Quote:
Originally Posted by Azure
Perhaps more research should have been done before the world went crazy about the gluten free diet? It works both ways.
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I daresay that most of the 'fad' didn't come about because people carefully considered what the research was telling them and made their decisions based on that. Sure, some people looked at the evidence, but many more had a friend go off gluten, feel better, so they tried it too and also felt better (whether that was a nocebo effect or not). The world going crazy about it isn't exactly a fault of the research community
That said, I agree with the general sentiment of what you're saying for the most part. Those who are eating gf for some vague "health" reasons and then proceed to eat substitutes full of all kinds of nonsensical processed stuff don't do themselves
or those who do need to eat gf any favours. Many celiacs say that the trend toward gluten free eatings has been a blessing and a curse; the availability of alternatives is better, but at the same time, because it's seen as trendy, it's not seen as a serious problem that warrants special consideration. Fortunately, education seems to be helping in this regard - for example with restaurants that ask if a gf request is "allergy" or "preference". It's not perfect, but it's getting better.
The danger of how this most recent study is being portrayed and sensationalized is that it furthers the perception of gluten not being a serious problem for anyone. After all, just as many people who have gone gluten free didn't do anything more than a cursory look at the evidence, those who are now saying "oh, gluten's not a problem" aren't looking at it either.
From my perspective (and so far as I've seen) the widespread adoption of a gluten-free diet is not, in itself, dangerous
except when people are making ill-informed choices about what they're eating (which is true whether you're gluten-free or not -- the absence of gluten from the diet isn't what makes eating junky food a bad idea). But the widespread adoption of the idea that gluten is NOT a problem can be harmful to celiacs, and potentially to others. That's what concerns me about the way this study is being discussed and received.
(And, I should note, most of that isn't directed at you, Azure. Your post in its entirety shows that you have a much better perspective on the state of the debate as a whole than most everyone else I've seen talking about it. It's the people who read a headline, say "oh, gluten free is a fad!" and don't bother to actually understand what is actually going on that bother me.)