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The fact that people without Coeliac Disease buy gluten-free bread seems pretty mysterious to me. It might not to you, but if you can't say for sure whether it

by rm445 13y ago

The fact that people without Coeliac Disease buy gluten-free bread seems pretty mysterious to me. It might not to you, but if you can't say for sure whether it's (a) just a fad; (b) actually the secret to a great and healthy life; or (c) partly a reaction to modern mass-baking techniques (as the article posits), there's at least a little mystery.

steverb 13y ago
My wife has Celiac's and all I can say is that I am very glad that gluten-free has become a bit of a fad. There is a much larger variety of gluten free foods than there were 6 years ago when she was first diagnosed, and the prices of many of them have dropped by half. Not to mention all the foods that had no real reason to contain wheat but had it added as a filler or something and have now dropped it. Life is much easier for us now.
- Ryanmf 13y ago
  Indeed. The minor change for me has been that the slightly annoying question I'm most likely to be asked on any given day has transitioned from "What's that?" to "Oh, you're one of those people?"—which is, at worst, a push. The major change is that everyone else's favorite fad diet has made my mandatory dietary restrictions so much easier to manage. I will say that prepared food is still very much a roll of the dice, as those who maintain a gluten-free diet by choice tend not to care a whit about cross-contamination. Hence most businesses catering to them often don't make it a consideration. There are exceptions though; I can walk into any In'n'Out and order my burger "Protein style, allergy" and whoever makes it will change their gloves, cook everything in an area away from where the buns are toasted, and spread condiments with a clean knife. One of the many reasons why In'n'Out is not merely one of the best fast food restaurants in the world, but simply one of the best things in the world.
r00fus 13y ago
> The fact that people without Coeliac Disease buy gluten-free bread seems pretty mysterious to me. So I know for a fact that if I eat large quantities of gluten, I break out in a rash and get a headache. I'm not a diagnosed Celiac sufferer, because I've been told it's an invasive test[1], and I'm not going to back to my symptoms and a gluten-filled diet just for confirmation. I feel better when I don't eat bread - but I do buy gluten-free stuff once in a while, because, well, I can do without bread/pastries most of the time but really like to fill a craving once in a while, and I'd prefer not to suffer my symptoms. [1] http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/celiac-disease/celiac-disease-exams-and-tests http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/celiac-disease/celi...
- reeses 13y ago
  You may be in my boat, which is actually a wheat allergy. I had serious headaches, really irritable skin, unclear thinking, and other consequences until I went for a checkup on the advice of a similarly afflicted friend. I would recommend a visit to your local allergist to nail it down. If you're in the US, the only provider of decent 'gluten free' versions of foods normally produced with wheat, oat, etc. is Udi's. Buying GF is the easiest way to avoid wheat, if that is your problem. At any rate, don't self-diagnose too much. Bread is too awesome to give up without a fight. :)
vanattab 13y ago
I admit that the rise of Coeliac Disease is pretty mysterious but my problem is this article title conveys the notion that the article is going to give some insight into the mystery which it does not at all.
taivare 13y ago
Google ~ gluten + Sweden, the gluten problems are so bad up there, the Micky D's are even gluten-free also,most island nations have problems with gluten.
jamesrcole 13y ago
Celiacs are not the only ones who react badly to gluten. There's non-celiac gluten sensitivity. See, for example: http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/glutenintolerance/a/Gluten-Intolerance-Research.htm http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/glutenintolerance/a/Gluten... http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gluten-sensitivity-may-be-a-misnomer/?print=true http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gluten-sensitivity...

by rm445 13y ago

steverb 13y ago

My wife has Celiac's and all I can say is that I am very glad that gluten-free has become a bit of a fad. There is a much larger variety of gluten free foods than there were 6 years ago when she was first diagnosed, and the prices of many of them have dropped by half. Not to mention all the foods that had no real reason to contain wheat but had it added as a filler or something and have now dropped it. Life is much easier for us now.

Ryanmf 13y ago
Indeed. The minor change for me has been that the slightly annoying question I'm most likely to be asked on any given day has transitioned from "What's that?" to "Oh, you're one of those people?"—which is, at worst, a push. The major change is that everyone else's favorite fad diet has made my mandatory dietary restrictions so much easier to manage. I will say that prepared food is still very much a roll of the dice, as those who maintain a gluten-free diet by choice tend not to care a whit about cross-contamination. Hence most businesses catering to them often don't make it a consideration. There are exceptions though; I can walk into any In'n'Out and order my burger "Protein style, allergy" and whoever makes it will change their gloves, cook everything in an area away from where the buns are toasted, and spread condiments with a clean knife. One of the many reasons why In'n'Out is not merely one of the best fast food restaurants in the world, but simply one of the best things in the world.

r00fus 13y ago

> The fact that people without Coeliac Disease buy gluten-free bread seems pretty mysterious to me. So I know for a fact that if I eat large quantities of gluten, I break out in a rash and get a headache. I'm not a diagnosed Celiac sufferer, because I've been told it's an invasive test[1], and I'm not going to back to my symptoms and a gluten-filled diet just for confirmation. I feel better when I don't eat bread - but I do buy gluten-free stuff once in a while, because, well, I can do without bread/pastries most of the time but really like to fill a craving once in a while, and I'd prefer not to suffer my symptoms. [1] http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/celiac-disease/celiac-disease-exams-and-tests http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/celiac-disease/celi...

reeses 13y ago
You may be in my boat, which is actually a wheat allergy. I had serious headaches, really irritable skin, unclear thinking, and other consequences until I went for a checkup on the advice of a similarly afflicted friend. I would recommend a visit to your local allergist to nail it down. If you're in the US, the only provider of decent 'gluten free' versions of foods normally produced with wheat, oat, etc. is Udi's. Buying GF is the easiest way to avoid wheat, if that is your problem. At any rate, don't self-diagnose too much. Bread is too awesome to give up without a fight. :)

vanattab 13y ago

I admit that the rise of Coeliac Disease is pretty mysterious but my problem is this article title conveys the notion that the article is going to give some insight into the mystery which it does not at all.

taivare 13y ago

Google ~ gluten + Sweden, the gluten problems are so bad up there, the Micky D's are even gluten-free also,most island nations have problems with gluten.

jamesrcole 13y ago

Celiacs are not the only ones who react badly to gluten. There's non-celiac gluten sensitivity. See, for example: http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/glutenintolerance/a/Gluten-Intolerance-Research.htm http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/glutenintolerance/a/Gluten... http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gluten-sensitivity-may-be-a-misnomer/?print=true http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gluten-sensitivity...