3 ms·
This is anecdotal still unless you control for other parts of the diet, such as total carb intake, total sodium intake, and/or dietary fiber intake. When many
by batbomb 12y ago
This is anecdotal still unless you control for other parts of the diet, such as total carb intake, total sodium intake, and/or dietary fiber intake.
When many people stop eating gluten, they often just stop eating so much bread, usually lower their total carb, sodium intake (there's tons of it in bread), and often sugar and other things as well, sometimes substantially lower.
Occasionally the opposite is true if people start swapping out large amounts of glutenous products for sugary fruits.
The same thing happens with MSG and chinese restaurant syndrome. People tend to think MSG itself, and not their actual sodium intake (MSG is sodium + glutamic acid), makes them feel sick. In controlled studies with equivalent sodium intake and controlling for taste (basically two gelatin pills, one with MSG and the other with an equivalent amount of sodium), there's been no correlation.
- russnewcomer 12y agoTotally agree that my wife going gluten free is relatively anecdotal. I didn't wish to put her through too much torture trying to run empirical tests, but I do know that there are times when she has accidentally consumed regular versions of food that she has no problems with the gluten-free version, and she has bloated. Doesn't really bloat with gluten-free. Relatively anecdotal and not the strongest causation, but definite correlation. My personal issues with spaghetti sauce however, I did control for as much as possible, purchasing enough ingredients to make multiple rounds of the rest of the meal, varying only spaghetti sauce. Basic outcome: Prego and some other local store brands from 10 years ago means diarrhea, Ragu does not. Same thing with nuts - eat peanuts, almonds, pistachios, wait an hour, diarrhea. Don't know if it's it's in my head or not, but since it happens, I try to avoid foods that make it happen.