Did you see this Q & A in The New York Times today?
I have no idea why they titled this Gluten & Gluttony. Am I missing something?
And the "answer" given made me feel like the author took a few quotes from a doctor that specializes in celiac disease and then twisted the "answer" to lead the reader to the conclusion that "there is no benefit to eating a gluten-free diet unless you have been diagnosed with celiac disease."
True, it has not been proven scientifically that a gluten-free diet benefits other ailments. And for the record, I strongly encourage people to first try to get properly tested for celiac disease before going on a gluten-free diet.
However, I still had a few issues with the given "answer". I'm sure the author didn't have any ill intent when writing this "answer", but as we all know, there are still millions of people that have undiagnosed celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Knowing this makes me feel that articles such as this one are downplaying these numbers and even subtly mocking people that are trying a gluten-free diet and claiming to feel better without an official diagnosis of celiac disease. There was no mention of other auto-immune diseases that could be associated with celiac disease, while celiac disease is often overlooked. Wouldn't a well rounded journalistic approach have been to mention this and also mention some of the shocking numbers of undiagnosed patients along with the scientifically proven fact that gluten-sensitivity, although not officially celiac disease, is just as much of a deadly danger?
Speaking of gluten-sensitivity, remember when it didn't exist because it hadn't been proven scientifically?
I've personally met or communicated via email with many people diagnosed with different auto-immune diseases that haven't been diagnosed with celiac disease and have benefited from a gluten-free diet. Yes, these situations are considered anecdotal, not scientific. What about the woman that told me about how her vitiligo stopped spreading and her arthritis eased to the point of reducing her medication and the only thing she could attribute this to was a year of cooking and eating gluten-free for her husband's sake? Try telling her that is just a "placebo effect".
Has anyone out there reading this benefited from a gluten-free diet without a diagnosis of celiac disease? I'd love to hear all about it in the comments.
I’m not a diagnosed celiac but have been gluten free for 7 years. I went gluten free before I knew there were tests, but taking other issues into account, it’s more likely I have a late phase allergic reaction to gluten than necessarily celiac. Though as my allergist and I discussed, you can have patients with celiac, gluten allergy, gluten intolerance, wheat allergy and wheat intolerance all present with the same symptoms.
I saw this too. I thought it was really un(der)informed…and it just goes to illustrate how the NYTimes keeps lowering their editorial standards in an effort to be relevant vis-a-vis the blogosphere…which they shouldn’t really be trying to compete with. The sad part is articles like this are WORSE than the content in most reputable blogs.
My rheumatologist recommended that I go gluten free for joint pain. After one month, he asked how I was doing and I hadn’t noticed any difference, but after 3 months of being gluten free I did feel better. Now I know what happens if I cheat or even accidentally ingest gluten, I pay for it in aches and pains that remind me why I started this gluten free journey in the first place.
We consume too much of many things in our society that are not naturally good for us, but few have the diligence to give up all the sugar, sodium, gluten, prepackaged foods for whatever reason. I don’t condemn them, it is a choice we each can make for our own or our family’s well-being.
Maybe to each his own.
Ruffled my feathers too Kelly! Seemed like the writer was in a rush when writing this AND had a personal bias against gluten-free diets. She probably doesn’t want to come to terms with her own gluten addition.
This is so funny – I had just finished reading the NYT piece when I checked my email and saw that you’d just posted about it…!
I’m not a diagnosed Celiac (that is a long story), but gluten definitely makes me sick. It’s not hard to establish cause and effect in my case. I feel bad for the people for whom it’s not as obvious.
I thought the NYT piece was a little thin on facts and mighty dismissive.
This article bothered me more because it was about nothing. There are too many articles online that really don’t say anything significant. The title of this was something to get you to click, but then what did it say? The overall effect (to me) was that gluten-free diets shouldn’t be taken as seriously as many people think, but even then, it was still fluff. Even more irritating is that I couldn’t comment on this article, like I can on some NYT articles.
I may not get sick when I eat gluten, but I have been living gluten free (or as close to it as I can get) for the past 18 months, and all I know is that I feel sooo much better. I started on it when a friend of mine who I hadn’t seen in awhile had a party at her house and she looked fantastic…I asked what she had been doing and she told me she had gone gluten free since there is history in her family and she had been having health issues. I couldn’t get over how much healthier and better she looked, so I jumped on the what I thought was the latest celebrity diet craze bandwagon, but was surprised to see how much better I felt not eating gluten…and I never thought a meal could be complete with out some type of bread or carb! Now, I eat mostly salads and when I am craving a starch, I have a slice of gluten free break or my gf ginger snaps from Trader Joe’s. Oh, and I found the link on her for Zing Bars, they sound good, so I’ve ordered a sample one to try out, thanks for having that on your blog/website. Oh, and yes, very annoying NY Times article!
I do not have Celiac disease but I do have a gluten sensitivity – it affects my Thyroid. I couldn’t figure out what was going on until I read a book discussing gluten and the Thyroid. It listed blood tests to take – I asked my doctor to run then and it showed I was having a reaction to gluten in my body. My energy has improved since going off of gluten.
Note – I was speaking with a nurse practioner at Mass General Hospital in Boston, and she advised one of her clients went off of gluten due to bad headaches.
Half of the population is on antidepressants and there are now new commercials marketing additional antidepressants for those who are not seeing relief from the one they are presently on (a cocktail of antidepressants)- it would be interesting to have those individuals go on a gluten free diet to see if symptoms are alleviated.
Well,let’s see. One year ago, I had leg cramps, severe itching, brain fog, was 10 lbs heavier( which I assumed was perimenopausal),digestive issues including constipation,feeling like my stomach had just stopped digesting after certain meals,and many family members with suspected gluten issues. Diabetes, dermatitis herpteformis,schizophrenia, arthritis, colonitis, and colon cancer are just a few. I was tested for thyroid disease which was negative.I’ve always had problems eating bread, malt,msg and drinking cola. I’ve had colon problems since I was a teen and needed an operation by age 40. Not a single doctor ever suggested I test for celiac disease. Forgive me if I prefer to give a gluten free diet lifestyle change a chance. One year later, I do not have brain fog, itchy skin, constipation and an extra ten lbs. I have not been”tested” by a doctor. Yes, I will still go for my colonoscopy.Sometimes, you just know your own body better.
I think most people in this country are completely insane when it comes to food. They think that because they ate a salad at McDonalds and drank some Gatorade, they’re eating healthy. Give me a break! They have so much mis-information is really scary to me. Plus most of these people are in charge of raising children, and they’re teaching the children these idiotic ideas! Grrr
I’ve been Gluten-free for about 2 years now, and also Soy-free, Dairy-free, and Egg-free for about a year now. It’s not difficult, it makes life much more enjoyable. And no, I can’t eat food purchased in a drug store, and I can’t eat everything on the menu at a restaurant, but I don’t want to either!
I’ve lost weight, cleared up my skin, have tons of energy, and a better outlook on life.
Most importantly, I’ve learned to be reasonable and make intelligent decisions about eating. I’m so much happier now that I have all of the “correct” information and I’m not a lost soul thinking commercial food/diet trends are healthy.
Thanks for being awesome Celiac Chicks!!
Kelly — I saw this as well. First off, I dislike it when someone starts with a false premise to launch an “argument.” When did anyone ever say that a gluten-free diet was the panacea for ALL ills? Who has ever suggested that? No one. I also dislike the use of generalities like “these people.” Who are “these people” and how does the writer know “these people” don’t have a sensitivity to gluten?
Yes, poorly done. No Pulitzer prize for this one.
Melissa
It is stunning to me that the NY Times, which wields enormous public
influence, would chose to give a platform to a doctor who promotes this
conservative stance about gluten when there are so many others who are
beginning to see the light, like Peter Green who is right there in New York
City. The dismissal of non-celiac gluten sensitivity in a publication of
the stature of the NY Times using a doctor from the prestigious Mayo Clinic
is a huge setback for us who cope with NCGS and are trying to get our
friends, families and doctors to understand the reality of our condition.
We need to rise up at set the NY Times straight. What they have done is a huge disservice to those of willing the exert the effort to take care of ourselves by eliminating gluten from our diets. Shame on them.
We are bombarded with advertisements for healthier eating – more whole grains, less refined carbohydrates, less sugar ad nauseum! If people are avoiding gluten that do not have a gluten allergy/sensitivity and they are eating alternative grain products, then they are generally getting a more nutritionally dense product than a traditionally glutinous one. (By nutritionally dense I am specifically referring to quinoa and other super grains) And what is wrong with that scenario? Nothing! Now, if they are just avoiding gluten because they are avoiding carbs – more power to them! The reality is if they are avoiding gluten for carb reasons and not celiac related illnesses, I would wager they undoubtedly still allow some gluten in their diet (it is just too tedious to maintain without a serious impetus and gluten is a sneaky little guy, too) I say let them eat gluten-free and let the doctors and nutritionists pat themselves on the back since ultimately GF means less processed and refined foods (generally speaking).
I agree with the comments above that this article had a misleading headline, dismissive tone, and distinct lack of scientific information. I’m noticing a growing trend in the press to discuss GF diet as just the latest fad. I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry at the gratuitous reference to “gluttony”. Although styled by the NYT as a “Q&A”, this article certainly provided an incomplete “answer”.
I expect everyone reading this can likely cite anecdotal evidence of the beneficial effects of a GF diet (including those not officially diagnosed with celiac disease). Perhaps there is a need for further research and data collection (i.e., beyond anecdotal evidence) on this. Perhaps celiac disease is just one outcome of an auto-immune response to gluten. There may well be other expressions (i.e., a range of symptoms) of gluten intolerance in people not officially diagnosed.
If a GF diet makes you feel better, or clears up any unexplained symptoms without the use of drugs, I say go for it! As Cynthia said, “you just know your own body better.”
I didn’t like this article at all, and as a journalist I can tell you that the Times apparently didn’t really word the article in the right way, or at least ask the right questions.
After several family members tested positive for celiac, I got tested, but before the results even came back (which they were positive) I began a GF lifestyle AND I FEEL 8 MILLION times better!! Several of my family members only have a gluten sensitivity and yet a GF diet makes such an improvement– I think it’s important to spread the word that GF isn’t just for celiacs, it’s for anyone who feels better eating that way and that there is a point to it.
The article seemed very “un-timeslike” and more of an after thought really. I guess the author never saw this article in Men’s Journal: http://www.mensjournal.com/winning-without-wheat
If you visualize yourself back in the stone ages, we would have eaten meat, gathered roots and vegetables. Having wheat take up the majority of your diet just doesn’t make sense. Look at the cat food you feed your cat… it’s full of gluten and rice. If you left a cat to it’s own devices outside it certainly wouldn’t be eating rice or gluten. So why are they pushing food on us and our pets that doesn’t make sense??
We eat large amounts of wheat, corn syrup, and corn because it’s subsidized by the government, it is easy to obtain and it tastes good. It really has nothing to do with it being actually be “good” for us.
Everyone’s body is different. Some may be able to tolerate wheat better than others and some might even have allergic or autoimmune reactions to it. Because of this I think we should legally require all foods to state whether they contain gluten, peanuts, or whatever, so we can be at our optimum health. Unfortunately articles or “afterthoughts” such as this downplay the importance of this issue and further the ignorance along.
I follow a gluten-free diet now and feel much better after being diagnosed with celiac last year. I eat much healthier because of it.
Remember, Fibromyalgia isn’t a condition, either. There will always be a naysayer. And, regardless of the dumbing down and pandering quality of the NYTimes -(NPR did a piece on Tiger Woods, yesterday, what’s the world coming to?)- the celiac community’s challenge is to effectively raise awareness by communicating responsibly symptoms and solutions, benefits and advantages. Everything from testing to lifestyle positioning should be in our toolkit. Clearly, to move the issue mainstream and counterattack we need a celeb doctor to come out swinging. Any thoughts?
I wonder why this article was included in the “Science” section. It appears to be based more on opinion than science.
Cindy
wheatlessfoodie.blogspot.com
That makes me so angry! I’ve been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, but my grandma hasn’t and she finds that being gluten free helps her stomach issues. I would definitely encourage people to try a selection of different diets to see what makes them feel the best. You don’t have to be diagnosed with a disease or intolerance to enjoy the healthiness and positive side effects of eating gluten free.
Perhaps the New York Times should research the subject in the articles they represent this is very disappointing journalism. I believe that Dr. Green from Columbia Presbyterian could better educate the Doctor who offered his pearls of wisdom as not to give out misleading information. I was diagnosed celiac/sprue in 2006 and am thankful for your site and so many others that give accurate information. Thanks to you all………..to the NYT……thumbs down. Ann
I think that doctor’s attitude is somewhat cavalier. I don’t blame you for being irritated.
The article read like the author was rushed.
I have a wheat-rye-oats allergy. I lost 5lbs within the FIRST WEEK of being gluten free – and I definitely eat more carbs now than I ever did prior to being gluten-free! I can’t equate eating less carbs to losing weight. I eat GF pasta just about every night.
I have endometriosis and adenomyosis and have experienced a lot of pain-relief with a gluten-free diet! I get a lot less bloating, less pain with periods, lighter periods, more regular cycles. My doctor (an integrative MD) thinks that I have gluten sensitivity, but she said even if I was proven NOT to be celiac that she wouldn’t want me eating gluten. My body obviously cannot digest it properly. Only something like .03% of people have celiac, but closer to 30% have some sort of gluten sensitivity. That is a huge number!!! Most people – from diabetics to people with heart disease or allergies – could benefit from a gluten-free diet. Consuming gluten is not necessary for a healthy diet, and it wouldn’t hurt anyone to cut it out completely.
I was diagnosed with celiac disease 5 years ago. I have watched the gluten free diet take off with fad-like rapidity with some trepidation. When people eat gluten free because they think it makes them healthier, but don’t get officially diagnosed with celiac disease or pursue a mainstream medical diagnosis, they are doing all of us a disservice. They will eventually revert back to gluten because they don’t have concrete evidence that, for them, gluten is actually deadly. Strictly adhering to the diet is financially, emotionally, and socially challenging. Adhering to it for the rest of your life, for decades to come, will be difficult if not impossible without a medical diagnosis. Many gluten free products and restaurants that have sprouted up around the country to cater to this emerging market are not strict enough about keeping gluten contamination out of their products. There is little accountability when the majority of customers don’t actually experience a reaction to the product because they do not have celiac disease. I certainly do not discount the gluten-intolerant who cannot get a diagnosis because of the obscurity of their condition, usually they have at least tried and gluten exposure makes them sick. I do discourage the fad-dieter and general health enthusiast who goes gluten free, and the market that tries to cater to them without adhering to strict gluten free standards.
I was amazed that the New York Times would print that,too. I have a hard enough time getting family members to understand that I eat gluten free because gluten makes me sick. I have waged a battle with my sister and my mother for the last 3 years, trying to get them to understand that even just a little bit will make me feel ill. My sister most likely has at the very least gluten sensitivity, but choosed not to eat gluten free because she says it is “too hard” to eat a gluten free diet.
When people like my relatives see an article like that, they use it to justify trying to get me to eat what they cook at family get togethers. I don’t need more amunition for them. I need good, correct information out there for everyone to find.
Kelly,
I haven’t read the NYT article but I did read the one in Women’s Day and felt that it was very weak. No research. No science. Just an experiment. Not helpful.
Aileen
I have several problems with the New York Times Q&A. First, celiac is often difficult to diagnose. There are many false negatives. I have personally met and spoken to four people who tested negative on blood tests and then were diagnosed on biopsy. Those were people whose symptoms got so bad they insisted on the biopsy and were lucky enough to be seen by a doctor at the Celiac Center who knew that blood tests can be wrong. Perhaps the people who feel better are people who have celiac at the early stages where the tests are negative. I see a doctor at the Celiac Center and she has told me that in children the antibodies go positive and negative even on a gluten containing diet.
Of course, no one tells you that it is so difficult to diagnose and blood tests can be wrong! But, I love hearing people’s stories and I am involved with the celiac community so I end up hearing these crazy stories. One child tested negative four times and was in the ICU and finally the test turned positive.
In addition, there are many doctors and researchers investigating gluten and RA and neurological diseases:
Rodney Ford M.B.,B.S.,M.D.,F.R.A.C.P
Ron Hoggan who wrote Dangerous Grains has some info on Rheumatoid Arthritis.
When Dr. Greene spoke about gluten intolerance, he said “Doctors don’t like things they can’t test for.” But all science begins with anecdote and the anecdotes are adding up…
There is an email address underneath the article (question@nytimes.com) I sent my response to this email address. It will go to the Science Dept., the department this so called “journalist” wrote for. It won’t go to her directly but if many others write an email to the NY Times Science Dept., they might post another article that is informational and educational. I found her piece to be an advertisment for gluten foods. God forbid companies lose money on our account for seeking healthier options.
I was ill for 20 years (all kinds of gastro tests, but not a celiac test!). Finally a new doctor said he thought I had celiac disease, but didn’t want to put me on high gluten to test, so took me off completely and within 2 weeks my stomach had settled, I was putting on weight and quite different. We did genetic testing and I carry a celiac gene, so he regarded the diagnosis as firm. If ever I get any gluten by mistake, I am really sick.
My husband at 67 was diagnosed with osteopenia, so we had him tested for celiac. This was negative; however he tested positive for gluten sensitivity at Enterolab. Since going gluten free he has restored his spine.
Not only were the facts twisted, but I was also very saddened by the manner in which they portrayed it as if to ask why study other issues and the influence of gluten on them – my question would have been why not study all issues related to gluten ingestion before making a snap judgment based on nothing?
The NY Times should hope to find better journalism in their “Science” department.
My doctor tested me for celiac, but it came back inconclusive, so he told me to try the diet and see if it worked. Which I have done for the last two months, and it immediately turned my entire life around. I went from feeling ill, nauseated, dizzy, blood sugar problems, thyroid problems, weight problems, abdominal cramps, headaches, crippling exhaustion, depression (the list goes on and on) to feeling perfect. I never knew people actually felt like this all the time – it has changed my life SO much! And, technically, I have not been officially diagnosed (though I have a feeling it’s coming soon).
I was just recently tested for Celiac and came up negative but know I DEFINITELY feel better on a gluten free diet. I am not so sensitive that I need to avoid sauces, blue cheese, etc but I bloat up like a sacred cow when I have wheat, spelt, rye, etc. I have even found that I need gluten-free oats. How irresponsible of the NY times to publish that article!
Clearly the individual writing the “answer” doesn’t know the pain and agony that can be associated with gluten intolerance. After months of trying to figure out what was wrong with me, my doctor suggested I try removing gluten from my diet. Almost immediately I felt better. After going several weeks on the diet and having no more issues, my doctor informed me I could do a biopsy to determine whether or not I had Celiac. Without any benefit really coming from that invasive procedure, I decided I was quite content knowing that if I avoid gluten, I would be okay. Over the last few years I have wondered whether or not I “grew out” of my gluten intolerance. Let me tell you, any time I’ve tested it it’s been a painful reality that the intolerance is still there. So while I can’t confidently say whether or not I am a diagnosed Celiac, I can say that my world has been dramatically improved since removing gluten entirely from my diet.
Oh yes I am a FIRM believer in the GF diet as a healing tool in MANY situations. I have Crohn’s disease and the GF diet is a major part of my healing and I am completely med free now. I encourage people with all kinds of autoimmune issues to give it a try, or other ailments. I don’t believe that gluten grains are good for anyone!
I am amazed at the arrogance of articles like that but we are going to see more of them. Some people act like eating wheat is part of the human experience. It’s just food, not a political choice. Because I prefer quinoa to pop tarts doesn’t make me anti-american. If you go back to the 2nd paragraph of that article and click on the link “gluten-free diet” it takes you to a page that lists the things you can and can’t eat on a gluten free diet. My goodness but the things you CAN eat are foods that are really healthy and good for you and the things we poor dears have to avoid are processed junk for the most part.
I’ve been gluten free for about two years. It started with a cleansing diet that eliminated, among other things, wheat. I didn’t expect the complete disappearance of my hypoglycemia that I’d been living with for over 20 years, caused from ten years on a vegetarian diet during which I ate…TONS OF WHEAT! And yes, it may be just anecdotal but I feel better. Anecdotal or not, I like feeling good and I’m not going back to eating wheat just because there’s no clinical data to support the fact that I feel better!
Now excuse me while I go have a cup of tea and a buckwheat brownie.
Do you read all ingredient lists on products to make sure you aren’t getting any gluten at all or are you just avoiding wheat, barley breads, pasta, and those items with large quantities of gluten? I’m just curious as to how diligent someone without the diagnosis is in consuming no gluten.
I too am not a diagnosed Celiac (my western medicine doctor decided the tests were too expensive!), but on the advice of my nutritionist, I eliminated gluten. Since I’ve been gluten free, my joints don’t ache, my sinus congestion has decreased significantly, and, most importantly, I don’t get that foggy disconnected feeling that I used to get after meals with gluten. That “feeling” and the related inability to think clearly is my “canary”. I get it within 30 minutes of consuming gluten & know the restaurant I am eating at “got it wrong” when they said my meal would be gluten-free, and I cross them off my list of “safe” places to eat. Gluten definitely makes me sick even though I haven’t officially been diagnosed with celiac disease. The author of the article clearly didn’t do his/her homework…
Just wrote NYT. Really disappointed about this piece. Mainstream media HAD come so far on responsible reporting…. This may be from Mayo but I wonder how much research was done in conjunction with her work. Seems to take us back to the days when the diet was unknown and symptoms where “in your head”.
Leslie
I strongly believe a gluten-free diet can be beneficial even if you are not diagnosed Celiac! I didn’t even know what a gluten-free diet was until my son was diagnosed with Celiac in 8/08. Then the whole family was tested and my husband was diagnosed Celiac after a biopsy (he’s symptomless, by the way). I didn’t have the antibodies or the genes but after reading a list of symptoms in a Celiac/gluten intolerant/gluten sensitive book, I decided to try going completely gluten-free myself. It eliminated symptoms of neuropathy, joint aching, and debilitating fatigue that I had for years and NO DOCTOR COULD FIGURE OUT. That’s enough of a convincer for me. I don’t need a diagnosis of anything to know that staying away from gluten has changed my life!
I find the Q and A highly offensive. I am gluten free and although I have been tested for celiac and “cleared” I cannot eat gluten without getting very sick. To state that it’s “merely a placebo effect as individuals feel better eating a healthier diet” is not right and might dissuade people from trying to live gluten-free.
I was disappointed that the NYT did not have a spot for comments on this article. I hope you tell C. Clairborn Ray to come over and read what has been written here.
The benefit of cutting out gluten is not because carbs are dropped. Most people who go on a GF diet get more carbs than they need.
I don’t have CD, but I am very reactive to gluten. Getting on a GF diet 7 years ago saved my life. Fatigue, depression, edema, shortness of breath, joint pain, GERD are just a few of the problems that resolved completely. Even my neuropathy is much improved off gluten. If I get accidental gluten some of the symptoms return. I would never go back to eating that stuff.
For the past year I have been grain free/sugar free in order to control my postprandial blood sugars…but that is another story. The amazing improvements in my health happened when I dropped gluten but was still eating lots of GF grains.
I was disappointed that the NYT did not have a spot for comments on this article. I hope you tell C. Clairborn Ray to come over and read what has been written here.
The benefit of cutting out gluten is not because carbs are dropped. Most people who go on a GF diet get more carbs than they need.
I don’t have CD, but I am very reactive to gluten. Getting on a GF diet 7 years ago saved my life. Fatigue, depression, edema, shortness of breath, joint pain, GERD are just a few of the problems that resolved completely. Even my neuropathy is much improved off gluten. If I get accidental gluten some of the symptoms return. I would never go back to eating that stuff.
For the past year I have been grain free/sugar free in order to control my postprandial blood sugars…but that is another story. The amazing improvements in my health happened when I dropped gluten but was still eating lots of GF grains.
sorry about the double post.
Kelly, I was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2007, having never heard of it or gluten intolerance for the first 55 years of my life. I think the author of the NY Times piece is brainwashed, ignorant (and possibly addicted) regarding wheat and gluten, like I was, and like most people in this country. I quickly recognized and embraced the GF lifestyle and became a detractor of wheat and gluten, although I did go through the 5 stages of grief 3 times. Furthermore, most people in this country have limited understanding that is conjured by the word diet – the 2 concepts of weight loss and allergy. Thus, the title “Gluten and Gluttony”.
I met a young woman in a local GF support group who was diagnosed with MS and told at the age of 21 that she would probably not be able to walk by the age of 29. At 35, she says her MS has been in remission for 12 years as a result of being on the gluten-free, casein-free, low sugar, egg-free MS diet. (One of “these people”, an “individual” who has “blamed” gluten)
Again, the NY Times author was obviously looking to dismiss the possibility of gluten causing damage to anything but the guts of celiacs, and either has not researched very far, or was just looking for one gastroenterologist to agree with a preconcieved premise of skepticism. That is the problem with even some of the pioneer doctors of celiac disease. They’ve made their claims, staked out their territory, and want the same kind of scientific visual proof that they have established, for damage caused by gluten in any other part of the body other than where it is easy to find (in the intestines and on the skin).
I have a different take on it. First, it’s fluff, not a real article, which is true of that entire Q&A column. Running that column at all is perhaps not the best decision the Times has ever made, but they’re scrambling to capture eyes. They think fluff will do it. (I think they’re wrong, but there it is.) And they have run plenty of more serious, useful articles on celiac, so I can forgive them this one.
Second, yes, you’re missing something. The Gluttony in the title referred to the mistaken notion some people have that the gf diet is or should be followed in part by people looking for the latest weight loss fad. It’s a bad pun, as well, but not a put-down of either the gf diet in and of itself, nor of those of us with celiac, gluten intolerance, wheat allergies, etc.
Third, I must read different things than you do. I can assure you there are lots of people on quack sites (Dr. Mercola, Age of Autism, the DAN autism folks, just for starters) who do insist that the gf diet is a panacea, or close to it. It’s bad science at best, no science at all at worst, and totally misrepresents the purpose & value of the diet.
(and @Cynthia–if someone in your family has been diagnosed with dermatitis herpetiformis, then they have, in fact, been diagnosed with celiac. It’s been clear for some time now that DH is celiac–just that for some reason, some people suffer a skin reaction to ingested gluten. Prior to going gf, they should show the same antibody profile as someone who has the classic gut reaction.)
And finally, I’m another one who’ll never be formally diagnosed by modern testing. I was diagnosed well before any of these tests were available. I’m not going back to a normal diet just to make myself sick so I can be diagnosed all over again. Just not worth it.
I have no problem with this article. It has been recently found that the GF diet is no help for those with Austism. I recently had problems (Diagnosed with CD 27 years) eating at my volunteer job at the Olympics as a person who was on a GF diet for personal reasons who started before me did NOT follow a real GF diet including items like soy sauce, soup bases etc that can be contaminants. So I had real problems getting a GF meal when I had a medical reason to have one when the other lady did not and only wanted to avoid sandwiches. I support this post as it shows that there are two types of GF diners in North America – one with the decision to be GF and ones that do not have the decision on what they eat.
I read it differently and have no problem with the answer. It states quite clearly that for people with a specific problem, gluten has to be avoided. For others, the alternate conclusions are also possibilities – avoiding highly processed foods, as we do, can contribute to weight loss and better GI health independent of gluten status. Gluten avoidance is not a panacea. I have met too many people who state, without scientific backup, that ‘wheat is poison for people’ or similar, equally uninformed statements. Wheat and gluten may not be appropriate for those with specific medical issues, but it’s a perfectly acceptable food for others. This Q&A does not contradict that reality.
When my husband and teenage son were diagnosed with celiac disease, our family of four went to a GF household. My other teenage, non-celiac son, had been having life-threatening seizures all his life. His seizures disappeared on a GF diet–4 years later, he is seizure-free. He was later determined to have the genetic marker for celiac. I also eat GF and am a runner, who was reduced to running only several days/week because of joint pain. Now I can run as many days in a row as I have the time.
Kelly… good catch on finding this article. I read the NYT online but missed this one.
I have Crohn’s and have benefitted hugely from a gluten free (and dairy free) diet. And studies report that a good percent of people with Crohn’s benefit from a GF diet. If large numbers of people report issues with gluten, is it still anecdotal?
This study reported gluten amongst the foods that people with Crohn’s avoid. “A small number of foods are frequently considered to be beneficial, including white fish, salmon and tuna, gluten-free products, oatmeal, bananas, boiled potatoes, sweet potatoes (kumara), pumpkin, soya milk, goat’s milk and yoghurt.” Dietary factors in chronic inflammation: Food tolerances and intolerances of a New Zealand Caucasian Crohn’s disease population. Triggs CM, Munday K, Hu R, Fraser AG, Gearry RB, Barclay ML, Ferguson LR.
To Val’s point, I do think that more research is needed in this area.
I also deal with a lot of people with IBS who do much better on a gluten free diet. There may also be something to the notion that these people are also cutting out yeast and fiber which can aggravate the bowel.
I haven’t read this article, but am very saddened to hear that it is discouraging a gluten-free diet if you don’t have Celiac. I have Crohn’s disease (with arthritis as a symptom) and have been gluten free for over a year at my gastroenterologist’s suggestion. It really has helped subside many of the uncomfortable symptoms of Crohn’s and arthritis and I will not go back to a diet including gluten. I do not have Celiac’s disease (I was tested after the diet showed positive results), but would recommend the diet for people with gastro problems. My doctor would recommend it too.