What are the benefits of Gluten Free?

A fad, my *kitten*. Pay attention to others, and maybe just maybe you'll learn a thing or two.

To others with this mentality and the quoted poster:
The OP is referencing "Gluten free" as a diet choice, disregarding the intolerances and allergies of others.
She's wondering why people who don't have these moderate to severe intolerances with gluten choose to go gluten free, which is a growing phenomena in modern dieting. I know a guy with no known intolerance who switched to gluten free to gain energy. She's wondering what the benefits are if you don't have the issues with gluten.

By definition: any growing cultural phenomena that hasn't proven itself permanent is a fad.

By definition: fads aren't bad things, there is no stigma implied unless you imply it.

Maybe she's not the only one who ought to listen...

let me try and make this clear...

IF going GF gives you more energy, then that means you were sensitive to it in the first place. I would argue very, very, VERY few people go GF if they don't notice any benefits.

let me try and make this clear...

IF going GF gives you more energy, then that means you were sensitive to it in the first place. I would argue very, very, VERY few people go GF if they don't notice any benefits.

Right. That's not the point though. That's not what she's asking for, and you're debating something that didn't need to be debated to begin with.

Now tell me, Coach, since as far as this thread goes, you know more about it than anyone else here.
What are the benefits of being gluten free in a long term health scenario assuming you have no intolerance?
Are there any?
If there aren't any, why do you think people are switching over, even if they don't have a gluten intolerance?

Of course there aren't.

I would argue that for the most part, people aren't actually doing that though you're convinced it's commonplace. Sure you'll have a few idiots here and there who just want to follow along and pay more money for things because they can, but that doesn't mean that's the norm. Average people like you and me only go GF if they experience noticeable benefits from doing so, and if those benefits outweigh the costs.

let me try and make this clear...

IF going GF gives you more energy, then that means you were sensitive to it in the first place. I would argue very, very, VERY few people go GF if they don't notice any benefits.

Right. That's not the point though. That's not what she's asking for, and you're debating something that didn't need to be debated to begin with.

Now tell me, Coach, since as far as this thread goes, you know more about it than anyone else here.
What are the benefits of being gluten free in a long term health scenario assuming you have no intolerance?
Are there any?
If there aren't any, why do you think people are switching over, even if they don't have a gluten intolerance?

Of course there aren't.

I would argue that for the most part, people aren't actually doing that though you're convinced it's commonplace. Sure you'll have a few idiots here and there who just want to follow along and pay more money for things because they can, but that doesn't mean that's the norm. Average people like you and me only go GF if they experience noticeable benefits from doing so, and if those benefits outweigh the costs.

Thank you!

and the simple point that I don't want anyone to miss is that most people don't know they're sensitive until they give GF a test run. that's why it may seem like a "fad" to you and the OP. More people are trying it out because if you ARE sensitive, it behooves you to find out.

OP, hypatiaa, how is this hard to grasp?

It's not about you. How hard is this to grasp? I am guessing pretty hard, because you like being the center of attention. Here... again for you.

This is about people who don't have a sensitivity, who treat it like the latest low carb diet craze or think its healthy. Believe it or not, there are a lot of these people out there. Gluten free can be healthy, it also can be pretty unhealthy and give you nutritional deficiencies.

OP, hypatiaa, how is this hard to grasp?

It's not about you. How hard is this to grasp? I am guessing pretty hard, because you like being the center of attention. Here... again for you.

This is about people who don't have a sensitivity, who treat it like the latest low carb diet craze or think its healthy. Believe it or not, there are a lot of these people out there. Gluten free can be healthy, it also can be pretty unhealthy and give you nutritional deficiencies.

see my above posts. I'd argue there are very, very few people who fall into the category you're speaking of. hardly enough to make it a "fad".

if it's a fad to try and find out whether you're sensitive to a certain food, and potentially give yourself a better quality of life, then fine, we can call it a fad.

I actually eyeroll pretty regularly in my RL job, dealing with the very people I am talking about. Excuse me while I disregard your anecdotal evidence with my own.

Also, getting pellagra doesn't necessarily give you a better quality of life.

Coach knows everything about everything. Just ask him. He's the smartest person on MFP.

haters gonna hate. :flowerforyou:

Thank you!

He's essentially arguing that paleo dieters don't exist, or if they do... there aren't very many. Most of them don't have a gluten problem, nor are all of them really trying to lose weight. (though, many are dieters too) There's this odd belief that grains give them low energy, and for their hipster yuppy lifestyle, this is a bad thing. Its not just gluten grains, its all grains. But gluten grains are the big culprit. I don't really care about paleos tbh. But it gets better.

The placebo effect takes place for these folks, so its hard to figure out what is really working or not. On top of this, you get a lot of people who misunderstand paleo, who confuse it with gluten free, and just cut out gluten, again for the same reasons. They think that wheat is unnatural for people to eat, that they believe it is genetically modified (it is not, its a hybrid, which occurs naturally and easily in Triticum species, as if regular old plant breeding is GMO), no more and no less. Never mind the fact that gluten is in rye and barley too, and the pattern of response for them in people who do not have celiac disease differs significantly than how a celiac responds to them. (hint: wheat isn't the worst one. Rye is. Barley is considerably less inflammatory than rye and wheat to nonceliac controls)

When you ask them, they don't actually have any symptoms. They just want this ephermeral high energy state of their ancestors, as if we knew what that was. They will tell you how these grains are unnatural to eat when you ask them what is really wrong with them. (appeal to nature fallacy going on here too).

Oh oops, a woman who has some knowledge of logical fallacies, I'm now suddenly belitting people again because I dared to educate myself a little bit more in how to construct arguments. Come slap me down some more, oh forum naturopaths. :P Even worse when this criticism comes from another female... know your place, apparently. I guess I should read the astrology section rather than the astronomy section and believe the sun revolves around the earth.

I've been listening to Jillian Michael's Slim for Life Audio Book and she specifically talks about Gluten Free and unless you suffer from Celiac's Disease there is NO benefit to following a gluten free diet. In fact, it may be detrimental from a weight loss standpoint to eat gluten free as often times those products are higher in calores and are more expensive as well.

A fad, my *kitten*. Pay attention to others, and maybe just maybe you'll learn a thing or two.

To others with this mentality and the quoted poster:
The OP is referencing "Gluten free" as a diet choice, disregarding the intolerances and allergies of others.
She's wondering why people who don't have these moderate to severe intolerances with gluten choose to go gluten free, which is a growing phenomena in modern dieting. I know a guy with no known intolerance who switched to gluten free to gain energy. She's wondering what the benefits are if you don't have the issues with gluten.

By definition: any growing cultural phenomena that hasn't proven itself permanent is a fad.

By definition: fads aren't bad things, there is no stigma implied unless you imply it.

Maybe she's not the only one who ought to listen...

Her Op ONLY mentioned Celiac. Not gluten sensitivities etc.

I was unaware of gluten sensitivies, and probably for the fourth time that I've now said it in this thread, as far as I had known, up until now, CD is genetic, and it has nothing to do with allergies.

For the unteenth time, I'm asking why people are GF and it doesn't have to do with sensitivies or CD. I obviously understand for medical reasons. I'm sensitive to lactose myself, so I get it.

Sheesh

:explode:

WOW. I was not clarifying for you, but for the person who said you addressed other issues in your OP.
I was one of those who originally explained to you why I was gluten free as you limited your query to Coeliac.

A fad, my *kitten*. Pay attention to others, and maybe just maybe you'll learn a thing or two.

To others with this mentality and the quoted poster:
The OP is referencing "Gluten free" as a diet choice, disregarding the intolerances and allergies of others.
She's wondering why people who don't have these moderate to severe intolerances with gluten choose to go gluten free, which is a growing phenomena in modern dieting. I know a guy with no known intolerance who switched to gluten free to gain energy. She's wondering what the benefits are if you don't have the issues with gluten.

By definition: any growing cultural phenomena that hasn't proven itself permanent is a fad.

By definition: fads aren't bad things, there is no stigma implied unless you imply it.

Maybe she's not the only one who ought to listen...

Her Op ONLY mentioned Celiac. Not gluten sensitivities etc.

I was unaware of gluten sensitivies, and probably for the fourth time that I've now said it in this thread, as far as I had known, up until now, CD is genetic, and it has nothing to do with allergies.

For the unteenth time, I'm asking why people are GF and it doesn't have to do with sensitivies or CD. I obviously understand for medical reasons. I'm sensitive to lactose myself, so I get it.

Sheesh

:explode:

People are gluten free when they do not need to be because they are convinced that they will lose weight by doing so. This may not be a widespread issue, but I have seen it with my father. He is convinced that by choosing gluten free options, he is making a "healthier" choice, yet he has ZERO allergies or sensitivities to gluten. My sister has celiac disease and therefore for her, it is obviously the "healthier" choice, so maybe that is where his thinking comes from. Then again, he is also convinced that he can eat as much fat free yogurt as he wants because it says "0%" on the label. Clearly he does not understand the concept of calories. And no, he has not lost weight by following this "diet" yet does not comprehend why and continues to follow it. I have no idea if this is widespread, or just one of the many quirks of my father...it's annoying.