Gluten, gluten, gluten

[Josiesmum]

Just chatting to family members yesterday and find yet MORE people who have found that their chronic illness is associated with gluten. It's getting ridiculous. Approximately 25% of all the women I know are aware that it makes them ill, and another 25% have many hypothyroid symptoms and feel that gluten might be implicated but haven't yet tried eliminating it. If my family and friends are anything to go by, this problem is HUGE. Twenty years ago I'd never heard of gluten intolerance.

There are 35,000 members on this group, and the majority would probably see an improvement in symptoms by eliminating gluten. This must be the tip of the iceberg. I wonder what percentage of all women are suffering with health problems associated with gluten intolerance. Joint pain, bloating and fatigue seem commonplace nowadays, in fact I barely know anyone that doesn't have these symptoms. Is gluten the cause of all this illness or is it just exacerbating the symptoms?

Seems like maybe a "perfect storm" happening right now. Given the implications in terms of loss of wellbeing, productivity, infertility, etc etc this is starting to look like a public health catastrophe. And yet despite all of this, the medical profession seems to be completely oblivious.

[Butterfly65]

Wheat, gluten & dairy seem to be the main culprits with many autoimmune diseases. because they're harder to digest. Nightshade vegetables can also cause problems for some.

[KGeorge]

The wheat molecules we eat today are not the same as what was around 40 years ago...this is why there are more problems now...big Pharma earn alot of money out of people becoming sick... Gluten can take between 12 and 40 years to build up in the gut to cause problems in some people.....one of the best books that got me on to this subject was " wheat belly" another is "grain brain" really opened up the subject for me

But you are absolutely correct this is a national catastophe only the majority of the public are completely unaware...cereals and bread are advertised in the media as healthy...and it is a trail of thought ( now taken back by the government) that a low fat diet is good for you...when you start looking at the ingredients on the back of foods you really realise how we are all being poisoned...wheat is even in yoghurts!!!

The gluten free community is cottoning onto this now and becoming very popular...lets just hope we can all educate our closest family and friends...its the only way forward really isnt it?

[dina7]

I've known for years there was a problem with our wheat but only when I read Wheat Belly recently did I understand that it's because it's been messed with too many times. I suspect most people are intolerant to hybridised wheat rather than gluten but that it suits all concerned to blame gluten.

I don't touch anything with wheat in in the UK but eat it without problems in France and South Africa where it's not been messed with.

How to get the message out is indeed the question.

[Rebec]

I would recommend using spelt or rye or khorasan flours. I even heard that some people who are gluten intolerant, can use spelt without any problem at all. One can buy bread made only from spelt flour and I remember once buying pasta made from the same flour.