Good let’s put an end to this dangerous marketing trend before all beer tastes like gluten free beer.
But you have to admit,the marketers and pushers of these fads are really good at shearing the sheeple. Ooh.Ooh.Look at me.I got the latest whatever! Amazing how brain washing works so well nowadays.
Interesting study. Test subjects were given no gluten and yet some of them still achieved the gluten tummy ache. It was mostly junk science that told them to reject gluten in the first place. Where will they turn next to explain their problems?
Trying to find good studies on any type of food or supplement is quite difficult. A quick look at the study design of most eliminates them into the junk science pile.
I very much doubt this is a sign of decreasing competence in science. More likely increasing corruption in the funding end. Buddies get money for producing the desired result.
Science is for suckers, pretty much. The money is in propaganda. Because “you can’t handle The Truth.” People are stupid, they must be controlled.
I should also point out that this study does not mean people are imagining their symptoms. Its just that the study rules out -gluten- as a cause for the symptoms. The “nocebo” effect is claimed here, but not demonstrated.
Well over 30 years ago an allegist diagnosed me with a wheat allergy.
It persists to this day . . . not tummy aches, just retaining fluids and eczema . . . oh the misery of itchy, weepy eczema . . . .
That said, I dread the end of the gluten-free fad because it will bring me back to very limited options in grocery stores and restaurants.
I have a daughter who is dealing with a confirmed Celiac problem, so she has gone to a gluten free diet and the problem disappeared. It is more expensive for their grocery bill, but their is a small income tax deduction.
That said, I agree that this is another current fad.
My wife has celiac disease and the GF food fad has been a boon for her because of the great selection of GF foods available. 30 years ago there were few options and prices for GF foods were 4X. She did very well, but eating options limited and restaurants hopeless.
We long suspected that yuppies claiming gluten intolerance were full of themselves. ☺ As they are about most things.
What irks me is they’re plastering gluten free on all the products that never had wheat in them to begin with.
My personal favorite is the jars of Planters Peanuts with Mr. Peanut on the front, and on the back is a warning: “contains peanuts”.
Junk science is the perfect description for this stupid fad. People with Celiac disease have suffered for years with limited options and pretty much are on their own when it comes to choices. That said, I would question the “Gluten Free” products hitting the shelves all of a sudden. Wicked marketing tool though. As an aside, Junk Science pretty much describes “climate change” too. Of course climate changes. It’s what climate does…if it didn’t we’d still be living in an ice age….oh wait didn’t they predict a new ice age back in the ’70’s?
As others have sort of mentioned, the real problems with wheat are not the gluten. This is baloney unless you have real disease. The problem with modern wheat is that it is hybridized over and over until it contains proteins that have never been found in nature before, totally man made and our guts don’t handle them well. Many people are made sick by it. I know I am. It makes my face break out and my bones hurt. But its hard as heck to avoid bread in our culture. You have to be a bit of a maniac.
I agree Paul. It’s just like the ‘fat free’label on Jello. Being a chef,I find all these food fads a huge waste of time. While there are genuine concerns for some people the explosion of food allergies is insane. The best example of insane allergies would have to be the 20 something hipster who was deathly allergic to salt. Enjoy your glass of distilled water.
I’ve thought for some time exactly what this study concludes. A small percentage of people actually have gluten issues, and the rest are just jumping on the latest evil food bandwagon. Sugar, salt, cholesterol, caffeine, carbohydrates, dairy, animal fats, trans fats, protein, gluten… the list goes on and on of what’s bad for you, depending on what year it is. I’ve always maintained that the worst thing for your body is not any particular foods at all, but a sedentary lifestyle. Keep fit, eat anything and everything in moderation, and ignore these evil food crazes.
@pbird
The solution is easy for you just don’t eat it than, in fact eat nothing at all much like the population in the third world who should have no food rather than food that just maybe makes them a little sick based on junk science 20 years from now. I promise you you will see that sandwich made from hybridized wheat in a different light after having not eaten for just a few days.
The latest of these ridiculous fads that I have seen is people who say they are allergic to oranges and apples. At my daughter’s dance school oranges and apples are now banned from snacks. Hard to believe but true!!
It is considered a fashion statement today to say you are allergic to something. You are hip and cool if you are allergic to something, and very uninteresting if you are not.
Also many parents today seem desperate to find something that their kid is allergic to so that they can fit in with all the other yuppie parents.
Couple years back we had a big gathering at our house, with a buffet table, and a cow of a woman came storming up and insisted we immediately remove some item or other from the buffer because she was allergic to it. She was the wife of an acquaintance. We refused, and she had a fit.
World has gone mad. It’s all me me me.
“It is considered a fashion statement today to say you are allergic to something. You are hip and cool if you are allergic to something, and very uninteresting if you are not.
Also many parents today seem desperate to find something that their kid is allergic to so that they can fit in with all the other yuppie parents.”
Well said, that sums it up nicely.
My daughter has had Celiac disease for over 30 years. When she was diagnosed with it there were very few options, and you had to read every (I mean every) label to see what was in the product. The gluten free products now available are a real blessing for her & others with this malady.
I cut out wheat from my diet about a year ago and the result has been spectacular – weight loss, less gas and my perpetually clogged sinuses cleared up. I do try some of the GF products because I know they do not have any wheat in them. And I must admit I still eat some wheat products because the GF products just don’t taste as good.
But read the labels of the gluten-free products – being gluten-free does not mean they are necessarily good for you – lots of starch and sugar.
Well said BC.
One quibble: I wouldn’t say hip and cool. I’d say they want to feel SPECIAL.
I’m quite amused by this thread.
Only a few days ago in Vancouver’s Urban Fare grocery store I ranted to a nearby employee about the gluten free marketing madness. I told him, Mark my words, gluten supplements can’t be far off. I have also been known to do some faux outrage to the effect of, Heh, whaddabout me?! I LIKE gluten! I want my gluten!
Celiac however is real. The above cynicism doesn’t apply.
Altho the question has to to be asked: Why the big increase in Celiac sufferers. My wife wonders if it could be related to The Pill?
I’ve never been tested for celiac but when the wife decided we should cut out gluten (because of the wheat belly thing)my consumption of 1 to 2 zantac a day went to 0 zantac a day. (unless I do have some bread, then it’s back to zantac.) A fad? Not for me it isn’t.
Meh… To each his own stomach.
I worked with heirloom crops in my sordid past. Let me assure you, this ain’t your father’s Oldsmobile cereal any more. In fact, it’s not even the stuff you grew up on.
There is no doubt that wheat proteins have become more complex to digest. Not only gluten, but gliadin and agglutinin are indicated in a myriad of disorders most of which involve years of chronic sub-clinical inflammation prior to the frank expression of diagnosable symptoms. Beyond this, most flour is iron fortified and some cereals have up to 50% rda in 3/4 cup. This is bad news for 1 out of 9 Canadian males (northern European descent)as they will slowly accumulate excess iron in their joints and organs. Some will fully express hemochromatosis but most will simply age a bit faster and enjoy higher cancer rates.
Don’t shirtsleeve it, but moving away from cereal grains is not a bad idea.
“Don’t shirtsleeve it” what does that mean? The rest of the message makes good sense.
Tanx!
It’s a sort of a euphemism. To wear something on one’s sleeve… To express an emotion, belief, or stance overtly and make it an important part of one’s public life.
Like the lady in BC’s comment. Generally you know if someone has a condition, or perhaps has been in charge of something, when they insert it into a conversation bringing attention to themselves. They wear their condition or supposed prowess like chevrons on a uniform. I can’t stand it, especially when people do it with their kids.
when i was younger, Cheddar cheese used to give me horrible Migraines. Than somewhere in my mid 20’s I outgrew it or adapted. Fish used to give me horrible gas, but I grew up on Beef and potatoes so I rarely ever ate fish unless it was at a friends house. I started eating it a bit more as an adult and the first few times it sucked, now it doesn’t bother me. Oh and once I hated pickles and now, they’re pretty good.
Just because something doesn’t go down easy the first time doesn’t mean your tummy won’t figure it out.
Wheat based products never bothered me or slowed me down. I was always one for eating all the dinner rolls and can blow through a loaf of bread like nobody’s business.
I went on a date once not long ago and I really offended her because I ordered bacon on a meal and she said when I was giving my order to the waiter. “Are you really going to order that? pork doesn’t digest and its cruel the way they treat the pigs”. So I ignored her and asked the waiter for a double order. The waiter came back with some hot dinner rolls and she got quietly pissy and huffy because I ate my dinner roll and pushed hers away. I said are you eat that? Got a smarmy no, wheat is bad for you. So I grabbed that and ate it too. I enjoyed a great meal while she picked and only ate a bit of a salad. It was over after that and I’m glad I’ll never see her again.
Related: I also remember the craze of Sick Building Syndrome.
Right, I see what you mean. This is especially true with the social media crowd who emulate celebrities and adopt a “look at me I’m a celeb too” attitude because they’re on the net.
Whenever a celeb “comes out” about some allergy, affliction, childhood tragedy, or s-xual proclivity, there is a flutter and twitter of similar conditions through the social sheeple crowd. Anyone who brags about something abnormal is likely faking it for attention.
The whole marketing industry is geared to satiating that “look at me I’m special” addiction.
On a positive note, it’s created some rather good amateur p0rn, so the “look at me” generation can’t be all bad.
craze of Sick Building Syndrome.Posted by: Paul
Are you speaking of the perceived affliction in some overly sensitive occupants, or are you referring to buildings that have bad air quality due to inadequate ventilation and toxic furnishings?
This will give you a quick review and bring you up to speed with current knowledge on the subject of Sick Building Syndrome. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sick_building_syndrome
Pay particular attention to the References and Further Reading sections.
There are people who will fake all sorts of afflictions for the special attention it brings them. Allergies and SBS included. Some ages and genders seem to be more susceptible to this affection than others.
I don’t know about people and gluten — except that yes, of course celiac disease is real, and yes, wheat is definitely not what it used to be — but one of my dogs had her life change dramatically for the better when out of desperation I eliminated gluten-containing treats from her diet. Her regular meals were homemade and completely grain-free, but treats contained either wheat or spelt.
Unless she was on antibiotics, for the first 3 years of her life she had acne so severe it bled, and just for the fun of it, she often had interdigital cysts. I changed the contents of her treats, and we got lucky: her skin cleared up immediately, and she’s lived happily-ever-after since then.
@pbird ∞ ≠ ø
I share your unease about things like vitamin or iron fortified foods.
As far as GMO/hybridized crops…..don’t despair….the problem only manifests when you reproduce….yer kids are all hermaphrodites and yer Johnson falls off…..other than that no worries.
(sarc)
Good let’s put an end to this dangerous marketing trend before all beer tastes like gluten free beer.
But you have to admit,the marketers and pushers of these fads are really good at shearing the sheeple. Ooh.Ooh.Look at me.I got the latest whatever! Amazing how brain washing works so well nowadays.
Interesting study. Test subjects were given no gluten and yet some of them still achieved the gluten tummy ache. It was mostly junk science that told them to reject gluten in the first place. Where will they turn next to explain their problems?
Trying to find good studies on any type of food or supplement is quite difficult. A quick look at the study design of most eliminates them into the junk science pile.
I very much doubt this is a sign of decreasing competence in science. More likely increasing corruption in the funding end. Buddies get money for producing the desired result.
Science is for suckers, pretty much. The money is in propaganda. Because “you can’t handle The Truth.” People are stupid, they must be controlled.
I should also point out that this study does not mean people are imagining their symptoms. Its just that the study rules out -gluten- as a cause for the symptoms. The “nocebo” effect is claimed here, but not demonstrated.
Well over 30 years ago an allegist diagnosed me with a wheat allergy.
It persists to this day . . . not tummy aches, just retaining fluids and eczema . . . oh the misery of itchy, weepy eczema . . . .
That said, I dread the end of the gluten-free fad because it will bring me back to very limited options in grocery stores and restaurants.
I have a daughter who is dealing with a confirmed Celiac problem, so she has gone to a gluten free diet and the problem disappeared. It is more expensive for their grocery bill, but their is a small income tax deduction.
That said, I agree that this is another current fad.
My wife has celiac disease and the GF food fad has been a boon for her because of the great selection of GF foods available. 30 years ago there were few options and prices for GF foods were 4X. She did very well, but eating options limited and restaurants hopeless.
We long suspected that yuppies claiming gluten intolerance were full of themselves. ☺ As they are about most things.
What irks me is they’re plastering gluten free on all the products that never had wheat in them to begin with.
My personal favorite is the jars of Planters Peanuts with Mr. Peanut on the front, and on the back is a warning: “contains peanuts”.
Junk science is the perfect description for this stupid fad. People with Celiac disease have suffered for years with limited options and pretty much are on their own when it comes to choices. That said, I would question the “Gluten Free” products hitting the shelves all of a sudden. Wicked marketing tool though. As an aside, Junk Science pretty much describes “climate change” too. Of course climate changes. It’s what climate does…if it didn’t we’d still be living in an ice age….oh wait didn’t they predict a new ice age back in the ’70’s?
As others have sort of mentioned, the real problems with wheat are not the gluten. This is baloney unless you have real disease. The problem with modern wheat is that it is hybridized over and over until it contains proteins that have never been found in nature before, totally man made and our guts don’t handle them well. Many people are made sick by it. I know I am. It makes my face break out and my bones hurt. But its hard as heck to avoid bread in our culture. You have to be a bit of a maniac.
I agree Paul. It’s just like the ‘fat free’label on Jello. Being a chef,I find all these food fads a huge waste of time. While there are genuine concerns for some people the explosion of food allergies is insane. The best example of insane allergies would have to be the 20 something hipster who was deathly allergic to salt. Enjoy your glass of distilled water.
I’ve thought for some time exactly what this study concludes. A small percentage of people actually have gluten issues, and the rest are just jumping on the latest evil food bandwagon. Sugar, salt, cholesterol, caffeine, carbohydrates, dairy, animal fats, trans fats, protein, gluten… the list goes on and on of what’s bad for you, depending on what year it is. I’ve always maintained that the worst thing for your body is not any particular foods at all, but a sedentary lifestyle. Keep fit, eat anything and everything in moderation, and ignore these evil food crazes.
@pbird
The solution is easy for you just don’t eat it than, in fact eat nothing at all much like the population in the third world who should have no food rather than food that just maybe makes them a little sick based on junk science 20 years from now. I promise you you will see that sandwich made from hybridized wheat in a different light after having not eaten for just a few days.
The latest of these ridiculous fads that I have seen is people who say they are allergic to oranges and apples. At my daughter’s dance school oranges and apples are now banned from snacks. Hard to believe but true!!
It is considered a fashion statement today to say you are allergic to something. You are hip and cool if you are allergic to something, and very uninteresting if you are not.
Also many parents today seem desperate to find something that their kid is allergic to so that they can fit in with all the other yuppie parents.
Couple years back we had a big gathering at our house, with a buffet table, and a cow of a woman came storming up and insisted we immediately remove some item or other from the buffer because she was allergic to it. She was the wife of an acquaintance. We refused, and she had a fit.
World has gone mad. It’s all me me me.
“It is considered a fashion statement today to say you are allergic to something. You are hip and cool if you are allergic to something, and very uninteresting if you are not.
Also many parents today seem desperate to find something that their kid is allergic to so that they can fit in with all the other yuppie parents.”
Well said, that sums it up nicely.
My daughter has had Celiac disease for over 30 years. When she was diagnosed with it there were very few options, and you had to read every (I mean every) label to see what was in the product. The gluten free products now available are a real blessing for her & others with this malady.
I cut out wheat from my diet about a year ago and the result has been spectacular – weight loss, less gas and my perpetually clogged sinuses cleared up. I do try some of the GF products because I know they do not have any wheat in them. And I must admit I still eat some wheat products because the GF products just don’t taste as good.
But read the labels of the gluten-free products – being gluten-free does not mean they are necessarily good for you – lots of starch and sugar.
Well said BC.
One quibble: I wouldn’t say hip and cool. I’d say they want to feel SPECIAL.
I’m quite amused by this thread.
Only a few days ago in Vancouver’s Urban Fare grocery store I ranted to a nearby employee about the gluten free marketing madness. I told him, Mark my words, gluten supplements can’t be far off. I have also been known to do some faux outrage to the effect of, Heh, whaddabout me?! I LIKE gluten! I want my gluten!
Celiac however is real. The above cynicism doesn’t apply.
Altho the question has to to be asked: Why the big increase in Celiac sufferers. My wife wonders if it could be related to The Pill?
I’ve never been tested for celiac but when the wife decided we should cut out gluten (because of the wheat belly thing)my consumption of 1 to 2 zantac a day went to 0 zantac a day. (unless I do have some bread, then it’s back to zantac.) A fad? Not for me it isn’t.
Meh… To each his own stomach.
I worked with heirloom crops in my sordid past. Let me assure you, this ain’t your father’s
Oldsmobilecereal any more. In fact, it’s not even the stuff you grew up on.There is no doubt that wheat proteins have become more complex to digest. Not only gluten, but gliadin and agglutinin are indicated in a myriad of disorders most of which involve years of chronic sub-clinical inflammation prior to the frank expression of diagnosable symptoms. Beyond this, most flour is iron fortified and some cereals have up to 50% rda in 3/4 cup. This is bad news for 1 out of 9 Canadian males (northern European descent)as they will slowly accumulate excess iron in their joints and organs. Some will fully express hemochromatosis but most will simply age a bit faster and enjoy higher cancer rates.
Don’t shirtsleeve it, but moving away from cereal grains is not a bad idea.
“Don’t shirtsleeve it” what does that mean? The rest of the message makes good sense.
Tanx!
It’s a sort of a euphemism.
To wear something on one’s sleeve…
To express an emotion, belief, or stance overtly and make it an important part of one’s public life.
Like the lady in BC’s comment. Generally you know if someone has a condition, or perhaps has been in charge of something, when they insert it into a conversation bringing attention to themselves. They wear their condition or supposed prowess like chevrons on a uniform. I can’t stand it, especially when people do it with their kids.
when i was younger, Cheddar cheese used to give me horrible Migraines. Than somewhere in my mid 20’s I outgrew it or adapted. Fish used to give me horrible gas, but I grew up on Beef and potatoes so I rarely ever ate fish unless it was at a friends house. I started eating it a bit more as an adult and the first few times it sucked, now it doesn’t bother me. Oh and once I hated pickles and now, they’re pretty good.
Just because something doesn’t go down easy the first time doesn’t mean your tummy won’t figure it out.
Wheat based products never bothered me or slowed me down. I was always one for eating all the dinner rolls and can blow through a loaf of bread like nobody’s business.
I went on a date once not long ago and I really offended her because I ordered bacon on a meal and she said when I was giving my order to the waiter. “Are you really going to order that? pork doesn’t digest and its cruel the way they treat the pigs”. So I ignored her and asked the waiter for a double order. The waiter came back with some hot dinner rolls and she got quietly pissy and huffy because I ate my dinner roll and pushed hers away. I said are you eat that? Got a smarmy no, wheat is bad for you. So I grabbed that and ate it too. I enjoyed a great meal while she picked and only ate a bit of a salad. It was over after that and I’m glad I’ll never see her again.
Related: I also remember the craze of Sick Building Syndrome.
Right, I see what you mean. This is especially true with the social media crowd who emulate celebrities and adopt a “look at me I’m a celeb too” attitude because they’re on the net.
Whenever a celeb “comes out” about some allergy, affliction, childhood tragedy, or s-xual proclivity, there is a flutter and twitter of similar conditions through the social sheeple crowd. Anyone who brags about something abnormal is likely faking it for attention.
The whole marketing industry is geared to satiating that “look at me I’m special” addiction.
On a positive note, it’s created some rather good amateur p0rn, so the “look at me” generation can’t be all bad.
craze of Sick Building Syndrome.Posted by: Paul
Are you speaking of the perceived affliction in some overly sensitive occupants, or are you referring to buildings that have bad air quality due to inadequate ventilation and toxic furnishings?
This will give you a quick review and bring you up to speed with current knowledge on the subject of Sick Building Syndrome.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sick_building_syndrome
Pay particular attention to the References and Further Reading sections.
There are people who will fake all sorts of afflictions for the special attention it brings them. Allergies and SBS included. Some ages and genders seem to be more susceptible to this affection than others.
I don’t know about people and gluten — except that yes, of course celiac disease is real, and yes, wheat is definitely not what it used to be — but one of my dogs had her life change dramatically for the better when out of desperation I eliminated gluten-containing treats from her diet. Her regular meals were homemade and completely grain-free, but treats contained either wheat or spelt.
Unless she was on antibiotics, for the first 3 years of her life she had acne so severe it bled, and just for the fun of it, she often had interdigital cysts. I changed the contents of her treats, and we got lucky: her skin cleared up immediately, and she’s lived happily-ever-after since then.
@pbird ∞ ≠ ø
I share your unease about things like vitamin or iron fortified foods.
As far as GMO/hybridized crops…..don’t despair….the problem only manifests when you reproduce….yer kids are all hermaphrodites and yer Johnson falls off…..other than that no worries.
(sarc)