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.
LOL
We’ve been eating gluten all these years and now we should be alarmed? NOT.....eat a balanced diet whenever possible and maintain some level of physical activity.
I could care less if my carbs have gluten so long as I’m not OD’ing on them. But that’s just IMO.
Oh so sensitive. She can eat what she wants and I’ll eat what I want. No one said I make fun of her.
If there is such a thing as gluten intolerance, it’s probably caused by the contemporary mania for vaccination. Vaccination is not a harmless thing, as the veterinary profession has of late discovered, much to its distress, since vaccination is the bread-and-butter of veterinary revenue.
I do. I know plenty of people that do. Maybe you need a more active and interesting crowd.
>> That is estimated to be one person out of every 133. << (from the article)
Complex carbs (starches), good; simple carbs (sugars with no nutrients), bad.
When I grew up, my family had one day in the week that was totally meatless. I wished I had kept the tradition
Meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, cheese/most dairy, nuts, oils... These are all whole, unprocessed foods. They’re generally very healthy for you, and are all gluten free. There are hundreds of options within these types of foods alone. Not sure how you ended up with only 25.
I have discovered over the last 2 or 3 years that wheat causes problems in my gut, colitis, etc. The doctor did a blood test for gluten sensitivity and I came out negative according to the test BUT if I eat something made out of wheat more than once a week................ I am very sorry that I did.
I am aware.
I count total grams per day and try to avoid junk.
Have to have a few low carb deserts available or the jones returns.
How about posting links tro a few of those many studies.
Green smoothies! ... just sayin’
Leave the franks whole, but slip a wooden skewer into them and spiral cut the frank then cook it with the skewer out.
I don’t think you could find a more active and interesting crowd(s).
I seldom eat starch and sugar, actively work on my feet all day, and use a push mower instead of a riding tractor. I drink a little red wine or Scot’s from time to time.
This place is crawling with East Coast big-city tourists hiking and biking. Those snotty-liberal alien-helmeted cyclists just look stupid.
Actually, Stivia is the way to go if you avoid processed sugar.
Wow what a bunch of bad stereotypes serving no purpose but to make you feel better about yourself. Gotta be a pretty pathetic person to need to push others down that hard just to feel like you’re worth something. so since you apparently think you’re worthless I’ll go ahead and agree. Bye.
On the 4th I had a couple of hot dogs on buns and had a couple of severe headaches, that I have not had in you guessed it 4 month.
I think it all depends on the person, For me it works, for others maybe not so much.
A) Have you actually read any of those studies?
B) How do you know gluten caused your sons headaches rather than any of the other hundreds of ingredients/compounds that would now be avoided from swearing off any gluten containing foods?
I eat moderately healthy anyway but sugar/carbs are my worst habits. In recent years I have developed a love for coffee. Sweet, flavored coffee---not a good development in my life. (:
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