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Having a Laugh About Gluten
Townhall.com ^ | July 6, 2014 | Bruce Bialosky

Posted on 07/06/2014 8:45:50 AM PDT by Kaslin

It all started while we were on vacation and watched a video on the Daily Caller from the Jimmy Kimmel show. Jimmy likes to continue a tradition of the “Man on the Street” interviews started by the original late night guy – Steve Allen. This time Jimmy was on a mission to show that anti-gluten is fueled mainly by ignorance. Four saps were lured into telling the world that they would never let gluten touch their lips or enter their body. Then when asked to describe what gluten is they were left on the clown pile of life helplessly babbling.

Personally, I was a naysayer on the subject of gluten as the California crazies hopped on the bandwagon of the mania. That was until my endocrinologist told me that avoiding gluten would help me control my blood sugar level while I was losing weight which aided my avoiding diabetes. Mr. Kimmel sent me to the internet to research the subject to avoid the pratfalls of other health-crazed Californians.

What I found was that gluten is a protein found in grains – particularly wheat, rye and barley. Gluten causes dough to rise and gives it a chewy texture. It is true that some people have intolerance to gluten, but it is not an allergy – it is just an intolerance. That is estimated to be one person out of every 133. Here is where the fun starts – there has never (yes, never) been a study that has shown that avoiding gluten for the other 132 people without an intolerance has any beneficial effect. But don’t try to convince the crazed people who have sworn off gluten as if it were a deadly poison.

Then I found out that corn, rice, and potatoes have no gluten. Being the cynical person I am, it occurs to me who might be behind this entire fad. Certainly there is no science behind it, but there sure is plenty of push to avoid gluten. Could it be corn, rice, and potato growers have banded together to convince the American public to eat their product and avoid those other foods? No that would never happen – would it? We never been told something was good for us and then later experienced an Emily Litella (Gilda Radner) moment – Never Mind.

Then I read about Peter Gibson, a professor from Melbourne, Australia, who did a study in 2011 that found gluten intolerance is a genuine condition. The study was widely accepted and accelerated the concern about gluten launching an increase of 50 percent in the sale of gluten-free products in the United States. However, Gibson did not have the “settled science” lobby breathing down his neck and redid his testing. He discovered that the reactions found in the first tests were not actually related to gluten. As stated in the article in Real Clear Science, “The rise in non-celiac gluten sensitivity seems predominantly driven by consumers and commercial interests, not quality scientific research.”

Concurrent with the world realizing that gluten-mania was driven by both false science and irrational exuberance, we have found out that the entire basis of our diet has been founded on bad science. The original research was done by a man named Ancel Keys and then accepted unflinchingly by the establishment that embraces these issues, like the American Heart Association, Centers for Disease Control and the Agriculture Dept. Some have questioned Keys’ work over the past 50 years, but we have been told that the consumption of animal fat in our diet was too high and we needed to avoid it. It has become “settled science.”

Then the Annals of Internal Medicine actually did an extensive study and found out animal fat is not the leading cause for heart disease, diabetes and obesity. So butter that corn and down that steak because that is not what is causing heart disease. Just do it in moderation.

Now the entire food world has turned over the essence of what is a good diet except – the American Heart Association (AHA). For good fun we read a column in that radical, right-wing publication—The Daily Beast – telling of the AHA’s refusal to alter their guidelines regarding consumption of saturated fats. Wow, nothing more amusing than seeing the left go after the left. But the doctor who wrote the column blamed “commercial interests.” Excuse me! The AHA is part of the left-of-center, East Coast intelligentsia. Don’t try and hang this one on us – the Republicans. We still eat our meat and baby backs. We didn’t fall for all this malarkey. But accepting blame for their errors has never been a big feature of the left – (note their blame of GWB for the last decade).

The reality is that food fads are food fads, science is never settled, and eating a well-balanced diet which includes fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, and yes some fats, will keep you in good stead unless you indulge in gluttony. Also, what you eat is your choice and if you want to die with a cheeseburger hanging from your lips God bless you. But watching the left genuflect to the latest food fad or any other unscientific craze is always great entertainment.

So this 4th of July weekend eat those hot dogs and burgers and enjoy yourself with reckless abandon while you celebrate your freedom from the food police.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: food; gluten; glutenfree; grainlobby; july4th; junkscience; science
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To: miss marmelstein
Better worry more about your health insurance from what Obama is doing to them than worry about your neighbor’s eating habits.

It's the same thing (must cover those with pre-existing conditions)

That also includes AIDs patients, people who destroy their liver from drinking and need a transplant, cancer patients, people who are dying for other reasons...people who have destroyed their own health. They must all be able to buy the same insurance as you.

121 posted on 07/06/2014 1:11:49 PM PDT by ROCKLOBSTER (Celebrate "Republicans Freed the Slaves" Month.)
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To: ROCKLOBSTER

People are going to die of something - as I think I mentioned. We’re all being kicked off the planet to make room for somebody else. I prefer to accept that and not blame by neighbor.


122 posted on 07/06/2014 1:18:14 PM PDT by miss marmelstein (Richard Lives Yet!)
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To: fireman15

nonsense and victim

OK thanx for stopping by.


123 posted on 07/06/2014 1:20:29 PM PDT by morphing libertarian ( On to impeachment and removal (IRS, Open Borders, pro-terrorist, Fast and furious, VA, Benghazi)!!!)
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To: Mr Ramsbotham

You said, “Vaccination is not a harmless thing, as the veterinary profession has of late discovered”

What’s been happening in this area? Do you have any articles or links? I noticed my vet, the last time he vaccinated my dog for rabies, he injected her in her hindquarters, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen him do before. I think previously he’s dosed her on her front leg. I didn’t think about it at the time, but later I wondered if he did it there because it was the farthest point away from her heart. I should ask him next time I see him.


124 posted on 07/06/2014 1:20:51 PM PDT by Auntie Mame (Fear not tomorrow. God is already there.)
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To: Hawthorn

“But as far as I’m concerned, if gluten was good enough for Paul and Silas, it’s good enough for me!”

You might be surprised to learn that the bread of the Bible was not made from the type of wheat we have today, but from a different species called emmer.


125 posted on 07/06/2014 1:22:02 PM PDT by Royal Wulff
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To: riri

Sugar and carb habits are tough...you eat some and crave more. It’s a relentless cycle. Have you tried Torani sugar free syrups? They’re good for coffee, and with a hit of real cream you get what you crave without the carbs/sugar.

My dear step-mom (R.I.P.) had Celiac disease...she ate tortilla chips and cheese all the time because she ate on the fly alot, like you, and felt limited and deprived. I completely understand the feeling.


126 posted on 07/06/2014 1:29:14 PM PDT by coop71
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To: mlo

Been gone all day. I will try and get the studies for you.

Yes, we don’t eat any food with gluten. What else is in it? Well, it depends on the item!


127 posted on 07/06/2014 2:27:54 PM PDT by MiddleEarth (With hope or without hope we'll follow the trail of our enemies. Woe to them, if we prove the faster)
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To: MHGinTN

Sure, I will have to dig them up again as I researched them 2 years ago.


128 posted on 07/06/2014 2:30:42 PM PDT by MiddleEarth (With hope or without hope we'll follow the trail of our enemies. Woe to them, if we prove the faster)
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To: Axenolith

#1 Yes, will post when I get a chance.

#2 We swear off the wheat, barley and rye proteins. What else would we be missing by giving those up?


129 posted on 07/06/2014 2:33:24 PM PDT by MiddleEarth (With hope or without hope we'll follow the trail of our enemies. Woe to them, if we prove the faster)
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To: X-spurt

Sure, will look for it again and post as soon as I can.


130 posted on 07/06/2014 2:37:06 PM PDT by MiddleEarth (With hope or without hope we'll follow the trail of our enemies. Woe to them, if we prove the faster)
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To: X-spurt; Axenolith; MHGinTN; mlo; morphing libertarian

Here is the big study compilation which really convinced me of the detrimental effects gluten can have on anyone:

http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1741-7015-10-13.pdf

The review is titled “Spectrum of gluten-related disorders: consensus
on new nomenclature and classification” written by major authorities in the field of Celiac research.

There is a lot of interesting stuff in there such as this:
“Wheat varieties grown for thousands of years and
mostly used for human nutrition up to the Middle Ages,
such as Triticum monococcum and T. dicoccum, contain
less quantities of the highly toxic 33-mer gluten peptide
[65]. Apparently the human organism is still largely vulnerable
to the toxic effects of this protein complex, particularly
due to a lack of adequate adaptation of the
gastrointestinal and immunological responses....
...All individuals,even those with a low degree of risk, are therefore
susceptible to some form of gluten reaction during their
life span. Therefore, it is not surprising that during the
past 50 years we have witnessed an ‘epidemic’ of CD [celiac disease]
[68,69] and the surging of new gluten-related disorders,
including the most recently described GS [gluten sensitivity]”

This article from this TownHall writer is about a new study by Peter Gibson which apparently refutes his old study about gluten. However, I never based our ditching of gluten on the Gibson study anyway. There are questions as to whether it’s the actual gluten or something else(I think called FODMAPs) which can cause stomach issues. There are more problems besides stomach issues related to gluten though and not the main reason we gave it up.

Basically, I do think a lot of people are jumping on the gluten-free band-wagon without understanding it. However, there are those of us out there who have looked a little more into it. If it seems to help my family, then I’m happy anyway.


131 posted on 07/06/2014 4:07:20 PM PDT by MiddleEarth (With hope or without hope we'll follow the trail of our enemies. Woe to them, if we prove the faster)
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To: miss marmelstein
I prefer to accept that and not blame by neighbor.

For what?

If you're fat, it's certainly not your neighbor's fault.

132 posted on 07/06/2014 4:13:01 PM PDT by ROCKLOBSTER (Celebrate "Republicans Freed the Slaves" Month.)
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To: MiddleEarth
wheat, barley and rye proteins. What else would we be missing by giving those up?

Good booze?

133 posted on 07/06/2014 4:16:42 PM PDT by ROCKLOBSTER (Celebrate "Republicans Freed the Slaves" Month.)
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To: Auntie Mame
You can simply do a Google search on "dog overvaccination." Here's a link that might help:

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/13_8/features/Annual-Pet-Vaccinations_20036-1.html

It's been some time now that people have noticed a definite connection between vaccination and autoimmune disorders and certain types of cancer in dogs. The protocols for vaccination have been changed; many in the field now believe that there's no reason to "boost" vaccinations after the first set of puppy shots and that most vaccines provide immunity for the entire life of the animal.

Now if the human medical profession would only start wising up as well!

134 posted on 07/06/2014 4:43:02 PM PDT by Mr Ramsbotham (Laws against sodomy are honored in the breech.)
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To: MiddleEarth

Thank you. I recently did research on substituting Flax Seed flour in baking. It works, by the way.


135 posted on 07/06/2014 4:54:23 PM PDT by MHGinTN
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To: MHGinTN

I use it too....and a good amount of blanched almond flour as well.


136 posted on 07/06/2014 5:06:57 PM PDT by MiddleEarth (With hope or without hope we'll follow the trail of our enemies. Woe to them, if we prove the faster)
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To: ROCKLOBSTER

LOL!


137 posted on 07/06/2014 5:07:22 PM PDT by MiddleEarth (With hope or without hope we'll follow the trail of our enemies. Woe to them, if we prove the faster)
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To: Kaslin

My wife is a baker and a customer requested a bread that is gluten free and carb free. She said the ingredients do exist and my wife searched in vain. I told her to make the lady a nice meatloaf.


138 posted on 07/06/2014 5:11:07 PM PDT by eartrumpet
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To: eartrumpet

I think that was mentioned earlier...cardboard.


139 posted on 07/06/2014 5:22:11 PM PDT by ROCKLOBSTER (Celebrate "Republicans Freed the Slaves" Month.)
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To: Mr Ramsbotham

WE now only vaccinate every 3 years. Every year is too much.


140 posted on 07/06/2014 5:27:56 PM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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