What the heck is Gluten?

SuperSexyDork

Seriously. Just another fad. Like the low carb/Atkins thing. I'm leary of this trend.

Eating gluten free isn't a fad. It's a lifelong lifestyle change for MANY people due to Celiac disease, gluten allergies, Crohn's/Colitis, diabetes, etc.

Why would gluten affect diabetes?

Yeah, Gluten has nothing to do with Diabetes... =/ In fact going Gluten Free increases the sugar content in some foods and therefore is WORSE for diabetics.

Actually, there is a relationship between Type 1 diabetes and celiac disease. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746085/

Okay, that only says that people with type 1 diabetes have an increased risk of Celiac disease (among other autoimmune disease) and eating GF will help that.

It doesn't demonstrate that eating gluten free will have any effect on type 2 diabetics or type 1 diabetics who do not also have Celiac disease.

My question remains. Since it seems to have been misinterpreted, I'll change the phrasing. How does being diabetic alone mean that you need a gluten free diet?

No one said you NEED to eat gluten free if you have diabetes. I simply said most endocrinologists recommend a gluten free diet to their diabetic patients.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10585617

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17607660

Mice studies? Inconclusive. It really needs to be studied further if this is all you can offer me.

Listen, you don't need to believe me. I've been to 3 separate endocrinologists who have all told me they suggest their diabetic patients follow a gluten free diet. I am not diabetic but I have insulin resistance and Crohn's disease which is why I eat gluten free.

http://www.staffanlindeberg.com/DiabetesStudy.html

I was just enjoying a bit of healthy debate. I apologize if I've upset you. I am not questioning your choice to eat gluten free, only the assertion that gluten impacts diabetics.

Also, you've linked to a website that has published a study but I cannot see if it has been peer reviewed. Also, the author of said website is promoting a book that he has written on paleo eating so I have reason to believe it is biased.

Swiftlet66

I am gluten sensitive and I get inflamed, very itchy rashes if I eat too much gluten. Tiny amounts won't hurt me though but I try to avoid most things with gluten and opt for alternatives. Try to... but it's hard! I've only managed to get my inflammation under control since starting MFP actually along with strict monitoring of the things I eat and the effects it has on me.

itsbasschick

bakers are aware of gluten, as it causes stickiness in flours, which means breads and cakes don't fall apart.

i'm for the gluten-free thing as i'm allergic to wheat - i can eat stuff with gluten like rye and spelt with no problem, but for me the no-gluten fad is a blessing, as there are lots more wheat-free baked goods and foods in restaurants that i can eat now :-)

btw, i'm diabetic (type 2), and eating gluten or not hasn't made the slightest difference to my blood glucose or overall health. i've gone without gluten for extended periods without any difference from when i eat some gluten.

abcgfed

3) people jump on the bandwagon for sure. They cut out gluten, which also means they're cutting out cookies/cakes/fast food/donuts etc and they suddenly feel better. So they assume it's a gluten intolerance. Personally I think a lot of it is that they're eating less junk food and eating more whole foods. I dint know how many times I've heard people say things like "I have a gluten allergy, but I can eat it once in awhile and it doesn't bother me"......

This is exactly right for many people that have gone GF recently. It is really hard to eat lots of processed, unhealthy crap when you are gluten free. So, when some people cut out gluten, they feel great but it has nothing to do with the gluten. The same thing would have happened if they cut out processed food but continued to eat some gluten in whole grain breads and such.

KameHameHaaaa

I think everyone else in this thread has already explained what gluten is, so I'll just add to how I feel about people claiming gluten sensitivity (when they are just dieting)



"Someone just told you you probably shouldn't eat gluten so you were like OOH welll I guess I won't eat gluten"

That clip unfortunately sums up the majority of people and gluten.

Every time I see a thread about this I can't resist, gotta post this gif, lol. Plus I love This Is The End ;]

But really. There are SOOOOOO many people doing gluten free as a diet now and just saying they have an allergy. As someone who worked in the restaurant biz I can tell you maybe only 1 out of every 100 people that claimed to be gluten free were not! I understand if you actually have celiac disease you need to be careful, but don't lie to your server if you are just staying away from bread LOL. It's like people don't want other people to know they're on a diet or don't want people to think that they think they need to be on a diet so they cry "allergy!" instead. In the restaurant business we had to make everything for people with celiacs separate, and when someone claimed to have an allergy we were REQUIRED to ask them deeper questions about the allergy so that we could better serve them. It was during this process that most people would either stammer and go "Uh er well it won't bother me if the bread is touching the mashed potatoes I just can't eat it" or "Well...actually I'm just doing a bread-free diet right now.....-BLUSH-".... Really just be honest people Lol. You totally give yourself away when you lie, especially when you're guzzling beer and asking for extra teriyaki sauce... >_<

buttonsandshadow

I personally, don't chase down substitutes for things I no longer eat. For the most part, many people's complaint about the price of (many) ways of eating is because they are buying substitute foods for what they used to eat. That can get pricey. I just don't eat the processed foods, and don't freak that I don't have "a bread". There's plenty of other good food out there.

(plus, frankly, I don't miss it, but it's good there are substitutes out there for those who do).

paperpudding

3) people jump on the bandwagon for sure. They cut out gluten, which also means they're cutting out cookies/cakes/fast food/donuts etc and they suddenly feel better. So they assume it's a gluten intolerance. Personally I think a lot of it is that they're eating less junk food and eating more whole foods. I dint know how many times I've heard people say things like "I have a gluten allergy, but I can eat it once in awhile and it doesn't bother me"......

This is exactly right for many people that have gone GF recently. It is really hard to eat lots of processed, unhealthy crap when you are gluten free. So, when some people cut out gluten, they feel great but it has nothing to do with the gluten. The same thing would have happened if they cut out processed food but continued to eat some gluten in whole grain breads and such.

yes - I get how it can indirectly help weight loss - not because gluten is the problem but because by cutting out gluten people tend not to eat so many high carb high calorie foods like cake, pastries, bread.
Yes I know they could just replace these with the gluten free versions but I can see how many would not do so and would just eat less of them and therefore eat a lower calorie level than previously.

Above would also help diabetics cut down on high sugar foods and/or lose weight - so same indirect benifit - but its not actually the gluten or non-gluten doing it.

FatFreeFrolicking

3) people jump on the bandwagon for sure. They cut out gluten, which also means they're cutting out cookies/cakes/fast food/donuts etc and they suddenly feel better. So they assume it's a gluten intolerance. Personally I think a lot of it is that they're eating less junk food and eating more whole foods. I dint know how many times I've heard people say things like "I have a gluten allergy, but I can eat it once in awhile and it doesn't bother me"......

This is exactly right for many people that have gone GF recently. It is really hard to eat lots of processed, unhealthy crap when you are gluten free. So, when some people cut out gluten, they feel great but it has nothing to do with the gluten. The same thing would have happened if they cut out processed food but continued to eat some gluten in whole grain breads and such.

yes - I get how it can indirectly help weight loss - not because gluten is the problem but because by cutting out gluten people tend not to eat so many high carb high calorie foods like cake, pastries, bread.
Yes I know they could just replace these with the gluten free versions but I can see how many would not do so and would just eat less of them and therefore eat a lower calorie level than previously.

Above would also help diabetics cut down on high sugar foods and/or lose weight - so same indirect benifit - but its not actually the gluten or non-gluten doing it.

^Perfect response

ImAnuk

gluten the protein found in wheat, rhy, barly , spelt Oats are gluten free however when harvesting wheat firlds they run a high cross contamination with wheat so thetas y they sell gluten free oats.

gluten is found in products like salad dressings, and even shampoos for more info look up http://celiac.org/

thebluewyvern

I'm soooo sick of people saying eating gluten free is a fad. My daughter is a celiac and gets very ill if she eats gluten. It's hereditary as well and I'm pretty sure I have it as well because going off gluten cleared up the ibs I've suffered with my entire life. Celiac disease was first diagnosed in the 1800's. Its NOT A FAD PEOPLE. Ugh.

abcgfed

I'm soooo sick of people saying eating gluten free is a fad. My daughter is a celiac and gets very ill if she eats gluten. It's hereditary as well and I'm pretty sure I have it as well because going off gluten cleared up the ibs I've suffered with my entire life. Celiac disease was first diagnosed in the 1800's. Its NOT A FAD PEOPLE. Ugh.

Read the whole thread. No one said celiac is made up or a fad. The discussion is about people who have no signs of the disease but go GF anyway. For them, it's a fad.

thebluewyvern

Seriously. Just another fad. Like the low carb/Atkins thing. I'm leary of this trend.

Yes, someone said exactly that in this thread. This is what I was responding to. Should have quoted it in my last post.

missh1967

I'm soooo sick of people saying eating gluten free is a fad. My daughter is a celiac and gets very ill if she eats gluten. It's hereditary as well and I'm pretty sure I have it as well because going off gluten cleared up the ibs I've suffered with my entire life. Celiac disease was first diagnosed in the 1800's. Its NOT A FAD PEOPLE. Ugh.

Read the whole thread. No one said celiac is made up or a fad. The discussion is about people who have no signs of the disease but go GF anyway. For them, it's a fad.

Pfft. Reading comprehension is sooo overrated.

thebluewyvern

I'm soooo sick of people saying eating gluten free is a fad. My daughter is a celiac and gets very ill if she eats gluten. It's hereditary as well and I'm pretty sure I have it as well because going off gluten cleared up the ibs I've suffered with my entire life. Celiac disease was first diagnosed in the 1800's. Its NOT A FAD PEOPLE. Ugh.

Read the whole thread. No one said celiac is made up or a fad. The discussion is about people who have no signs of the disease but go GF anyway. For them, it's a fad.

Pfft. Reading comprehension is sooo overrated.

Pot meet kettle.

littlekitty3

It's a wheat protein and i use it to make seitan.
Also it's not the gluten that causes some people to bloat when eating things like whole wheat bread, its some other ingredient that I cannot remember for the sake of remembering......

paperpudding

3) people jump on the bandwagon for sure. They cut out gluten, which also means they're cutting out cookies/cakes/fast food/donuts etc and they suddenly feel better. So they assume it's a gluten intolerance. Personally I think a lot of it is that they're eating less junk food and eating more whole foods. I dint know how many times I've heard people say things like "I have a gluten allergy, but I can eat it once in awhile and it doesn't bother me"......

This is exactly right for many people that have gone GF recently. It is really hard to eat lots of processed, unhealthy crap when you are gluten free. So, when some people cut out gluten, they feel great but it has nothing to do with the gluten. The same thing would have happened if they cut out processed food but continued to eat some gluten in whole grain breads and such.

yes - I get how it can indirectly help weight loss - not because gluten is the problem but because by cutting out gluten people tend not to eat so many high carb high calorie foods like cake, pastries, bread.
Yes I know they could just replace these with the gluten free versions but I can see how many would not do so and would just eat less of them and therefore eat a lower calorie level than previously.

Above would also help diabetics cut down on high sugar foods and/or lose weight - so same indirect benifit - but its not actually the gluten or non-gluten doing it.

^Perfect response

Thank you.

But please note I am not saying diabetics should avoid gluten as I can't see any reasoning for this - and I don't think doctors should be telling them to avoid gluten if gluten is not directly the issue.

Gidzmo

All of a sudden people I know are going Gluten free? Packages everywhere with gluten free. "I'm allergic to Gluten." Did anyone really know what this stuff was 5 years ago? Where did all this come from?

Gluten is what is made when you are making (for example) bread dough. In a nutshell: it is a protein composite found in wheat and related grains, including barley and rye. Gluten gives elasticity to dough, helping it rise and keep its shape and often gives the final product a chewy texture.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten

I hadn't seen allergies to gluten (along with the nut, egg, and other food allergies) until fairly recently . Here is what happens with gluten intolerance. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten#Adverse_reactions
"Gluten is known to cause adverse health issues ranging from bloating, gas, diarrhea and vomiting to migraine headaches and joint pain in those who suffer from gluten sensitivity, primarily as a result of coeliac disease (spelled "celiac" in American English) and including non-celiac gluten sensitivity and wheat allergy. Celiac disease is an inherited autoimmune disorder that affects the digestive process of the small intestine."

aliakynes

Have you ever had a really fresh loaf of bread and you pull off a piece and it actually pulls instead of breaking off like cake? Gluten is what allows such a delicious miracle to take place.

jenilla1

I don't understand why people are so concerned about what other people choose to eat or not to eat. If it's not about you, it shouldn't concern you. :indifferent: