to not understand the fuss about gluten?

[Bleakhouse1879]

This has probably been asked on here before, if so, shoot me down.

When I was a wee nipper I had never heard of gluten or its dangerous life changing properties. Now everyday I'm hearing about gluten-free this and gluten-free that, "I'm a celiac" or "my wife is intolerant to wheat and everything else in life"

Please could someone explain to this confused and rather befuddled gentleman of advancing years what all the fuss is about? Is it genuine or is it just another attention-seeking illness?

[laffymeal]

Oh dear

[AllThatGlistens]

Don your hard hat, this will not be pretty..

[maybebabybee]

Coeliac's disease is a genuine illness.

People who just refuse to eat gluten for no apparent reason are annoying.

Bread is not the enemy.

[CherryBonBon]

Coeliac disease is just that, a disease.

It's not some silly food fad.

Coeliac disease

[pretend]

Hahaha got your hard hat with you??

Have you heard of a thing called allergies? Where certain foods give you tummy upset/rash/death?

Well some people are allergic to something called gluten, so they have food which we call "gluten free".

If you aren't allergic to gluten then you don't need gluten free food. Although I suppose some weirdos people might like it.

Does that help?

[jenenberry]

I think for Celiacs, then gluten IS a big deal and can seriously affect their health. So I think you are being a bit AIBU.

But you are right about the 'rest' who think it's fashionable to give up this, that and the other.
They have way too much time on their hands.
Gluten is now the new sugar, which used to be the new fat.

[CherryBonBon]

Were you really born in 1879?

It kinda sounds like you were.

[MuddhaOfSuburbia]

I'm coeliac. Before my dx I was MOST sniffy about weirdos in the free from aisle

And now I are one. Serves me right

[worldsgonemade]

LOL all I can say is your a brave man for post that.

Coeliac disease is exactly that a disease, it is an auto immune disease where your body attacks itself when you digest gluten. 1 of my dc has it, it can make you quite ill but is not life threatening also you have a higher risk of developing bowel cancer in later life.

[EponasWildDaughter]

Oh blimey.

I've just read a post accusing posters of ''pretending'' not to be able to control their eating habits (on the thread about being annoyed with women who complain about their lives but don't 'just' leave).

And now we have 'attention seeking illnesses'



Are you to befuddled to use google OP?

[maybebabybee]

My Gran claims she is allergic to dairy and wheat. Yet I have seen her eat half a tub of haagen-dazs because 'ice cream doesn't count'.

I have also served her fish cakes containing gluten but I only realised afterwards they had gluten in them. She was fine. I don't want to be cruel but in her case it genuinely is all in her head.

[CMOTDibbler]

Coeliac disease was first described by the ancient greeks, but the link to gluten wasn't discovered until the blockade of Amsterdam where doctors realised that the coeliac children were actually putting on weight when there was no bread around.
Once the link was made, children no longer died from coeliac disease.

I have coeliac disease, and its in no way attention seeking. Before diagnosis I couldn't move without pain, had continual mouth ulcers and a weeping rash all over my hands. One dietary change, and I haven't suffered any of those in 17 years - apart from the odd occasion I get accidentally glutened

[pretend]

I cannot imagine why the eating habits of others would be on anyone's radar.

Do you lot have nothing better to worry about?

[stevienickstophat]

There is a theory that genetically modifying wheat over the last few decades has created a problem. Something about a strain of wheat that has more allergens.

Also, the over-prevalence of wheat in the Western diet (because it is cheap to produce) has triggered allergic reactions. Nature hates excess. If you look at a typical day's eating, that might include cereal/toast for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, pasta for dinner, biscuits and cakes for snacks. That's a LOT of gluten.

Also, you say it's a modern phenomenon, but that could be down to awareness. How many of us remember Grandad swigging from a bottle of Gaviscon or constantly sucking Rennies? Might have been gluten-intolerant...

As far as attention-seeking goes (and I notice you appear to aim your snotty comment at women) I have to say I don't tend to advertise my inability to digest wheat. How odd that you think that I would.

If I want attention, I tend to rely on my excellent sense of humour and amazing tits.

HTH

[allwornout0]

I know some people that have Coeliac disease which is like Maybebabybee says is a serious genuine illness. They get very annoyed when they go out to eat or mention it to people and get an automatic reaction from people that it is just some sort of diet fad
They absolutely hate suffering from it and wish they didn't have it but say because of the number of people who are going gluten free as a lifestyle choice people think they are making their illness up.

[FluffyCubs]

Op, we are not eating the same wheat as our forefathers. The stuff we are eating now is bred to max out GI etc and is more geared to a commercial business. for most people, this isn't a problem but for some of is, it causes endless issues. I have gluten sensitivity which is not the same a coeliac disease but in me, causes horrendous psoriasis, migraines and ibs symptoms. Read a book called wheatbelly for further info. I can assure you that while some people just dint want to eat gluten, most people who avoid it have solid reasons for doing so, backed up with medical advice.

[JaneAustinAllegro]

Coeliac is a very real disease, but going gluten free is also a currently popular eating hobby for others who think it might give them a flatter stomach. You can't win on this one as for every fashionable eating type, there will be someone for whom eliminating gluten has massively helped.

[maybebabybee]

They absolutely hate suffering from it and wish they didn't have it but say because of the number of people who are going gluten free as a lifestyle choice people think they are making their illness up.

This is what I have a problem with as I think it sort of minimises the suffering of those who genuinely can't eat it. My sister has coeliac's and would love to be able to eat bread and pasta - she gets pissed off when people claim to have intolerances to it when they actually don't. Feeling a bit bloated after a plate of pasta does not equal a food allergy. It just doesn't.

[Superexcited]

Well if my son eats gluten he has a severe allergic reaction which could require the use of his epipen and an ambulance being called.
Food allergies and intolerances can be very serious and they have always existed. A child like my son would have been diagnosed many decades ago but people with intolerances might have gone undiagnosed and been left to suffer with symptoms that they couldn't pinpoint to anything specific and couldn't do anything about.
A lack of diagnosis is previous decades doesn't mean that people were not suffering.

[SaucyJack]

Well firstly coeliac disease is a "proper" medical condition by anyone's standard, but I don't think anyone refuses to eat gluten for no apparent reason. People who do avoid wheat and/or gluten do so because they feel better for it.

Whether it's because they are mildly sensitive to gluten or because they replace the endless slices of carbtastic bread with other healthier foods is anyone's guess. It's of no concern to anyone else tho (provided they don't bang on about it at the dinner-table obv)

[MrsGentlyBenevolent]

I can see where the op is coming from (Coeliac is a real illness though!). I don't think anyone would deny a true allergy - they can be awful, and even limit usual activities most of us don't have to think twice about.

It's the annoying bunch, who self declare some 'intolerance', just to be part if some fad that are in the majority it seems. I've seen these numpties - 'oh no, can't have pizza, makes me so bloated and ill! I'm lactose/wheat/gluten intolerant. Now pass me more chocolate cheesecake please.....'. They just come under 'fussy eaters' to me, really don't care if some bit of food gives you the farts . (Again - unless that ties in with another genuine medical condition, like IBS).

[LadyPlumpington]

Interesting shit stirring thread.

What are the least bowel-cramping grains that people with coeliac disease can eat? Are there any that can be consumed without problems? I was wondering if maybe spelt and things like that were ok. I'd ask Dr Google but he is so variable that I think human responses may be more informative.