Gluten Intoloerance: Real or Marketing Scheme

Just thought Id see what the general consensus is on the matter. I am a Massage Therapist/X-ray tech/Nutritionalist and deal with gluten/wheat sensitivity personally, and professionally. Over the past few years, since the entire population is starting to realize the severity of the issue, there have been increasing amounts of GF foods available. Do any of you guys have experience on this matter?

Re: Gluten Intoloerance: Real or Marketing Scheme

What kind of experience are you asking about?

Personal/professional/clinical experience with Celiac's or gluten intolerance?

Personal or professional experience in GF formulating?

Re: Gluten Intoloerance: Real or Marketing Scheme

Any and all really. Just want to hear if anyone on here is dealing with this. I am amazed at how many everyday foods are GF. It really comes down to brands. Brands like Kraft are great at labeling, and others not so much.

Re: Gluten Intoloerance: Real or Marketing Scheme

My bread machine makes much better bread when I add wheat gluten. Is that what you are talking about?

It seems that my lifetime has been marked with everything that tastes good being discovered as bad for you. . . then, later, as good for you.

Eat more chocolate!

Re: Gluten Intoloerance: Real or Marketing Scheme

I believe in doing what my physician instructs. That could be gluten free, sugar free, no supplements, take supplements, etc. Whatever he tells me, I follow. On the other hand, if something doesn't agree with me...like bell peppers...I don't eat them. Some folks are gluten intolerant some it doesn't bother. Some people can eat gobs of red meat while others get an upset stomach. I guess the real problem is that everything is contaminated (yes it is) and please someone don't tell me you eat "organic" to get around that. Now..."organic?"...that's a scam.

I think one needs to listen to their body and their physician and make a decision.

Re: Gluten Intoloerance: Real or Marketing Scheme

JB said:

My bread machine makes much better bread when I add wheat gluten. Is that what you are talking about?

It seems that my lifetime has been marked with everything that tastes good being discovered as bad for you. . . then, later, as good for you.

Eat more chocolate!

Click to expand...

Whoahhhh.....hit the brakes and backup the truck JB....a reliable Canadian news service says:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2012/03/how-often-do-you-eat-chocolate.html



You're welcome.

Re: Gluten Intoloerance: Real or Marketing Scheme

I sort of chalk a lot of these new found problems looking for a diagnoses with marketing and the more readily accepted victim mentality that is everywhere now. However, where gluten is concerned, I know a few people who had historic issues and finally after years on a whim went gluten free only to finally feel good. The amount of food alergies, gluten intolerance, special needs kids, etc is just amazing to me as compared to even twenty years ago.

Re: Gluten Intoloerance: Real or Marketing Scheme

LOL http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=507520&highlight=Gluten

Re: Gluten Intoloerance: Real or Marketing Scheme

sutor623 said:

Just thought Id see what the general consensus is on the matter. I am a Massage Therapist/X-ray tech/Nutritionalist and deal with gluten/wheat sensitivity personally, and professionally. Over the past few years, since the entire population is starting to realize the severity of the issue, there have been increasing amounts of GF foods available. Do any of you guys have experience on this matter?

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7 years ago I was diagnosed with Celiac disaese, which is essentially being allergic to gluten. The effects of gluten for a person with celiac disease are quite dramatic - GI discomfort, uncontrollable weight loss, bone/teeth issues, leg cramps, etc. You end up looking like you are terminally ill, and people actually thought I was dying.

I went to my doctor and GI specialist and had a number of test done . . . they were looking for more 'common' things, like infections, cancer, etc. Finally, my sister-in-law, a nurse practicioner who had been studying GI disorders, said "you might have Celiac".

I called up my GI doctor and said "celiac" . . . he thought for a moment, "that could be, we can test you for that". The tests can back and my gluten 'antibodies' were off the scale. People with Celiac produce antibodies against gluten (wheat rye barley) and those anitbodies end up harming your digestive track. Long term effects are not good.

So, after 2 days of avoiding gluten, I felt like a new person . . . Over time I gained all of the weight back (and then some), and since then, I have been in constant search of Gluten-free Beer.

The foods were initially hard to come by and there was not much knowledge about it. Only about 1% of the U.S. population has Celiac, but it is more prevalent in northern Europe.

Some how, along the way, gluten-free diets are becoming a fad by some and not necessarily a medical need. I think it is some sort of take-off from 'carb-free' diets. Who knows.

Anyway, gluten-free foods are now much more plentiful as are gluten-free menus in restaurants. Needless to say, I do not go to Olive Garden or Panera Bread.

Anyway, that's my story about gluten.

BTW - 2 years after being diagnosed, my daughter came down with similar symptoms . . . it turns out she has it too !!! (I told her it was contageous !!!)

Re: Gluten Intoloerance: Real or Marketing Scheme

tpenfield

Key phrase - I went to my doctor and GI specialist

Here.... http://www.bardsbeer.com/

Gluten free beer

Re: Gluten Intoloerance: Real or Marketing Scheme

My South Carolina born and bred know-it-all sister-in-law went gluten free and now swears it has improved her life. I told her that she still talks funny.

Re: Gluten Intoloerance: Real or Marketing Scheme

Nice fellas, good to hear some feedback. I have a wheat allergy, and a slight gluten intolerance. Basically, when I eat gluten if get brain fog, and lethargic. My energy levels become zilch. Once I quit eating it, I lost 18 pounds in 9 weeks, and feel amazing!!

Re: Gluten Intoloerance: Real or Marketing Scheme

Our lives have gone to carp ever since we first found grain.
We are hunter/gatherers.
All grains are bad for you.
Eat greens and meat, its our only salvation. !!!!! LOL

Yes I have experience with my sister, ranting raving, supposedly diagnosed by 2 doctors that she has celiacs.

Turns out, 3 years later, after she convinced 4 of my family members to be tested, that she doesn't have it, neither do the other 4.

Sure, she has a carp load of allergies and intolerances, but not celiacs.

Re: Gluten Intoloerance: Real or Marketing Scheme

Gluten is a problem for some. Highly processed/manufactured food is the larger problem that includes all of us.

Many allergies and intolerances are probably reactions to amounts of ______ (fill in the blank) in our foods.

Re: Gluten Intoloerance: Real or Marketing Scheme

idonthaveaname said:

tpenfield

Key phrase - I went to my doctor and GI specialist

Here.... http://www.bardsbeer.com/

Gluten free beer

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Yea, don't get me started about doctors. ( my apologies in advance to any medical professionals out there)

On some subsequent tests, the GI guy said to me . . . "well you have inflamation of the upper GI . . . it could be from cancer or it could be your celiac". To which I replied, " gee, you think we might want to narrow that down a little?" . . . he said . . "I supposed we could do an upper endoscopy" . . . "Good idea !!! " I said. :facepalm:

About those beers:

Budwieser came to the rescue a couple of years ago with a beer called "Redbridge"

There is also "New Grist", Bard's Tale as you mentioned, and a few imported brands.

Re: Gluten Intoloerance: Real or Marketing Scheme

Its cool to see how most of you guys seem to know your stuff. tpen, I gets down with Redbridge. I had a New Grist last night. There is also this cool beer called Daura, that reminds me of Michelob Lager. Anyways here is why gluten causes so many issues. Many of us do not posses the enzyme necessary to digest this "protein". It is very similar in consistancy to the brain, pancreas and thyroid. With me it was causing hypO-thyroidism, a condition where the bodies "idle" speed is slower than average. The immune system recognizes the gluten (and tissues that resemble the gluten) as a foreign substance, and attacks it. This causes an array of symptoms/diseases. It will progressively get worse in most cases, until the victim is seriously ill with "diseases" such as Lupus, Fibromyalgia, Peripheral Neuropathy and Rheumatoid Arthritis, just to name a few. And not to mention, that wheat has a high amount of Omega 6 fatty acids, which are PRO Inflammatory.

Re: Gluten Intoloerance: Real or Marketing Scheme

Not to nerd out too much, but I did almost all of my MD mentoring with a well known, local, Gastroenterologist and I can assure that Celiac Sprue (Coeliac, if you prefer the old world spelling) is a very real disease in which Gluten essentially causes the microvilli in small intestine to become malformed, stick, or lay flat rather than stand in their full, upright position. As a result, the body is impaired from extracting sufficient nutrition from the foods they eat, which can lead to a whole host of other problems as mentioned above. On the one hand, it's relatively easy to treat with proper diet, but gluten shows up all over the place and many of the proposed diets are high in fat and cholesterol, so patients have to be diligent. Thankfully, there is a lot more awareness of the issue and alternate foods are becoming more readily available.

Let me know if y'all have any other cool/gross GI questions! At this point I think I've seen half of town from the inside out thanks to all the colonoscopies I've observed

Re: Gluten Intoloerance: Real or Marketing Scheme

kfa4303 said:

Let me know if y'all have any other cool/gross GI questions! At this point I think I've seen half of town from the inside out thanks to all the colonoscopies I've observed

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What exactly is Crohn's disease? Seems nebulous to me. Sorry for the hijack, he ^^^^^^ started it. I'll split out to separate thread if it becomes distracting.

Re: Gluten Intoloerance: Real or Marketing Scheme

Crohn's is a type of Irritable Bowl Disease (IBD) characterized by chronic inflammation of the alimentary canal from mouth to anus, and is associated with some genetic predisposition. Although, not generally fatal, it is very unpleasant (up to 20 bowel movements a day!, bloody stool, cramping, etc....) and can lead to many of the same problems of malnutrition and malabsorption discussed in the Celiac posts. They used to think it was autoimmune (body attacking itself) disorder, but now they seem to think it may have more of a immuno-deficiency (poor/improper function of Immune system). The weakened immune system can now no longer fend off various evil bacterial invaders (or support the good ones) which can ultimately lead to ulcers and infection. You can also develop structural malformations (fistula between the bowel and other organs, strictures, etc...) that obstruct the bowel. In bad cases, it can even spread to other parts of the body like the eyes and can ultimately cause blindness. There's no surgical cure and you can really only manage your symptoms through diet, exercise and immuno-regulatory drugs. Not fatal, but not a lot of fun either. Fiber, Fiber, Fiber!!!!

Re: Gluten Intoloerance: Real or Marketing Scheme

Don't get me wrong, I do believe that gluten can cause and aggravate some serious conditions.

But with ill informed but good intentioned ?? medical personnel , and too much info given to hypochondriacs, I have seen, and felt, the results of the hype.

My sister got quite a few earfuls, and verbal slaps after this last round. We all should have know better when she first started with the celiac talk.

It turns out my sister is full functional, physically fit, and very active, and still believes she has/had all the diseases and conditions listed in this thread, and then some. She has thought she was sick for over 45 years, with no sustained diagnosis for any of it.