Scrolling through my Facebook news feed, I came
across an article titled, Science Proves Gluten Sensitivity Isn't Real, People Are Just Whiners, posted
by my favorite yogi mentor, Guru Stu. I was intrigued by the title, because, in
the green juice, kombucha drinking, vegan world of yoga, gluten-free fits right
in. Why would Stu post this inflammatory article? It also peaked my interest
because yesterday while picking up pizza, gluten-free crust had been
added to the menu as a new option. I was happy to see it on the menu because just
this week my mom informed me that she is now gluten intolerant. I had to
determine if Stu was no longer the guru for me, or if my mom is just a whiner.
The article claims that the
majority of people who believe they are gluten-sensitive or gluten intolerant
are actually suffering from a psychological disease. Subjects of a scientific
study, who believed they were gluten intolerant, were given gluten-free meals,
but were told the meals contained gluten. These subjects created same adverse
reactions in their bodies that they would have experienced had they really
ingested gluten and were truly gluten intolerant.
The article addresses how the rise in gluten
sensitivity is astounding. The number of people who believe they are
gluten-sensitive is approaching 17 million, a figure the author retrieved from
a Mayo Clinic Survey. Worldwide, $10.5 billion was spent on gluten-free products, findings from a
study done by Mintel, a market research company. The survey and research are
both cited in The New York Times.
By backing his opinion with scientific studies,
surveys and reliable sources, the author of the article makes multiple cogent
arguments to support his startling claim. As for me, I will keep Guru Stu, know my mom is a whiner and continue eating gluten filled pizza crust.
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ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that so many people are claiming they are gluten sensitive or intolerant whereas most of them don't even know what gluten actually is! My wife has Celiac Disease, that's where I first learned about gluten. I've even experienced when she has consumed gluten because there was some cross contamination. She suffered a majority of those side affects and was not a happy camper. Too many people do it just because it is becoming the new "diet fad." Here is a link of Jimmy Kimmel asking people what gluten is. Check it out!!!
ReplyDeleteAmen! The gluten free fad is like a new restaurant in St. George, it doesn't have to be good food, just a new place to go and everyone hops on the bandwagon! It seems like everyone knows someone who is gluten intolerant. It makes it hard for the ones who truly have Celiac Disease to get the attention they really need.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Rachel. It is a shame that so many people jumped on are self diagnosing when the people that really need it are not getting the attention they need. I think so many people look at gluten free like saying im going to drink a diet cola or coke zero. For those people that honestly do not have a condition like celiac disease it does absolutely nothing for you. But getting up and exercising and watching the other crap you eat will.
ReplyDelete