What YOU should know about GLUTEN SENSITIVITY

MegE_N

Thank you for the responses!

I guess the reason I'm having such a hard time understanding is that there seem to be a great deal of people who land all along that lactose spectrum. Gluten, from what I've seen (and I know that's an exceptionally limited sample) doesn't seem to have that spectrum the same as so many other things - I think I've met one person who has said 'I can't have more than a slice of bread otherwise I'll feel ill'. Allergy, intolerance, or just because: people who seem to have issues with gluten CANNOT HAVE ANY OR ELSE as opposed to the lactose spectrum referenced above.

Thank you again for your thoughtful comments and information. I really appreciate it.

I think your sample size is just too small at this point. Lactose intolerance has been recognized for quite some time, but Celiac was unheard of until the last decade or so (despite it very much being around and written about for the past 2000 years). I remember when finding someone with Celiac was an anomaly. Growing up, I knew...one person (and I didn't meet her until I was in high school, and the only reason she got a diagnosis, I think, is because she was the poster child for it -- her GI disruptions were such that you could see things shifting around). Now? I know several with actual Celiac, and several more who claim some level of intolerance (myself among them). Part of it is simply awareness and realizing that the constant feeling of low energy, the arthritis at 25, the migraines, the eczema, etc. aren't just "that's life, those were the cards you were dealt," but rather that there might actually be a cause, and that lifestyle changes can fix or heavily mitigate the issue.

Additionally, there's also the stigma around the gluten-free thing (as if that wasn't blindingly obvious on this thread). Those of us who can eat small amounts of gluten -- even so far as the occasional slice of bread -- get called hypocrites, fad-followers, sheeple, or any other highly derogatory name people can think of. As others have pointed out, when out at restaurants, we're doing those with Celiac a disservice right now, if we don't hold waitstaff to the same standards Celiac people do, because we're not yet at the point where people aren't ignorant, arrogant, @$$holes over the matter. So, in general, it's easier to just say "I don't consume gluten at all," instead of trying to explain all the nuances all the time.

The fact that lactose intolerance is a spectrum is actually a good parallel. For example, my son can't handle milk or ice cream. It's got too much lactose in it, and he ends up on the toilet every fifteen minutes. However, he can eat most cheeses and other low-lactose dairy items, like butter, or small amounts of things that have milk as a small part of the recipe (such as cake). That's just simply where things fall on his tolerance threshold. If lactose intolerance was at the place where gluten intolerance is, right now, how many people here would be accusing him of the placebo effect, jumping on some kind of bandwagon, being a hypocrite (after all, if you're lactose intolerant, you must not be able to have any dairy at all)? We're beyond that point in our understanding of lactose intolerance, though. We've seen enough data points, we know enough people, and we understand the underlying mechanism of most cases to accept the fact that some people are less tolerant of lactose than others.

I am with gluten how my son is with lactose -- I can consume some things, or small amounts of certain things, and be okay, but prolonged exposure, or large doses start causing issues. I get some intestinal issues that are exasperated by medication that I'm taking, but the bulk of my issues are of other natures -- I have eczema that I've been able to directly trace to my consumption of gluten and dairy (it's fascinating, actually, because the gluten creates the itchy blisters, while a component of the dairy creates the dried-out texture, and I can prompt either or both by eating certain things), pre-arthritic inflammation symptoms (including some that have shown up on x-rays, but also tight joints, etc; definitely not normal for 26), acne, and migraines/cluster headaches.

I've found that I can have up to about three servings a week of some kind of gluten-containing item without too much issue as long as I stay away from it otherwise. I can also tolerate a certain amount of cross-contamination (up to about a serving a day of cross-contaminated items, such as oats), though I still try to avoid it entirely, largely because it's easier for me to just say "no" than it is to say "only a little" (and have to keep an eye on how much I've already had over the past few days), besides, in my opinion, a half dozen croutons or a bland dinner roll isn't all that appealing anymore, anyway.

In that aspect, it's like calorie counting -- is that dinner roll, made with refined white flour, yeast, sugar, and water, and not all that nutrient dense, really worth the 200 calorie "price" tag? If you've allotted 600 calories for your meal, probably not. Likewise, if I can have 6 units a day of gluten without adverse effects, and that roll has a price tag of 3 units, is it really worth it? Probably not (I'd rather have that 4-unit piece of chocolate cake if I have anything, because it tastes better).

Beyond that, or if I have too much too close together (like my recent foray to NYC, in which I had some authentic pizza, cheesecake, bagels, and used some bread to sample a kosher spread, over the course of about four days), the eczema starts coming back, as well as the headaches. If I ignore those symptoms and keep it up, the joint pain starts again, and the acne flares up. The eczema also continues to worsen and won't heal (even with corticosteroid cream) until I remove the offending foods again (this one I actually found out the hard way after weeks of trying to treat it with the cream, maxing out the length of time I can use it at once, and still not getting anywhere).

So yeah, there is a spectrum, but right now, it's just not as evident to those who don't personally deal with it. Maybe in another decade or so, it'll become more evident to "outsiders," as awareness and understanding increase and @$$hattery decreases.

WOW! What a super response - thank you! I guess I never thought that it was probably just easier for people who have an intolerance to say 'no gluten.' I guess since it is kind of a fad right now it makes us non-gluties more critical, particularly when it's a super inconvenience for everyone else. Like, "You were FINE when we went to this place to eat last year, but now you can't go because they don't have an entirely gluten-free menu?"

But thank you for your wonderful explanation. I'll just try to be more encouraging with my friends, to find out if they can eat certain things, etc. etc. and try to get rid of my knee-jerk reaction of "Oh, you've gone gluten-free. Super." Which I admit, is how I react when someone who was eating PBJ sandwiches not too long ago suddenly can't, as far as I understand, be near a slice of bread without BAD THINGS.

AsaThorsWoman

1. Celiacs =/= gluten sensitivity.
2. Gluten sensitivity =/= gluten allergy or wheat allergy.
3. Yeah, pretty much the latest studies have shown that people are very bad when it comes to self diagnosis, which is the only way to test for 'gluten sensitivity'. Pretty much, if you *think* you have it, you will think you feel better when you don't eat it.

Huh. Well for me, I called "BS" to my son when he suggested I remove gluten just to see, I laughed at him. Pointed out that it is just a fad, no truth or science behind it.

Not eating gluten is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I love a hoagie, a plate of pasta. Can do without the cake and muffins, but it is really hard to not be in the party when everyone is eating it.

I did not think in a million years removing any food item would make me feel better, but the truth is it did. I SO didn't believe that gluten was the cause of my problems that after 6 months I went back to eating gluten (slowly- slice of bread here, pasta there) By the end of 2 weeks I as back to higher symptoms.

Some day we will know more thru science I am sure, but for now........for ME.........I will stay away from it and enjoy the side effects of my craziness

There was no implication in my post that I think anyone who avoids certain foods that cause them discomfort is crazy. To me it sounds as if wheat might be an issue for you. If you feel better avoiding it, awesome.

Would you mind telling me what 'better' means? I really am curious.

Yes, certainly, I posted it earlier.

Arthritis pain in hands and feet gone. Migraines with aura reduced significantly (there is a threshold factor here with many things adding to the actual onset of Migraine, so I do not say gluten caused mine, only that removing it reduced the threshold) and my IBS has gotten better.

Mainly though the migraines and arthritis symptoms are the most significant.

I have IBS and migraines am thinking of trying the low-FODMAP diet. Your problem might not be gluten sensitivity per se, but rather a sensitivity to fructose, fructans, galactans, polyols and or lactose. I too can eat breads up to a certain point, after which my IBS begins to kick in.

Soooo... What is a low-FODMAP diet? IF we were curious to try it, is it really any different than the gluten free diet?

And... if you were a server in a restaurant, would you rather me ask for no croutons, or "Do your croutons contain FODMAP?"

Seriously, the poor folks that are being driven crazy by health trends affecting their jobs at restaurants think they are winning one... but how would you like it if you had GF and low-FODMAP clients to serve?

If there was perchance a disgruntled waiter on this thread (not saying there is...) his rebellion against GF living in hopes of making his job easier might just have the opposite result.

Could you be a little bit more irate? Because I'm not real good with subtlety. Plus I think you have me confused with someone else.

QuietBloom, Is this directed at me? What are you perceiving as irate?

This was not directed at you, so your response is very confusing.

themeaningofthemorning

Thank you for the responses!

I guess the reason I'm having such a hard time understanding is that there seem to be a great deal of people who land all along that lactose spectrum. Gluten, from what I've seen (and I know that's an exceptionally limited sample) doesn't seem to have that spectrum the same as so many other things - I think I've met one person who has said 'I can't have more than a slice of bread otherwise I'll feel ill'. Allergy, intolerance, or just because: people who seem to have issues with gluten CANNOT HAVE ANY OR ELSE as opposed to the lactose spectrum referenced above.

Thank you again for your thoughtful comments and information. I really appreciate it.

I think your sample size is just too small at this point. Lactose intolerance has been recognized for quite some time, but Celiac was unheard of until the last decade or so (despite it very much being around and written about for the past 2000 years). I remember when finding someone with Celiac was an anomaly. Growing up, I knew...one person (and I didn't meet her until I was in high school, and the only reason she got a diagnosis, I think, is because she was the poster child for it -- her GI disruptions were such that you could see things shifting around). Now? I know several with actual Celiac, and several more who claim some level of intolerance (myself among them). Part of it is simply awareness and realizing that the constant feeling of low energy, the arthritis at 25, the migraines, the eczema, etc. aren't just "that's life, those were the cards you were dealt," but rather that there might actually be a cause, and that lifestyle changes can fix or heavily mitigate the issue.

Additionally, there's also the stigma around the gluten-free thing (as if that wasn't blindingly obvious on this thread). Those of us who can eat small amounts of gluten -- even so far as the occasional slice of bread -- get called hypocrites, fad-followers, sheeple, or any other highly derogatory name people can think of. As others have pointed out, when out at restaurants, we're doing those with Celiac a disservice right now, if we don't hold waitstaff to the same standards Celiac people do, because we're not yet at the point where people aren't ignorant, arrogant, @$$holes over the matter. So, in general, it's easier to just say "I don't consume gluten at all," instead of trying to explain all the nuances all the time.

The fact that lactose intolerance is a spectrum is actually a good parallel. For example, my son can't handle milk or ice cream. It's got too much lactose in it, and he ends up on the toilet every fifteen minutes. However, he can eat most cheeses and other low-lactose dairy items, like butter, or small amounts of things that have milk as a small part of the recipe (such as cake). That's just simply where things fall on his tolerance threshold. If lactose intolerance was at the place where gluten intolerance is, right now, how many people here would be accusing him of the placebo effect, jumping on some kind of bandwagon, being a hypocrite (after all, if you're lactose intolerant, you must not be able to have any dairy at all)? We're beyond that point in our understanding of lactose intolerance, though. We've seen enough data points, we know enough people, and we understand the underlying mechanism of most cases to accept the fact that some people are less tolerant of lactose than others.

I am with gluten how my son is with lactose -- I can consume some things, or small amounts of certain things, and be okay, but prolonged exposure, or large doses start causing issues. I get some intestinal issues that are exasperated by medication that I'm taking, but the bulk of my issues are of other natures -- I have eczema that I've been able to directly trace to my consumption of gluten and dairy (it's fascinating, actually, because the gluten creates the itchy blisters, while a component of the dairy creates the dried-out texture, and I can prompt either or both by eating certain things), pre-arthritic inflammation symptoms (including some that have shown up on x-rays, but also tight joints, etc; definitely not normal for 26), acne, and migraines/cluster headaches.

I've found that I can have up to about three servings a week of some kind of gluten-containing item without too much issue as long as I stay away from it otherwise. I can also tolerate a certain amount of cross-contamination (up to about a serving a day of cross-contaminated items, such as oats), though I still try to avoid it entirely, largely because it's easier for me to just say "no" than it is to say "only a little" (and have to keep an eye on how much I've already had over the past few days), besides, in my opinion, a half dozen croutons or a bland dinner roll isn't all that appealing anymore, anyway.

In that aspect, it's like calorie counting -- is that dinner roll, made with refined white flour, yeast, sugar, and water, and not all that nutrient dense, really worth the 200 calorie "price" tag? If you've allotted 600 calories for your meal, probably not. Likewise, if I can have 6 units a day of gluten without adverse effects, and that roll has a price tag of 3 units, is it really worth it? Probably not (I'd rather have that 4-unit piece of chocolate cake if I have anything, because it tastes better).

Beyond that, or if I have too much too close together (like my recent foray to NYC, in which I had some authentic pizza, cheesecake, bagels, and used some bread to sample a kosher spread, over the course of about four days), the eczema starts coming back, as well as the headaches. If I ignore those symptoms and keep it up, the joint pain starts again, and the acne flares up. The eczema also continues to worsen and won't heal (even with corticosteroid cream) until I remove the offending foods again (this one I actually found out the hard way after weeks of trying to treat it with the cream, maxing out the length of time I can use it at once, and still not getting anywhere).

So yeah, there is a spectrum, but right now, it's just not as evident to those who don't personally deal with it. Maybe in another decade or so, it'll become more evident to "outsiders," as awareness and understanding increase and @$$hattery decreases.

qft
i don't have eczema, but a similar, more scarring type of skin disorder. thank goodness i caught it in time and i have no really visible scars, but it does start to flare up in the same way yours does..

however, i have to be stricter than you. anything more than cross-contamination or tiiiiny amounts of gluten can set me off

arewethereyet

I learned from a close friend, by example, to not make MY issues anybody else's issues. This has been fun because I am also dating for the first time in 32 years!

Yeah! :ohwell:

What is the first place to go? Out to eat. Super.:indifferent: Then a drink. Oye Vey! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I had one date ask where I would like to go, I suggested a place where I love the Caesar Salad and have already confirmed that the dressing has nothing that will make me wake up at 4 am like someone is stabbing me in the stomach. (this small Italian place actually makes their own dressing)

Well the date was peeved because I didn't eat the Italian meals on the menu. I suggested the best meals (I know the owner) and he wanted to share. I advised I LOVED my dinner and that he should enjoy his. It became a bone of contention (for him, I was giggling inside) I mean seriously thank you, if what I eat matters that much to you then I guess 1 date is enough :laugh:

Next guy I dated I said I was on a diet. "Oh, you don't need to diet!! Have the xyz with me!! it is the best! Eat some bread-come on you wont gain an ounce! " . I finally had to say I couldn't eat it.

Seriously this entire situation has taught me a LOT about human nature. It has also taught me to love myself. Yes I am a special snowflake, and that is just fine.

2pink2push

Finally some logic!

doubleduofa

Why do you post something just to be an a**?

Why does it matter to you if gluten intolerance exists or not? I don't get it. If you don't have issues with gluten, then why do you care? Science is not finite. All discoveries have not been made (or else the word discover would be obsolete). Take your close-mindedness and go away.

FunkyTobias

Why do you post something just to be an a**?

Why does it matter to you if gluten intolerance exists or not? I don't get it. If you don't have issues with gluten, then why do you care? Science is not finite. All discoveries have not been made (or else the word discover would be obsolete). Take your close-mindedness and go away.

Scientific studies and the thirst for knowledge are poopy headed meanie stinkers

jofjltncb6

Why do you post something just to be an a**?

Why does it matter to you if gluten intolerance exists or not? I don't get it. If you don't have issues with gluten, then why do you care? Science is not finite. All discoveries have not been made (or else the word discover would be obsolete). Take your close-mindedness and go away.

Scientific studies and the thirst for knowledge are poopy headed meanie stinkers

Indeed.





(Well played, good sir.

Well. Played.)

jofjltncb6

Why do you post something just to be an a**?

Why does it matter to you if gluten intolerance exists or not? I don't get it. If you don't have issues with gluten, then why do you care? Science is not finite. All discoveries have not been made (or else the word discover would be obsolete). Take your close-mindedness and go away.

Using this logic, there wouldn't be any male gynecologists...or pediatric surgeons.

SunofaBeach14

Why do you post something just to be an a**?

Why does it matter to you if gluten intolerance exists or not? I don't get it. If you don't have issues with gluten, then why do you care? Science is not finite. All discoveries have not been made (or else the word discover would be obsolete). Take your close-mindedness and go away.

Scientific studies and the thirst for knowledge are poopy headed meanie stinkers

Indeed.





(Well played, good sir.

Well. Played.)

:drinker:

arewethereyet

Why do you post something just to be an a**?

Why does it matter to you if gluten intolerance exists or not? I don't get it. If you don't have issues with gluten, then why do you care? Science is not finite. All discoveries have not been made (or else the word discover would be obsolete). Take your close-mindedness and go away.

Using this logic, there wouldn't be any male gynecologists...or pediatric surgeons.

:huh:

keepongoingnmw

I think the reason I chuckle at this article is because people who are gluten intolerant or sensitive seem to love to talk about it over and over and over. I have been stopped in the grocery store by a mom who was staring going gluten free, she went on for twenty minutes about her appointments and symptoms and how great it is, then six months later she just eats normally. I have been to social gatherings with women where the conversation for the night revolves around someone's gluten sensitivity. I can't tell you how many people I know have had the tests and been told they have this then a year later they just go back to thier normal diet and act like it never existed. I guess that is why I get skeptical when I hear people talk about their food sensitivities.

SanteMulberry

There's a scientist from MIT who believes that the large numbers of people who find that they cannot eat wheat is a reflection of "cross-reactivity." First thing that must be understood is that the wheat we eat today is VERY different from the wheat our ancestors ate. From the wild Einkorn wheat grabbed and soaked and long-cooked by our hunter-gatherer ancestors, to the Emmer wheat of Biblical times to the Triticale of modern times, the genetic base of wheat has been tampered with over and over. In the 1950s, they went to producing wheat with a VERY high gluten content. That is problematic because large amounts of gluten are not particularly digestible in the human gut. The "cross-reactivity" issue comes from the glyphosate (Roundup) residue that a lot of wheat contains. Wheat is not yet "roundup ready" but it seems that the "geniuses" at Monsanto have come up with a new way of poisoning us with glyphosate. Wheat is now sprayed with glyphosate just before harvest (in order to kill the wheat plants in preparation for the "no-till" planting method that uses seed-drills). The MIT scientist believes that it is the combination of gluten with the glyposate residue that produces a lot of gastric consequences. When pigs are fed Roundup-Ready Soy, they experience a lot of gastric distress and some even die. When they are autopsied, they are found to have bright red, highly inflamed, gut-linings. The digestive systems of humans are somewhat similar to those of pigs. A growing chorus of medical professionals are becoming quite concerned about genetically modified and chemically tainted food.

doubleduofa

None of the comments in reply to make any sense. If you've read studies that have convinced you that gluten sensitivity doesn't exist, fine...but don't then go around telling everyone who has read and believes to the contrary that they are stupid.

canadjineh

I think the reason I chuckle at this article is because people who are gluten intolerant or sensitive seem to love to talk about it over and over and over. I have been stopped in the grocery store by a mom who was staring going gluten free, she went on for twenty minutes about her appointments and symptoms and how great it is, then six months later she just eats normally. I have been to social gatherings with women where the conversation for the night revolves around someone's gluten sensitivity. I can't tell you how many people I know have had the tests and been told they have this then a year later they just go back to thier normal diet and act like it never existed. I guess that is why I get skeptical when I hear people talk about their food sensitivities.

People also go back to smoking and drinking excessively, your point being??? lol

SunofaBeach14

I think the reason I chuckle at this article is because people who are gluten intolerant or sensitive seem to love to talk about it over and over and over. I have been stopped in the grocery store by a mom who was staring going gluten free, she went on for twenty minutes about her appointments and symptoms and how great it is, then six months later she just eats normally. I have been to social gatherings with women where the conversation for the night revolves around someone's gluten sensitivity. I can't tell you how many people I know have had the tests and been told they have this then a year later they just go back to thier normal diet and act like it never existed. I guess that is why I get skeptical when I hear people talk about their food sensitivities.

People also go back to smoking and drinking excessively, your point being??? lol

Gluten is now addictive?

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I think the reason I chuckle at this article is because people who are gluten intolerant or sensitive seem to love to talk about it over and over and over. I have been stopped in the grocery store by a mom who was staring going gluten free, she went on for twenty minutes about her appointments and symptoms and how great it is, then six months later she just eats normally. I have been to social gatherings with women where the conversation for the night revolves around someone's gluten sensitivity. I can't tell you how many people I know have had the tests and been told they have this then a year later they just go back to thier normal diet and act like it never existed. I guess that is why I get skeptical when I hear people talk about their food sensitivities.

People also go back to smoking and drinking excessively, your point being??? lol

Gluten is now addictive?

My rolls are pretty damn good.

Charlottesometimes23

One thing that stood out to me in the study was that participants were recruited based on being positive for IBS. They were then placed on a low Fodmap diet for 1 or 2 weeks? after which all reported reduced symptoms. Based on reported success rates of low Fodmaps for relieving symptoms for IBS, ~25% (9 participants) should have had no change in symptoms, and still have 'background noise', which was one of the explanations for the difference in results from the last study.

Yet they apparently didn't.

This was not mentioned or explained. If I was a reviewer of this paper, that would be an important question for me. I would want the researchers to provide an explanation of 100% results from a reduced Fodmap diet in their study group when literature reports 70-75% in the general population of IBS sufferers.

Apart from that, and the obvious nocebo effect, it seems like a really nicely run study.

Charlottesometimes23

There's a scientist from MIT who believes that the large numbers of people who find that they cannot eat wheat is a reflection of "cross-reactivity." First thing that must be understood is that the wheat we eat today is VERY different from the wheat our ancestors ate. From the wild Einkorn wheat grabbed and soaked and long-cooked by our hunter-gatherer ancestors, to the Emmer wheat of Biblical times to the Triticale of modern times, the genetic base of wheat has been tampered with over and over. In the 1950s, they went to producing wheat with a VERY high gluten content. That is problematic because large amounts of gluten are not particularly digestible in the human gut. The "cross-reactivity" issue comes from the glyphosate (Roundup) residue that a lot of wheat contains. Wheat is not yet "roundup ready" but it seems that the "geniuses" at Monsanto have come up with a new way of poisoning us with glyphosate. Wheat is now sprayed with glyphosate just before harvest (in order to kill the wheat plants in preparation for the "no-till" planting method that uses seed-drills). The MIT scientist believes that it is the combination of gluten with the glyposate residue that produces a lot of gastric consequences. When pigs are fed Roundup-Ready Soy, they experience a lot of gastric distress and some even die. When they are autopsied, they are found to have bright red, highly inflamed, gut-linings. The digestive systems of humans are somewhat similar to those of pigs. A growing chorus of medical professionals are becoming quite concerned about genetically modified and chemically tainted food.

This is very much a hypothesis, but an interesting one nonetheless. The paper I read reports a lot of correlation data with no consideration for confounders, which makes it seem a bit dodgy, but still, it was an interesting read.

I was able to access it from this article. http://www.examiner.com/article/is-it-the-gluten-or-is-it-the-glyphosate

Here's the abstract if anyone's interested.

Glyphosate, pathways to modern diseases II: Celiac sprue and gluten intolerance

Anthony SAMSEL 1 and Stephanie SENEFF 2
1 Independent Scientist and Consultant, Deerfield, NH 03037, USA
2 Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA

Celiac disease, and, more generally, gluten intolerance, is a growing problem worldwide, but especially in North America and Europe, where an estimated 5% of the population now suffers from it. Symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, skin rashes, macrocytic anemia and depression. It is a multifactorial disease associated with numerous nutritional deficiencies as well as reproductive issues and increased risk to thyroid disease, kidney failure and cancer. Here, we propose that glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide, Roundup®, is the most important causal factor in this epidemic. Fish exposed to glyphosate develop digestive problems that are reminiscent of celiac disease. Celiac disease is associated with imbalances in gut bacteria that can be fully explained by the known effects of glypho- sate on gut bacteria. Characteristics of celiac disease point to impairment in many cytochrome P450 enzymes, which are involved with detoxifying environmental toxins, activating vitamin D3, catabolizing vitamin A, and maintaining bile acid production and sulfate supplies to the gut. Glyphosate is known to inhibit cytochrome P450 enzymes. Deficiencies in iron, cobalt, molybdenum, copper and other rare metals associated with celiac disease can be attributed to glyphosate’s strong ability to chelate these elements. Deficiencies in tryptophan, tyrosine, methionine and selenomethionine associated with celiac disease match glyphosate’s known depletion of these amino acids. Celiac disease patients have an increased risk to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which has also been implicated in glyphosate exposure. Reproductive issues associated with celiac disease, such as infertility, miscarriages, and birth defects, can also be explained by glyphosate. Glyphosate residues in wheat and other crops are likely increasing recently due to the growing practice of crop desiccation just prior to the harvest. We argue that the practice of “ripening” sugar cane with glyphosate may explain the recent surge in kidney failure among agricultural workers in Central America. We conclude with a plea to governments to reconsider policies regarding the safety of glyphosate residues in foods.

SanteMulberry

I think the reason I chuckle at this article is because people who are gluten intolerant or sensitive seem to love to talk about it over and over and over. I have been stopped in the grocery store by a mom who was staring going gluten free, she went on for twenty minutes about her appointments and symptoms and how great it is, then six months later she just eats normally. I have been to social gatherings with women where the conversation for the night revolves around someone's gluten sensitivity. I can't tell you how many people I know have had the tests and been told they have this then a year later they just go back to thier normal diet and act like it never existed. I guess that is why I get skeptical when I hear people talk about their food sensitivities.

People also go back to smoking and drinking excessively, your point being??? lol

Gluten is now addictive?

There have been some very credible scientific studies that suggest it is. Wheat gluten is unique in its ability to stimulate opiate-receptor sites in the brain. Interestingly, when an opiate-blocking drug (naloxone) is administered, study participants ate significantly fewer wheat-based foods. Combining gluten's direct effects on the brain with the Amylopectin-A (the majority of starch found in wheat) blood glucose high may make it highly addictive to some people. A word of explanation about Amylopectin. Amylopectin-B (the starch found in bananas and potatoes) is more resistant to digestion and Amylopectin-C (found in beans) is not very digestible at all. Amylopectin-A raises blood sugar VERY efficiently and from there, it can create a host of problems for those who must battle high blood sugar (and that includes a LOT of people, those who are forced to be inactive because of injury or joint disease, the obese, those who are aging and Type II diabetics).