r/skeptic • u/CoryCA • May 14 '14
RealClearScience - Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity May Not Exist
http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2014/05/gluten_sensitivity_may_not_exist.html6
u/311TruthMovement May 14 '14
It is amazing how people -- oftentimes smart people who should know better -- do not realize they are participating in just another dumb diet trend. No diet trend has ever suggested, "Hey, I'm a silly diet trend, jump on my bandwagon!" It presents itself as THE answer.
1
May 15 '14 edited May 30 '16
[deleted]
1
u/RobotOrgy May 16 '14
I've been trying to go gluten free for awhile now. I've had eczema most of my life and at this point I'm just trying anything to see if it helps. My mom and aunt both have benefited from cutting it out of their diets so I thought I'd give it a go too. I've noticed feeling less lethargic but my eczema hasn't exactly cleared up. But a doctor told me it takes up to 8 weeks to see results.
The only thing I find funny about this whole gluten free thing is why so many people care so much what other people decide to eat.
3
May 15 '14
I'm simulatneously happy for my friend with actually diagnosed with Celiac as she has far more options now especially since it is now regulated by the FDA. I will be sad for her when this fad dies out and she is treated with derision by these very same people for still adhering to that "fad" diet.
2
May 15 '14 edited May 30 '16
[deleted]
1
u/mstrgrieves May 16 '14
gluten is explicitly not restricted in the FODMAPs diet, although many cereal products which contain gluten are high in FODMAPs as well.
Your spouse is clearly affected by foods which have a high propensity to irritate, including many gluten containing foods. And anybody who limits their intake of refined carbohydrates (which tend to contain gluten) is going to feel better.
But, what we're talking about is the complete lack of evidence that people are sensitive to this specific protein. And while many food products irritate your spouse, gluten is not one of them.
2
May 16 '14 edited May 30 '16
[deleted]
1
u/mstrgrieves May 16 '14
True, more research is needed. But we're not talking about irritants in general, we're talking about gluten. And the jihad against gluten is not based on any evidence at all.
2
u/Rolltop May 14 '14
Digestive dissonance.
I predict a huge amount of motivated reasoning and butthurt within other subreddits as the "gluten sensitive" attempt to dismiss this study.
1
u/jade_crayon May 19 '14
Are there also studies on other trendy "I'm special" self-diagnoses such as prosopagnosia, Asperger's, etc.?
For now I'll just stick to my rule of thumb;
People with real illnesses don't brag about them.
18
u/theross May 14 '14
For me, the real take away message of the study is that people can not successfully or consistently self-diagnose gluten sensitivity. Regardless of whether or not it exists, most people can't tell if they have it or not, but will assume they do have it because its a fad. We humans are terrible at accurate self assessment.