My Soapbox

This blog was inspired by a conversation I had with a co-worker today.  A co-worker innocently asked me, "isn't gluten-free the latest fad diet, kinda like Atkins?" Now, those of you who know me know this sort of question can really ruffle my feathers, but this particular person was really asking out of curiosity and interest.  My answer, however, was disjointed, confusing to even myself, and sounded more like a read of my medical chart than an intelligent conversation.  So, I would like to take a moment to actually answer the question here...

I am not a doctor, so what I offer here is not a medical opinion.  I do, however, have celiac disease and have done a lot of research on the gluten-free lifestyle.  So, I offer my personal opinion.  It boils down to this, there are three types of people 1) those who suffer from celiac disease, 2) those who are gluten intolerant/sensitive, and 3) everyone else.  Notice that I do not have a category for those who are "fad-dieters" or those who think a gluten-free diet will help them lose weight.  There should be no category for those individuals, I will include them in category #3.

1)  Individuals with celiac disease have an autoimmune disease.  It is not contagious, you can't catch it.  It is genetic and like many autoimmune diseases some people are asymptomatic and others have many difficulties.  Symptoms look different in different people which is one reason is is difficult to diagnose.  The "gold standard" of diagnosis is a biopsy of the small intestine (done during an endoscopy for which sedation is required). It is estimated 1 in 133 people have celiac disease (celiac.com).  There is no cure, so a lifetime strict gluten-free diet is mandatory.  Even if someone is asymptomatic (which is rare), the repercussions for not eating gluten free are severe.  Untreated celiac disease can cause other autoimmune diseases, increases the risk of neural-tube birth defects in pregnant women and leaves an individual 40-100 times more likely to get cancer of the gastrointestinal tract (celiac.com).  

2) The second tier of individuals is those with gluten-intolerance/sensitivity.  Many people may have this and not even realize it.  This could manifest itself similar to celiac disease, however there may not be any intestinal damage.  These individuals will not test positive for celiac disease but seem to have symptoms when they eat gluten.  Similar to lactose intolerance, these individuals range in their sensitivity to gluten.  You will find some individuals with gluten intolerance who are diligent and strict in their diet.  You may find others who are less sensitive who can "cheat" now and again.  In either case it doesn't mean it isn't real, it means it is a spectrum disorder and it manifests itself very differently in different people.

3)  The third group is everyone else.  It is my personal opinion the food pyramid is a warped perception of how "we" (Americans) should eat.  The "bread, cereal, rice and pasta" group represents the largest portion of the pyramid.  The problem is that most of the average American is eating in terms of bread, cereal and pasta is not the variety of whole grain breads and pastas, it's in the form of overly processed, pre-packaged foods of convenience with an expiration date 2 years from time of manufacturing.  Food items like pastries, cakes and cookies have no place in this part of the pyramid, yet somehow people attempt to fit them under the "bread" heading.  With this being said, I think everyone (myself included) could more closely regulate our processed food consumption.  But how would cutting back on bread, pasta, cereal and pastries benefit someone without celiac or gluten sensitivity?

There are individuals who remove gluten from their diet in an attempt to lose weight.  The premise of this diet is similar to that of South Beach or Atkins diets.  If you remove gluten from your standard diet you are essentially removing carbs from your diet.  If you, however, replace those foods with gluten free versions of the same foods, you are still consuming the same amount of carbs and therefore will not see significant weight loss.
Books like this are not helping promote the truth that most individuals who eat gluten free have major health issues and reasons for doing so.  The notion that gluten free is the latest fad-diet makes it hard to be taken seriously when I order a meal from the gluten free menu or for a waiter to understand that I get very sick when I consume gluten.  I am not ordering off the gluten free menu to be needy or to be fashionable.
(Side note, the book I linked above promotes the removal of wheat from the diet.  Gluten is more than just wheat, it is barley and rye as well.)

Now, there are athletes and non-athletes alike who are removing gluten from their diet and they seem to say that feel like they have more energy and better mental clarity.  My speculation is that some of these individuals may have a gluten sensitivity, but there are other reasons tied to athletic performance as you can read here. 

Questioning if you should try a gluten free diet, this website lists some substitutions for common gluten-filled items.  It also discusses who should go gluten free and the reasons for doing so.

The choice, if it is a choice, is not an easy one.  I do know that now I am much more aware of the foods that go into my body.  If there was a magic pill I could take and eat a Papa John's pizza and Cheesecake Factory cheesecake tomorrow--I would!  However, I know I am much healthier for eliminating so much of the "crap" from my diet.  My point boils down to this, I believe everyone can benefit from reducing the amount of gluten they ingest.  It's not a miracle weight-loss diet, it's just a step in the direction to a healthier lifestyle, and for me it's definitely not a choice. 

Ok, off the soapbox now--and I promise the soap was gluten free ;)