to ask why so many people are gluten free?

[waitingforsomething]

I am getting married in a few weeks and 7 of the 70 adult guests are gluten free. 10%. One of these is a coeliac the rest just don't eat it. Aibu to ask why gluten is so bad and why so many people are avoiding it? Is there evidence other than in coeliac disease that cutting it out is helpful in some way?
I don't mind from a catering point of view but I am curious as to where this is coming from.

[Tuiles]

Because there's nothing like a bandwagon. ..

[waitingforsomething]

I was thinking that but interested to know the perceived benefits. I am surprised so many people other than the coeliac are gluten free

[Chopchopbusybusy]

Statistically around 1 in 250 people are diagnosed as having coeliac disease and it is thought that it's probably as high as 1 in 100. So some of those people probably do have coeliac disease and have genuine symptoms but are udiagnosed. Some might have a genuine intolerance and some might just be faddy.
I can't understand why you'd want to go GF if you didn't have to. Also lots of those people will say they are GF but will eat it when it suits them to.
Also restaurants are now required to know which of their dishes contain allergens and so because of that there are more restaurants now who specify GF choices on their menus.

[misscph1973]

I am quite convinced that gluten is just not good for you, I have been eating Paleo-ish for 3 years now, so that means grain-free. I generally avoid overprocessed foods, and grains are one of them.

In the 80's it was low fat, now it's low carb and gluten free. I will probably be proven wrong in a decade or two, but at the moment I think grain free is healthiest.

[glenthebattleostrich]

I occasionally eat gluten but it flares my eczema so I avoid it. Have done for years, long before it was fashionable!

[definitelybutter]

I love this bandwagon. Loads of people are doing it for faddy reasons or because it makes them bloat or they think it may be behind various symptoms.

If I have gluten I scratch my skin off from the hives I get. We're talking dressings being changed by the practice nurse. We're talking unable to wear anything remotely close fitting. We're talking not being able to knit because of oozing scabs on my hands.

And this bandwagon makes it so much easier for me to avoid gluten.

[angelos02]

Because there's nothing like a bandwagon. ..

This

So many people for all of the slogan-riddled nonsense out there...5 a day and so on.

I virtually never have fruit/veg, drink far more alcohol than I should but am a healthy weight, get commented on how great my skin is and at a recent well-woman check, all blood results were fine.

[CMOTDibbler]

I'm coeliac, but of other gf people I know a couple have auto immune conditions that are a lot better if they are gf (they don't cheat), some who have ibs that is controlled if gf (they do cheat on occasion) and I've met some people who allege to be gf but only do so when it suits them.

I've been gf for 17 years and I can't imagine doing this if you didn't have to

[merrygoround51]

I went Gluten free because of some unsightly rashes on my face and I was advised to try cutting out gluten and it worked.

I do however find it extremely difficult. I love food and cooking and being gluten free has taken a lot of the good out of it.

I won't subject my family to it , I made a lasagne earlier in the week and watched them all devour a divine meal whilst I ate avocado on gluten free toast, it was miserable.

I am slim so its not a weight thing and there are far easier ways to loose weight

[Leelu6]

I'm sensitive to wheat/gluten and dairy products but have tested negatively for in the past coeliac. I have another test this week.

I can eat gluten but it can cause constipation, bloating, etc.

I avoided all gluten/wheat and dairy products (including cake, etc) for 3 months and digestion became perfect.

[LittleLionMansMummy]

I think it's not just those with coeliac disease. It affects PCOS sufferers and there are estimated to be 1 in 10 of those - I am one. A friend of mine has Lupus and she says she avoids it when she has a flare up of symptoms.

[Poledra]

I was buying gluten-free bread for my daughter the other week (she has a diagnosed gluten intolerance) (and yes, before anyone asks, it is indeed a diagnosis by elimination, I know there is no test for gluten intolerance) and three young blokes next to me were looking at the the GF stuff and deciding that 'Yeah, it's just more healthy.'

At £3 for a loaf, it's certainly not more healthy for my bank balance. And my DD misses 'proper' bread soooo much. It's not a bandwagon I would have jumped on willing...

[Leelu6]

merrygoround51 - you can get gluten free lasagne sheets. Why not make an individual gluten free lasagne for yourself at the same time?

[MadGhostlyGnome]

A lot of the people following a gluten free diet for some vague health benefit (ie not coeliac) .

[budgiegirl]

Because it's fashionable ! Of course there are people who have coeliac disease and need to avoid gluten for health reasons.

And there are some people who are intolerant and are best to avoid it.
But there are many who think they are intolerant and are not, or that it's bad for you.

I forget the exact figures, but something like one in one hundred people are actually intolerant, but when asked, one in ten think they are.

I also think people muddle up low carb and gluten free, they are not the same think at all.

[chelle792]

I'm the one who has a milk allergy but also has a husband with a milk allergy (both had medical diagnosis). I find it embarrassing because it sounds like we are making a faddy lifestyle choice as it's both of us who are diary free. Awkward

[Katiebeau]

I only gave it up to support my daughter who really reacts badly when she eats gluten! Completely unexpected results was complete resolution of acne rosea, frequent heartburn resolved and my life long battle with constipation was finally over.

Band wagon or not I am not eating it!!!!

[AlwaysHope1]

Because there's nothing like a bandwagon.

This!!

[BarbarianMum]

I have gluten-intolerant Crohns disease, as does my mum. I may also be coeliac but even after years of testing they're not sure (and as I can't eat the stuff anyway, it probably doesn't matter).

Lots of auto-immune disease sufferers (Lupus, Crohns, rheumatism) I know do better without gluten.

I think the reason there is a bandwagon is that gluten upsets so many people. Frankly, being gluten free can be a complete pain in the arse, can't imagine who'd be gluten free for fun.

[weeblueberry]

DP never indicates to people that he doesn't eat it (like your guests have) but, if given the option, he does much better avoiding it. MUCH better.

[smoothieooo]

I'm a coeliac with the added delight of having the accompanying dermatitis herpetiformis (like wearing a coat made of 'itch' which causes huge blisters on my pressure points when I eat gluten).

I was diagnosed via endoscopy 30 years ago (and have had subsequent tests)... so ain't no fad for me!

[PirateSmile]

My dm gets extremely ill if she eats gluten. She was diagnosed as a coeliac years ago by a consultant and she'd never heard of it before. She was so relieved to find out what was wrong with her.

I feel so sorry for her when she eats out because I'm sure people assume she's being faddy.

[iamEarthymama]

Oh it's just a fad choice for me.
I absolutely love not being able to have a big doorstop of toasted whole meal with butter, I much prefer to eat the 1 crumpet I have paid 63pence for, even though it is just adequate not delicious.

And one of my favourite parts of this is having to research where to eat when we go out as just turning up leads to probably being able to have a bowl of chips, though that's not guaranteed

Oh yes and I love paying a fortune for gf substitutes, I have money to throw around, of course I do.

I am not coeliac, I made the decision to give up gluten after a million tests for tiredness, unexplained itching, and severe depression had not been able to pinpoint anything. My doctor is happy with this and understands that I could not bear to reintroduce gluten just to be tested.

I eat gf because eating gluten makes me really ill. I am lucky as I love to cook and eat and my partner is happy to make adjustments to our meals.

Honestly this isn't a fad, I would love to have that piece of toast.

For those who are gf, I have just been to Edinburgh and it was brilliant for gluten free vegetarians! I had beer, and pizza and chocolate cake. Wonderful

[reni2]

Some have coeliac disease. Some need to feel in control and the placebo effect means they feel loads better eating a different diet and the nocebo effect means they feel bad if they knowingly eat gluten. Some want to be a delicate flower.

Remember the glut of lactose-intolerant people? That melted away when gluten intolerance became widely known. I predict fructose is next.

[TENDTOprocrastinate]

I have ibs. I went gluten free on the advise of a (rather unreliable) "nutritional expert" and it made me rather ill and my ibs symptoms much worse!
It turns out that I have an allergy to buckwheat (diagnosed by actual doctor) which is used in some gluten free products.

So I rather like my gluten. When my ibs flares up bread is my safety food!