What are the benefits of Gluten Free?

I will admit that I roll my eyes at people who go GF who don't have to. Because I have to. If you don't have a medical reason, don't do it. It makes those of us who don't have a choice look like we are jumping on a bandwagon.

I know this isn't the same thing, but this is what bothers me about being a vegetarian. I am one primarily for ethical reasons and have been for years, but I'm tired of people jumping on the veg*n bandwagon because they think it will help them lose weight, restrict, or make them supremely healthy. Also, it's damn annoying when those same people eat fish or eat a burger once a year as a "treat". It's why some people act like I'm a pain in the *kitten* because I don't want to eat chicken, fish, and mind it if my soup is made with chicken broth.

people don't have to live their lives based on the way you live yours. and the way they live their lives has NO reflection on you. It actually has nothing to do with you at all.

If someone wants to become a vegetarian because they want the health benefits, who are you to say that's wrong?

Because being a vegetarian is a lifestyle, not a quick fix. And, as I said, many of those same people have a burger as a "treat" or will occasionally eat chicken or fish, and then call themselves a vegetarian. They put a label on something and adapt the lifestyle without adhering to it. Some people abandon the lifestyle if it doesn't give them what they want (e.g. weight loss). That makes things more difficult for people who DO adhere to the lifestyle and take it very seriously; we're viewed as a pain in the *kitten* because we don't have chicken "just this once".

Although I kind of understand where you're coming from, consider this -- You don't eat meat for ethical reasons, but I don't eat meat because of an intolerance. Red meat causes vomiting, and fish poultry make me feel nauseous and give me a headache and body ache (general flu-like symptoms). It's been that way my entire life.

So would it be fair for me to get angry at you because you are "choosing" to be a vegetarian and I have no choice (other than to make myself physically ill?) Is it wrong for me to call myself a vegetarian because you've decided that my medical necessity is your "lifestyle" and I don't adhere to the other aspects of it (for instance, I will buy leather)?? Should I get angry that people assume that I'm just being vegetarian for ethical reasons, that I could eat meat if I wanted to, and that I must be self-righteous about it and on a mission to convert them to my way of life?

If people are eating less meat for any reason, I'd say that's a good thing, personally, because most people eat too much of it.

...I don't think you're understanding what I'm saying. My problem isn't with people being a vegetarian (for any reason) and I obviously support people doing it. My problem is with people who label themselves a vegetarian that aren't. You can very easily limit your meat without calling yourself anything - when you decide to call yourself a vegetarian but continue to eat meat or fish, then you aren't a vegetarian. This skews the view of what a vegetarian actually is, which is immensely frustrating. It makes me feel guilty for refusing fish, soup made with meat-based broths, or sauce that had sausage/meatballs cooked in it. Some people think I'm being picky, strict or an *kitten* when I say no to "Do you eat fish?" or the like. The reason why people believe that vegetarians eat those things is because people label themselves as such and continue to eat them.

I was by no means saying that "YOU MUST ONLY BE A VEGETARIAN FOR ETHICAL REASONS". All I was saying is that you should only use the label if you are actually vegetarian, not if you still eat chicken or fish or don't care if a restaurant uses chicken broth in their minestrone.

For the record, I'm not just a vegetarian for ethical reasons, though that's the primary reason.

Okay, fair enough -- sorry for the misunderstanding.

I would disagree that it isn't a fad, by definition. But thank you for your post. I don't know much about gluten, or Celiac Disease, so I wanted to better understand. Definitely not trying to knock GF, just really curious, and uninformed.

Is gluten just in wheat, or is it in other products?

If you're forced to eat a certain way because your body doesn't digest wheat, how is that a fad? it's no different from taking medicine to treat an illness - it's what you have to do to stay healthy. For people with Celiac it's not a choice. Fads are - by definition - not necessary to your health.

Gluten is found in a number of grains:

Barley, including barley malt
Bran
Bulgur
Farina
Kamut
Orzo
Semolina
Spelt
Wheat

and in anything with wheat, wheat flour, white flour, etc as an ingredient. tons of processed foods also include it.

Oh please, I know SO many people that jump on the GF train without seeing a doctor, conducting tests, seeing a nutritionist, etc. They just decide one day that going GF will change their life and make their body some high powered machine. Then when that doesn't work, they keep experimenting (e.g. going dairy free, cutting out meat, cutting our fruit, etc). Messing with your body without guidance is incredibly irresponsible and could lead to further intolerances and digestive issues. Also, going GF pretty prevalent in EDs now because it's a way to restrict the diet and avoid carbohydrates under the rouse of being GF. To say that it is helpful to many people is correct, but to say it isn't a fad is a total falsehood.

A fad or no fad is irrelevant. I quit wheat and dairy. My nails and hair are stronger. My acne is gone. Bloating is gone. I lost some weight. I have more energy. I've never looked better and never felt better. I don't think I have a dairy intolerance but I was diagnosed by a doctor with PCOS. Quiting dairy seemed to help with the hormone imbalance associated with PCOS. Now wheat, I know I'm not celiac, but I believe I am intolerant on a certain level. Wheat makes me bloated and makes me retain water and makes me feel sluggish. I don't need a doctor to tell me how I feel. I don't give a poo if you call it a fad, it works for me and I'm not turning back.

It's a fad. I'm a celiac, and while its nice that I have more options now... its also very annoying when people think I can compromise on the GF diet like a vegetarian who decides they aren't one for five minutes to eat a steak. My immune system will tear me alive if I am exposed to even nearly microscopic amounts of gluten. It's not a lifestyle for me, its medical necessity to treat an autoimmune disorder, the same as diabetics have to control sugar. (these two disorders have some genetic commonality, btw)

Also, celiac disease has nothing to do with gluten intolerance. Totally different mechanisms involved. It's not a spectrum... if you don't have the HLA immunological type that predisposes you to celiac disease, you will never get it, ever. That isn't to say that intolerance doesn't exist, just that it has nothing to do with celiac disease, it has different causes. Celiac disease is a genetic immunological disorder that's been around and known in the historical record for thousands of years, and is more prevalent in certain populations that didn't have much exposure to wheat (or its relatives) in the diet. It is highly irresponsible to go on a gluten free diet and treat it cavalierly if you actually have celiac disease, because total compliance to a gluten free diet is absolutely necessary to treat the disease. Also, I gained weight when I went GF, and while I have lost a lot of weight now too... it's got nothing to do with gluten free, plain old portion control and exercise is responsible for that.

Since when was orzo, farina, etc grains? That one really caused me to face palm.

This is what I was sorta thinking while reading some of the responses. While I understand that some people it just may not react well with their bodies, as far as I remember learning in biology sophomore year in high school, heh, that Celiac is genetic, not an allergy type thing.

Yes. Sometimes it is easier to tell a server you have an allergy, but it is an incorrect way to describe celiac disease. True gluten allergies are dangerous like peanut allergies (think epipen for anaphylactic shock), and a whole lot rarer than celiac disease.

Wheat and some of its relatives can be mildly inflammatory for people, this is true... but not true for all -- barley is pretty benign on the inflammatory scale for non-celiacs, while it elicits the same reaction as wheat and rye for celiac sufferers. And preparation can reduce the problems significantly, especially the use of sourdoughs for rye and wheat flour when making bread.

It's a fad. I'm a celiac, and while its nice that I have more options now... its also very annoying when people think I can compromise on the GF diet like a vegetarian who decides they aren't one for five minutes to eat a steak. My immune system will tear me alive if I am exposed to even nearly microscopic amounts of gluten. It's not a lifestyle for me, its medical necessity to treat an autoimmune disorder, the same as diabetics have to control sugar. (these two disorders have some genetic commonality, btw)

Also, celiac disease has nothing to do with gluten intolerance. Totally different mechanisms involved. It's not a spectrum... if you don't have the HLA immunological type that predisposes you to celiac disease, you will never get it, ever. That isn't to say that intolerance doesn't exist, just that it has nothing to do with celiac disease, it has different causes. Celiac disease is a genetic immunological disorder that's been around and known in the historical record for thousands of years, and is more prevalent in certain populations that didn't have much exposure to wheat (or its relatives) in the diet. It is highly irresponsible to go on a gluten free diet and treat it cavalierly if you actually have celiac disease, because total compliance to a gluten free diet is absolutely necessary to treat the disease. Also, I gained weight when I went GF, and while I have lost a lot of weight now too... it's got nothing to do with gluten free, plain old portion control and exercise is responsible for that.

Since when was orzo, farina, etc grains? That one really caused me to face palm.

lol who said they were grains themselves? simply said they contain gluten, which they do. relax, and get off that high horse for a split second.

To be honest, if you don't have an intolerance or Celiac Disease then you should not be Gluten Free. Doctors have said that over and over. But if people have stomach issues it is good to limit the amount of Gluten because it can cause bloating.

To be honest, if you don't have an intolerance or Celiac Disease then you should not be Gluten Free. Doctors have said that over and over. But if people have stomach issues it is good to limit the amount of Gluten because it can cause bloating.

sigh... doctors know very little about nutrition. they're only required to take one nutrition course over the entirety of their training, and that course is based in information from the FDA, USDA, and other big business and pharma-based entities.

I have RA and just found out I have a gluten intolerance from trying it out myself after looking up the symptoms. I had all of the following for the last few years: Migraines/headaches, "Brain fog", fatigue, joint pains not being controlled by my meds, acne, bloating, severe constipation, and depression. For soooo long people/doctors told me "its just your RA" but my blood work was great and I did not have a flare-up for a year....I thought I was crazy since I went to GI for my horrible constipation which nothing would help!!!!!
Finally 3 months ago I decided to try it for 2 weeks and see....My symptoms were better the next day....The best being no headaches/migraines!!!! I have sooo much more energy and feel great!!!! Gluten free is not for the faint of heart though...Its really tough to stick with....Please don't do it to lose weight, eat right and exercise to lose weight!!!!!

Gluten free is totally a fad. Most people can safely eat gluten! People have been eating wheat, rye and barley for thousands of years. Gluten free foods are trendy and profitable because everyone wants to think they're doing something extra for their health, but in reality, there's nothing significant going to be gained from going on a gluten free diet unless you are part of the small percentage of people with a serious gluten sensitivity or a disease.

If you're wanting to do something to improve your health, do something you KNOW will- like more organic foods, more whole foods.

the wheat we ate thousands of years ago is essentially a completely different species than the wheat we've genetically engineered today. there are very few similarities, and today's wheat is much more difficult for the human body to digest.

If this is so, why were the statistics I learned in, what was it, 2008, in my sophomore year in high school biology, so different today? Seems as though this "gluten free" thing picked up the last few years, not the last 50.

40+ years ago I had people telling me that my allergies were in my head. They didn't exist. My father started studying allergies and added it to his medical practice. Many people back then thought allergies were something that didn't exist and mocked doctors who pursued this line of study. The reality is that until something is understood and medical tests start to appear we don't really understand something all that well. It's why certain medications suddenly get pulled off the market because "Oops. We didn't understand." Now, Celiac's and Gluten sensitivities are becoming more obvious because doctors are checking for it when people come forward with a set of symptoms that match this problem. The two are very different. One involves a sensitivity to wheat that causes symptoms, the other is an immune disorder that wrecks havoc with the digestion system. They are not the same and are diagnosed differently. I have an allergy to wheat which causes wide spread rashes that can cover my body, migraine's, brain fog, psoriasis, and more. I was diagnosed and my last allergist told me to not even bother trying to rotate my diet. I truly have to just avoid it. I wish this were a fad but it's not. Unfortunately, I'm also allergic to just about everything in the environment - to the point where the nurses gasped on seeing the results of my allergy tests.

Based on your definition of a fad, that's like a clothing style. I suspect that what you're seeing is more and more people realizing they have a problem with wheat and they are actually treating it based on their symptoms. It's not a 'fad'. A fad is something like women wearing shirts that go off the shoulder, daisy duke shorts, guys wearing skinny jeans (stealing their girlfriends) or a special weird high heel. That is what they call a fad.

For us, this is life changing - and not an easy lifestyle. There may be people out there who are curious and they try it because they have similar symptoms. For some, they find a solution, for others...they try it and realize it's not worth it once they find out the expense of doing this diet. It's NOT cheap. You buy a loaf of bread for $3 dollars or less...mine is $6 dollars or more. Who in their right mind is going to eat this way considering the cost? No one. The reality is that people who do get away from wheat are doing so for usually medical reasons. Doctors are directing diabetics to reduce carb intake - particularly wheat- due to sugar spikes. The doctors now know more because of medical studies. You're talking a difference of 6 years - in those six years we've moved on to Android phones and skinnier laptops. Progress does happen. That's why schools update their books every 4 years.

Here's an interesting document by a hospital that gives you a perspective of possible numbers who may have Celiac's.

http://www.uchospitals.edu/pdf/uch_007937.pdf

Ironically, this is from information from back in 1999. That shows you this is something that's being checked out and explored over the past 20 years. You'll see there are many diseases even listed that seem to be connected to Celiac's - hence why maybe it's more prevalent that in the past.

Another article from CNN that talks more about it. This hopefully will help you understand why people get annoyed with the 'fad' label because of the health issues that are being treated. It's the equivalent of being back in the Victorian age and being told as a woman that you're suffering from something called "hysteria". Seriously, that's why everyone here is trying to make sure you understand - this is not a fad!

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/04/12/gluten.free.diet.improve/index.html