Gluten is out to get you
I watched this comedy show that was talking about Gluten conspiracies and I thought it was a joke until I found this.
The good news, as I see it, is that the majority of people probably buying into this are your Granola crunchers. They are making a big push to go more "organic" and back to the way food was grown in the old days, thus exposing them to all the things that shortened life spans back in the day, thus making them not live as long, removing them from creating carbon dioxide and adding to greenhouse gasses, thus saving the Planet.
Daily, patients protest that their doctor has refused to do a simple gluten blood test that could reveal the cause of their bad health. These doctors are saying this blood test is useless, despite the facts. What is their motive? Is this a conspiracy?
These are the common symptoms
Feeling tired and exhausted.
Uncomfortable tummy.
Bloating and gas trouble.
Having gastric reflux or "heartburn."
Headaches or migraine.
Feeling depressed or moody.
Having diarrhoea or constipation.
Lack energy.
Bad skin.
Unhappy with your weight.
Finding it hard to think clearly.
Eating problems.
The good news, as I see it, is that the majority of people probably buying into this are your Granola crunchers. They are making a big push to go more "organic" and back to the way food was grown in the old days, thus exposing them to all the things that shortened life spans back in the day, thus making them not live as long, removing them from creating carbon dioxide and adding to greenhouse gasses, thus saving the Planet.
posted by davis14633 at 08:16
10 Comments:
I actually know several people who are gluten intolerant, including my wife. The symptoms are much more severe than the occassional digestive issues we all get. It took several trips to the doctor to determine the cause of the problems, but switching to a gluten free diet made a significant difference in her overall health.
If you enjoy eating wheat with no ill effects, then great for you! Personally, I love pasta. However, try not to let your ignorance lead you to believe that this is a made up health problem from a bunch of "organic food" nutters. Granted, the consipracy angle does whiff strongly of it, but if you did a little research you would find a real health issue that actually does affect a small portion of the population, and they're not all "Granola crunchers".
Whether or not you have personally experienced it, this is a real medical condition that some people have (an estimated 0.5 - 1% of US population). For more information, you can start here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celiac_disease
I think -- no, strike that: I'm sure -- that you missed davis' point entirely. He wasn't saying that it doesn't exist; he was ridiculing, and rightly so, the article's attempt to tie very common medical symptoms, which can indicate anything, into an 80% propagation rate from gluten intolerance.
This is another case of the public being bamboolzed into thinking they have some disease or intolerance and trying to teach medicine to doctors. To whit: "The rejection by most medics of the diagnosis of gluten sensitivity flies in the face of all of the evidence. This rejection also is alienating doctors from their patients."
So somebody gets it stuck in their head that they're gluten intolerant because they are tired or moody; they pester their doctor for a pointless blood test, whereupon he tells them -- rightly, I'm sure -- that their problem is not gluten intolerance. Being the highly educated medical professional they are, the patient takes it upon themselves to make assumptions, and with the help of articles like this one, reinforce their delusion.
I'm sure your wife is gluten intolerant, and I'm sorry she has to suffer from such a malady. I'm sure I'd not enjoy being forbidden bread and pasta, since I virtually live on the stuff. But read more carefully before you start throwing epithets like "ignorant" at my writers.
The conspiracy angle is clearly ridiculous, and that point was not lost. However, the author does not satirize just the conspiracy theory, but the very idea itself that wheat could be bad for someone. The name of the
article and this quote reinforce this:
"Gluten is a by-product of grains being hybridized to help prevent mold growth, which as you know the ingestion of mold DOES lead to the above symptoms, sickness and death. Currently, I will rank this up there with the Floride [sic] 'debate', and keep eating bread."
Fluoride in our water supply may or may not prevent tooth decay - I don't know. Wheat gluten definitely has a severe impact on my wife's digestive system. On top of that, I am aware of others for which that is also the case. Researching medical sources confirms that this somewhat rare condition exists. Is there a conspiracy by the medical industry to keep it a huge secret? No.
This article expresses a rather narrow-minded view that seems to dismiss even the possibility that someone could have an adverse reaction to wheat, which is demonstrably not true. Clearly, the author would not express such a narrow view if they had personal experience with the condition, and therefore demonstrates their ignorance by marginalizing the condition. Since this board's intention is to debate ideas, I thought it important to present a counterpoint regarding the validity of the condition itself.
We are all ignorant in some ways; denying it only compounds the folly. Ignorance is not an epithet, it is a condition for which there is a cure. That is why we come here, isn't it?
Speaking of epithets, how would you qualify "Granola crunchers"? Not everyone that is concerned about their dietary health in general, or this issue specifically, is a tree-hugging hippy hypochondriac.
It's still funny though. ;-)
I disagree. That could partially be because I've known the author for 25 years, and I am reading it a priori.
Either way, his point is the panic over yet another Impending Malady of Doom. The fact that half a percent of the observed population suffers from something doesn't qualify it as a reason for incipient action -- or even cursory attention on the part of the general population. As I said, I'm sorry your wife suffers this particular medical problem, but quite honestly it doesn't make a spit of difference to how I live my life whether she's better or worse for it. If that makes me an insensitive asshole, then so be it. I can't farm out compassion for every person on the planet, nor would I even pretend to be interested in doing so; that's why we have hippies.
The implication here is that society must adopt a "tyranny of the minority" attitude. We saw a similar reaction a few years ago when a small percentage of people whose children suffer from some bizarre peanut allergy wanted schools to ban peanut butter. It is not our responsibility as a society to protect your child... or your feelings. davis was using sarcasm and satire to convey his point; you made a personal issue of it, not him. If you find it offensive, don't read the blog. Problem solved.
I'm not marketing anything here. I have no ads, and I never will. This is purely a sounding board from myself and a few friends. It doesn't matter to me if I have 200 readers or two readers -- or none. And someone will always have a "my mother/father/brother/sister/aunt/uncle/dog/hamster suffers from X" reply. You would be astounded by the volume of hate-mail I receive from this site. What's posted in comments here is only a tiny fraction of the commentary I actually receive; but at least most of the literate stuff is here. We do this for fun, so you'll pardon me if I have less than a full measure of patience for every nay-sayer, second-guesser, and but-wait-I-know-better type who ambles down the pike with hurt feelings and a dull axe.
Davis posted his opinion, you posted yours. If y'all wish to hash it out, feel free, but I'm moving on to something more important, like picking lint out of my navel.
As for "debate" being the reason for the website, I believe you are confused. This is not a forum. The purpose of this website is to show the entire world that I am clearly possessed of a superior intelligence and that my opinions are both better formed and more important than everyone else's... except for my wife, of course. =oP
Oh, I was completely making fun of the article and its whole spin on the "conspiracy" by doctors to keep this hidden from paitients.
I do not deny that there are many people that have an intolerance for certain food products. Dairy, peanuts,shellfish,Gluten, the list could go on. The same could probably said for Floride. There are people out there who have an adverse reaction to it and don't even know.The web site is attempting to put Gluten in the same category as Floride (the cause of multiple health problems)and deserves to be ridiculed. It tries to hide it in a nice shiny package and make a "rational" argument that Gluten is bad for everyone.
I don't profess to know everything nor do I have a "narrow" view when it comes to health. I believe the benefits of of new wheat baked goods outweigh the risks of eating Gluten free baked goods for the majority of the public. The information we have now when it comes to nutrition and basic health is incomplete.100 years ago, leaches were a commonly used item in medicine,then fell out of favor as barbaric. Now they are being used again to stimulate blood flow to re-attatched limbs and as an anti-coagulant.
My big hitch with all this stuff is these people come out if they have the difinitive answer to your "health" issue. That's what I am ridiculing. (personal opinion, people would feel better if they got their fat ass off the couch and walked a little more..me included!)
Are you disagreeing with a particular point, or simply out of habit? ;-)
For the record, I wasn't offended by the article; I just wanted to represent another side of the issue. I actually agree with the idea that the health restrictions of a few should not be enforced on the masses. However, we should not be without some sympathy and understanding for those people so affected; and I disagree that what affects one person is no concern at all for others. I am not gluten intolerant, but you can be sure that I eat a lot less bread and pasta than I used to. I'm sure that if you knew someone with the condition, you would have more sympathy too.
Maybe that sentiment is a bit too touchy-feely for this blog on a Monday...
To anonymous 13:51...
Expecting sensitivity on this blog makes as much sense as trying to find "love" with a suitcase filled with $100 bills while in a whorehouse. Perhaps, your search for sensitivity is what made you take offense and miss the point of the blog post.
If you are seeking sensitivity I suggest you watch Oprah.
Incidentally, the first rule of etiquette is to assume no offense was intended. The second rule is to ASK if offense was intended PRIOR to taking offense.
You're Welcome!
mzchief,
FWIW, the first rule is actually to check your facts before you make a statement. If you had done this, you would notice that I already said that I did not take offense. Nor did I assume that davis14633 meant any. You *may* even notice that I did not actually even disagree with the opinion he expressed. I only pointed out that someone could make an incorrect assumption based on ignorance of the condition and provided what information I could. I will admit that it could be read as criticizing the author directly, but that was not my intention; I was criticizing the article, not the author. I did not miss the point of the article; I made my own, separate, point. Those with any intellectual discipline should recognize the difference.
Also, I was not expecting sensitivity, but expressing it. And guess what? I will continue to express my point of view, with my sensibilities, regardless of whether you are capable of understanding it or not. As jar(egg)head himself would say, "if you don't like it, don't read this blog".
If you're giving lessons on manners, next time you would do well heed your own advice. Don't assume that just because I don't reply with some meaningless bandwagon-worthy reply like "LOLOL! hippies are teh suxor!" that I don't understand what the author is trying to say. Perhaps your lack of sensitivity is what prevents you from understanding this.
To anonymous 15:40...
Just because you declared you did not take offense does not change the tone or the obvious intent of your comments.
Incidentally, the last line of your 13:51 comment did indeed indicate your criticism of this blog for lacking sensitivity.
Since you set the standard of assessing the character and intellect of people based upon their comments on this blog I will do the same regarding you. Clearly, you are the type of sensitive git who beats his wife but is all good with it because he tells her he loves her while he beats her and he believes his words mean more than his actions.
Good luck to you sir. Your caustic nature must make you a real challenge to those in your world who must endure you.
Feel free to respond but know that I am done with you and will not bother to return to read your sophomoric retort.
Wow.. an unfounded accusation that I beat my wife, and I'm the one that needs a lesson in manners? I'm also still a little unclear as to when I made disparaging comments about the character or intellect of anyone here. I am ignorant of a great many things, but I am not offended when this is pointed out to me. I recognize it as an opportunity to learn something new.
As to my tone, maybe I chose to take that approach for a different reason than that I was offended. Sure, this story relates to me personally and I played up that angle, but my intention was to illicit further comment by the author. Conflict can be used to facilitate discussion, can it not? I enjoy a good debate, but it didn't quite turn out how I had hoped.. Oh well.
By the way, the last line of that comment you referred was a friggin' joke.. an (apparently unsuccessful) attempt at humor. Lighten up and stop reading character flaws into others' comments just because you fail to understand their perspective.
Davis, good article and reply. I don't get the impression that you took offense to my comments, but if so then I hope you understand it was not my intent. I have enjoyed your posts so far.. keep up the good work!
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