If you've ever seen a product in a grocery store with the label above on it, this means that the food you're about to consume is gluten free. Why does that matter? Because in the past couple of years, gluten allergies have been on the rise and have caused a gluten-free revolution. Many companies have started making gluten-free products or have even completely stopped making products with gluten altogether. Some people, though, are not so willing to jump on the gluten-free train and question if people really have gluten allergies or if they assume that cutting it out of their diets will make them healthy.
Celiac disease is/was the main reason why companies made gluten free foods. Celiac disease is defined as a gluten-induced condition in which the small intestine because badly damaged by foods containing gluten. About 1 in 100 people have Celiac Disease, yet millions of people have no idea they have this condition. Many people have associated the gluten-free revolution with Celiac Disease and think that Celiac Disease is on the rise.
Though Celiac Disease is on the rise, many people are actually developing gluten intolerance and other conditions associated with gluten allergies. What is gluten intolerance? Gluten intolerance is similar to Celiac Disease in that gluten sits in the intestines and badly damages the intestines and can result in malabsorption because of blocking the intestines from doing their job. 1 in 133 people are gluten-intolerant nowadays, compared to 1 in a 2500 ten years ago.
What is causing gluten intolerance to be on the rise? Doctors have speculations, such as high sugar content, GMOs, highly processed foods, and antibiotics. All of these things and several more cause inflammation of the intestines, which can aid in the body developing a gluten allergy. So far, though, nothing has been deemed as the exact cause of the intolerance as well as the increase in people with the intolerance.
If you think you have a gluten allergy or show some of the signs of a gluten allergy, it is in your best interest to go and get tested. If you don't want to get tested, try taking gluten out of your life for a while and see if your stomach feels better. If so, you may have a gluten allergy. In a society where gluten intolerance is on the rise, it may be wise to "save yourself" and to give gluten free foods a try, you may actually like them and your body may actually feel better eating them.
Questions for Reflection
1) With little known about GMOs, would it be wise to cut these out of our diets to see if they are the cause of our gluten intolerance?
2) When people say they feel better eating gluten free, is that just the mind making the body think its better or is it really the body feeling better?
Sources
http://www.foodrenegade.com/the-rise-of-gluten-intolerance/
http://celiac.org/celiac-disease/what-is-celiac-disease/
http://thehealthreporter.tv/tag/gluten-free/
I truly feel sorry for those unable to digest gluten. It is a hassle to accommodate a diet to and fortunately, more companies have come out with gluten free alternatives. With this rise in availability of eating gluten free, the "gluten free diet" has spread to others who may not need to eat this way out of necessity. I am not saying anything is wrong with this, but looking at what a "gluten free diet" includes, there may be an easier explanation as to why people feel better with this new diet. With most forms of carbs being eliminated from a persons diet, the next easiest thing to turn to is increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables. Most people don't eat enough of these already, so having the necessary vitamins, nutrients, and fiber they provide may explain why people feel better. Removing gluten from your diet cuts down on the amount of carbs a person eats. This is essentially a revamped form of a low carb diet. Those that choose to go on diets are normally more health conscious as well. This leads them to cook their own gluten free dishes that will more than likely have ingredients that are more fresh and nutritious. In all, I believe going gluten free is more complex of a diet because of the need to produce more foods on your own, which ensures you know what is going into it. There are many variables that change with a "gluten free diet" that I believe can explain the change people claim they feel.
ReplyDeleteThis blog post touches briefly on the thought that many people have joined the gluten-free diet in order to lose weight or to become healthier. However, as the above comment suggests, this lose in weight may not be directly due to the actual reduction in gluten intake. It may be due to more health conscious eating habits, healthier alternatives, or a healthier lifestyle in general. However, it is also possible that people could turn to worse health habits to fill the gaps that a gluten-free diet results in. An interesting study would be to look into gluten-free diets further and develop a more structured diet for those who decide to eliminate gluten from their diet that would result in optimal health.
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