Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably noticed the gluten-free revolution taking over grocery stores in the US. I might get bashed for saying this, but America needs to settle down and stop worrying about gluten. Yes, there are people who really are intolerant of gluten, actually it is about 1% of Americans. The rest of us, shouldn’t be too concerned about having a sandwich with real wheat bread or a pretzel.
Things have gone just a little overboard when my bacon and eggs have a “gluten-free” stamp on it.Michael Specter writes about the gluten-free frenzy in The New Yorker this week. Here is a rundown of his story:
1. Wheat has been around for thousands of years, and “provides about twenty per cent of the world’s calories and more nourishment than any other source of food.” There is no way that a large part of the human population has suddenly become unable to tolerate wheat.
2. Gluten in bread might not be the problem. Maybe it is another additive like FODMAPs: Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. “These are found in many foods that are high in fructose, like honey, apples, mangoes, and watermelon; dairy products, like milk and ice cream; and fructans, such as garlic and onions.” Basically they pull water into the intestinal track and cause things like bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Sounds similar to a gluten intolerance, right?
3. Bottom line from the Mayo Clinic’s Joseph Murray: “I would have to say that at least seventy per cent of it is hype and desire. There is just nothing obviously related to gluten that is wrong with most of these people.”
One of the better quotes from the article is by Peter H. R. Green, one of the leading celiac doctors in America.
“You know, people are always dropping off samples of gluten-free products at our office. And when I eat them I regret it. I get heartburn. I feel nauseous. Because what are the things that sell food? Salt, sugar, fat, and gluten. If the makers take one away, then they add more of another to keep it attractive to people. If you don’t have celiac disease, then these diets are not going to help you…People seem to forget that a gluten-free cake is still a cake.”
The takeaway is stop worrying about gluten and try eating a more whole foods diet. Try a few more vegetables and few less rolls. If you really think you have a gluten problem, see a doctor and get the facts.
