation - and by using natural anti-inflammatory peptides and other scientifically-proven ingredients in proper proportion, that can be drastically reduced as well.

Unless you have celiac disease, you have no need of a gluten free diet.

Yay bread!

I can tell you that going gluten free was the best thing I have done for myself in the last year +. I used to have IBS, acid reflux, and I was ready to throw up before and after each meal. I had to eat or I would be sick, but if I ate too much, or not the right thing, I would be REALLY sick! After going to the doctor, having the celiac tests done, and not finding anything, I went to the gastroenterologist. They found white blood cells but couldn't find anything exactly wrong....so my GI said to try gluten free. Within 3 days I felt better, stopped throwing up, and my IBS is gone. So far I have lost almost 40 pounds and a whole lot more inches.

I also have hypothyroid and I don't know if going gf has effected it or not, but my psoriasis is a lot better.

So to answer your question, YES, gluten free is a real thing for a lot of people who are not celiac.

I recently went gluten free per doctor's orders. It is very frustrating to eat GF.

In doing my research I have learned that it takes a person 11 years to be diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity or intolerance. The reason being because so many people do not know the symptoms, symptoms are so mild, or the symptoms are thought to be other medical issues.

For myself, the sensitivity was causing terrible joint pain in my hands for 3 years before I finally caved after I could no longer hold my coffee cup!! I was in so much pain! The pain was so bad I could no longer open car doors, jars, etc. and I have a high tolerance for pain.

I thought it was RA bc it is in my family history.

My doc did a thorough assessment and ran a bunch of blood tests. I tested negative for celiac, but some of the antibodies present in my blood suggested sensitivity.

Since I have been GF the pain has almost gone away, thank goodness!

The carb comments are kinda funny.......potatoes are a GF food. Sadly most restaurants do not offer GF entrees so I am stuck eating fries. Most salad dressings have gluten in them or are premade ( so things cannot be taken out). This holiday season...dips, pretzels, crackers...all gluten. But nope not potato chips.....grrrrrr.

But I remain hopeful because I am in the beginning stages of learning :-).

So yes, it's real.

There is celiac, which is gluten intolerant, and gluten sensitivity, which is less severe than celiac. My niece has celiac. I've been tested and it was negative, however my endocrinologist has recommended I do an elimination diet to see if I have gluten sensitivities, she said it's very common for people with thyroid and autoimmune issues to be sensitive to gluten. Veruca is right, there is gluten in so much of our diet that's even if we're sensitive to it we don't realize, we just think feeling crappy is normal. If you have any unexplained health issues it's worth taking a look at your diet to see if what you're eating is the culprit, whether that's gluten, dairy, legumes, or something else.

Celiac'a Disease is an auto-immune disorder formerly known as Spru. It starts from birth. My younger daughter has it. Her doctor asked her if she was breastfed or formula fed as a baby. She was the only one I breastfed for almost 2 years. Turns out in her case luckily I did. Breast feeding helps to deter the symtoms of Celiac's. She also had upset tummy issues as a child but we didn't know why. Her symtoms really showed when she was about 24 and going through a divorce. Stress can make the symtoms worse.
Gluten is grain protein and Celiac's patients can't digest gluten. Because so much media attention has focused on Celiac's over the past few years food companies have become more aware and are labeling their foods to help these people. Gluten can be found in not only bread products but in everything from salad dressings to ice cream.
Personally, I believe the introduction of GMO's in our food supply has made the problem worse. But that's just my opinion.

Unless you have celiac's disease, there's no need to go gluten free.
I read somewhere where gluten very slightly suppresses thyroid levels.
So going gluten free ups your thyroid levels slightly.
My sister says she feels better going gluten free - BUT - she's hyperthyroid in the first place and is always going off her meds that manage it.
If anything - gluten free is HORRIBLE for her because it's making her hyperthyroid even worse.
She should know better - she's had so many surgeries to get her eyes balls back into their sockets - but she LIKES being manically hyper.
Eventually her heart is going to race out of control and then quit on her but you can't tell her anything and she's not rational when she's off her meds.

I just read an article yesterday -probably huffington or Atlantic-saying how our wheat hasn't changed.

I have a few friends that are celiacs. I know tons of people who are doing the no sugar, gluten or dairy thing.

I think it's silly. I believe in moderation. If you ask me, it's about not eating processed foods.

My 4 year old has Celiac--just diagnosed. We are switching almost everything to GF because of the risk of contamination. It's all very new and overwhelming. I have friends who are GF, but don't have celiac. They say it makes them feel better overall.

Gluten is a protein in Wheat, Rye, Barley and "Oats" that can make some people very sick. People can have sensitivities, cieliac or could be allergic to the protein.

We went gluten free about 2 years ago for my son. He was having tummy pains and bad behavior issues. We tried it and it made a huge difference and his tummy no longer hurts.

My friend is highly sensitive to Gluten. She was sick for 3 or 4 years before they figured out what was causing her issues. she is so sensitive that, if her daughter kisses her after eating gold fish, it will make her sick the next day.

So, to some this might be a fad, to others it is a need. Not all people are effected by gluten. My daughter is not, my son is. .

With my son going Gluten free, I cook gluten free at home for the family as it is just easier. I lost 15 lbs with out even trying. When I do eat gluten, I do not fee that great. Part of it is my body not used to it, but if I do not eat chicken for weeks, then eat it, I feel no difference, so why would I fee a difference eating gluten after not, if it did not effect me.

*** when going to GF products, as with any foods processed is still process regardless of Gluten free or not *****

a little bit of both, i think. if you're not sensitive to gluten (some form of celiac's) there's no need to avoid gluten, necessarily. since you don't have any issues, why worry about it?
but it's also true that today's wheat has morphed an awful lot from the amber waves of yore. our soils are drastically depleted, and it's very very difficult to find grains that haven't been tainted with GMO and pesticides and god only knows what contaminants. i personally know several people who have eliminated bloat and joint pain by eschewing wheat products, so i think it's not really a simple answer.
but if you have zero health issues, you really don't have to sweat it, do you?
khairete
S.

Gluten is everywhere not just in bread...It's in soup, seasonings, broth....I heard about it 10 years ago and should have been gluten free then....I have hypothyroidism for the last 5 years. Didn't realize that the afternoon brain fog...stiff joints...bloated belly. inability to lose weight and headaches...chronic yeast infections etc....all warning signs for me. Back in March of 2014 the icing on the cake was losing my hair....

A trip to the specialist confirmed gluten sensitivity. So much inflammation he was surprised I had not developed other autoimmune disorders such as lupus. Even on meds my thyroid was out of whack...elevated liver enzymes..adrenal gland function was off. inability to store iron (feretin) even though I was taking in enough iron. and the list goes on. I wanted my hair back and to be able to get out of bed in the morning without feeling like I was 80 years old unable to bend my legs to stretch and walk.

Its unfortunate that gluten free has been the "butt" of many jokes because people in general can get carried away when the don't understand what being gluten free means. You don't know how that feels until you go through these issues yourself.

If you think you have sensitivities look up the symptoms....Do you have any of them? Your blood chemistry work-up can often indicate that you do. Others simply reducing your intake of carbs is all you need and you don't have the issue.

A fad for some...very real for others.

Have you heard of Celiac Disease?
If someone has Celiac, it's imperative that they eat gluten free.
That's not a fad.
Otherwise, why would you eliminate gluten?

If you are sensitive to gluten it really makes a difference. If you are not, it is a fad and unnecessary.

People who have celiac disease MUST eat gluten free or they become quite ill.
For pretty much everyone else, it's a fad.

For people that suffer from gluten intolerance or allergy, of course it's not a fad. I know an adult who developed an allergy to grains that contain gluten. She has to avoid foods containing gluten or she will have an allergic reaction to the point that it affects her breathing. I think the fad started as a result of the increased availability of gluten-free food products and the fact that people do often see weight loss as a result of decreased consumption of foods containing gluten. I think that since gluten-free has become a fad it makes it more difficult for people that need to avoid it for medical reasons while at the same time gives them more options food-wise.

It's a fad diet for most people, except for the small population with Celiac disease. My late grandfather had Celiac decades ago, before most people had heard of it or gluten.

If you have a gluten problem it does matter. I didn't think I had a problem with it either, than as part of my coursework to become a health coach I did an elimination diet. Essentially you eliminate common food allergens (corn, soy, citrus, wheat, gluten, and dairy) for two weeks then reintroduce them fax one at a time. I introduced wheat first, and within minutes of eating bread I looked 4 months pregnant from the bloating and had minor abdominal cramping. Now I avoid it, or am responsible for the fact that I will have bloating and discomfort if I decide to indulge in a gluten containing dessert like I did over the holidays. If you want more info about an elimination diet let me know.

Also, I avoid gluten free processed products as much as possible. I will occasionally use a gluten free baking mix to make pancakes, but in general I just stick with whole and minimally processed foods. Gluten free brownies are still brownies.

It is legitimate if you have a gluten sensitivity. A lot of people have a sensitivity without having Crone's or other actual bowel diseases.

My DH had years of bouts with IBS and the doctor told him you don't have any diagnose-able issues therefore it is IBS. Once he cut out gluten he hasn't had another bout and feels over all better than he did while on it. If he cheats and eats something with gluten he feels crummy for a few days.

Another friend of mine had horrible stomach issues and even though her tests for Ceilac's and Crone's came back negative she cut it out as an experiment "just to see" and all her issues cleared up as well.

My DH has done a lot of reading and research on it and has decided to go Paleo and not eat any grains. He has lost weight (that needed to be lost) and feels a lot better. So for him and his body grains are not good for him.

I think everyone has to decide what fuel (food) works best for their body and then go with it. I do eat grains/gluten and they don't seem to affect me one way or another. I have cut them out to see if I felt better and nope no change.

I suggestion to people after watching the huge change for am husband is to try it for a few weeks and see if you feel better over all...if so keep it up...if not don't worry about it.

Good luck!!