RyseRyse, Thank you. I thought I was the only one sick of Gluten free.

As you mentioned only 1% of the population suffers from Celiac disease and there is another small percentage of people that are sensitive to wheat.

Why anyone would choose to eat Gluten free if it isn't medically necessary is beyond me.

My favourite seafood shop opened another location in Victoria and they are selling Halibut Fish and Chips and they developed a gluten free batter. In doing their homework they found that something like 40% of customers at some other Fish and Chip restaurants, were asking for gluten free.

~Ann

I hear people say that while they do not have Celiac disease and are not actually sensitive to gluten, they feel better and lose weight when they eat gluten free. The question is why? Is it actually the gluten? or when eating gluten free do they actually eat less? Is it the types of foods gluten is in such as bread. If you eliminate breads then maybe you do feel better and lose weight. Or do you feel better because you weigh less?

A VERY controlled study would have to be done with everyone eating exactly the same except some would have gluten and some not. No one could know what they were eating. This would be very hard to do but only then would we know if gluten actually makes a difference in "feeling good" and maintaining a healthy weight. Of course everyone is different.

I'm sure I would lose weight and feel better if I ate gluten free because I would eat so much less and I would be reading every label and making better choices in general. That being said I have absolutely no desire to go gluten free.

I don't have gluten or wheat sensitivities but I do feel better when I avoid wheat. Whether science or statistics backs that up doesn't really matter to me because I see a difference in how I feel and no one can really debate that.

That being said, I do think non-medical gluten avoidance is a bit of a fad and not fully understood in some cases. Giving up wheat and instead eating a bunch of tapioca starches and such isn't netting a whole lot of health benefits if it isn't for medical reasons, imo.

I have given up wheat and thanks to grainlady learned about coconut flour and almond flour which are substitutes I feel comfortable with.

But I also think if you have never given up gluten or wheat or have no desire to, it's hard to knock the benefits without trying it. :)

lose weight when they eat gluten free

Probably because they aren't eating many carbs when they cut out "gluten".

There's a lot of it going around where I live. I have been learning how to make things gluten free because of people close to me who do have Celiac disease and wanting to include them. In knowing them, I've also learned that family members of people who have Celiac disease can have a wheat sensitivity that doesn't necessarily rise to outright allergic reactions but makes them want to have less of it. There are also people who are sensitive to hybrid wheat glutens but not ancient grains.

Chi83, you could be one of those people, even if you don't have Celiac in your family, who has a mild sensitivity that mostly shows up as feel better without it.

However, I've come across many people who don't have the willpower to refuse cupcakes and "sure, I'll have a slice of pizza", etc., who can do it if they decide they're not allowed to have wheat. These people often don't go whole hog gluten free. They avoid wheat but aren't particularly vigilant about barley and rye, and don't always know all the forms wheat comes in. They just choose gluten free badges on products, and avoid "contains wheat" on the labels. Lo and behold! They have transformed themselves into conscious eaters, eliminated fast food, etc., and they feel better.

The problem with the fad is, however, that with people trying to make a buck off of it offering gluten free cupcakes, pizzas and other treats--while being a boon for Celiac sufferers--it is making it too easy for those who lack discipline to eat badly again.

Remember when bagels were small and dense and plain, so doctors recommended them as a good alternative to some of the rich breads that weren't so good for their patients? So then the bagels got big, fluffy, and flavored with things like fruit and cheese (sugar and fat) instead of a sprinkling of poppy seeds or garlic? But people still think of bagels as "healthy", even though they're not eating the small, tough water bagels (which are hard to find now!) that they originally were. I predict the same thing will happen with the gluten free fad.

That's interesting. According to Dr. Oz all of us should avoid gluten. It is too refined and damages the body.

Thanks plllog, you could be right. We don't have a family history and I've never actually been tested. I do fine with ancient grains (quinoa, barley, etc.) and still include them for the additional nutrients as I don't eat meat.

For me personally, not only do I feel better but I lose most of my cravings for bad food if I stay off of wheat. I've experimented a bit and it's far easier for me to say no to a wheat-based goodie if it's not in my system already. Hardly scientific but as someone who struggles with cravings and willpower I have noticed a distinct difference. Which could very well explain why I feel better. The net effect is what I'm looking for, and the distinctive reasons aren't that important for me. Everyone is different and has a different body chemistry and I think it's important to experiment and see what works, even things you would normally dismiss. I always thought I felt fine until I felt better than I ever thought I could.

Also, from my understanding it's not so much that wheat is evil, since humans have been eating it for ages, but more the modern strains of it that have been tweaked for better yield and survival and all that can be harmful.

Several people, who I know, are allergic to gluten to degrees that are sufficient to warrant avoiding gluten. Before they went gluten free, they had persistent GI discomfort and bloating, and sometimes other complaints.

One friend had these problems his whole life, as did many in his family, and he thought this was just the way life was. He was the first person I know who went gluten free, back around 2000, before information was widely available on the topic. His complaints all went away, and he's been gluten free for 14 years now.

I think allergies and hypersensitivity come in degrees, and there are probably sensitivities to gluten that are different from, and hence not captured in the prevalence for, celiac disease.

I have cooked for friends with celiac/sprue. I enjoy once in a while do some gluten-free meals for myself.

But having traveled to the Far East a few times, I find it interesting that they don't seem to have sensitivities to gluten or wheat in food. As a matter of fact, gluten/seitan is very popular in dishes, in China, Japan, Korea, etc. especially with vegetarian meals. Also, they don't seem to have obesity problems. They also have the longest life span/expectancy.

dcarch

Which came first, the chicken or the egg.......? I don't see it as a fad, but rather as an answer to what the public is demanding and willing to purchase - for whatever reason.

How are gluten-free products any different than having lines of products for any number of real, or perceived, dietary needs or niche markets that cater to only a small segment of the population such as:

-sports drinks and liquid meal supplements
-sugar-free
-low-fat or fat-free products
-high-fiber/wholegrain products
-trans-fat free
-high-protein
-low-glycemic
-rich in omega-3
-vegetarian/vegan or kosher food products
-low-sodium
-rich in probiotics
-high in antioxidants
-organic
-dairy-free
-soy-free
-non-GMO
-and a whole category called "health foods"
Just to name a few.....

Stores carry anywhere from 15,000 to 60,0000 products and companies are paying for expensive shelf space to meet the public demands - fads or not.

I just wish more gluten-free products, and all those great cookbooks on the subject, would have been available when my mother was first diagnosed with Celiac disease in the early 1980's (when she was in her 50's and probably suffered with it most of her life). It is probably one of the most under-diagnosed conditions because of the wide range of symptoms. My mother diagnosed herself after reading about Celiac disease in an encyclopedia, and it took years and several doctors later to get the medical diagnosis and treatment - which is not uncommon. Read the forward in many gluten-free cookbooks written by people who suffered with the condition and the years it took to diagnose it (see link below as an example).

As far as I'm concerned (from personal experience with myself and other family members), Celiac disease as well as gluten-intolerance and gluten-sensitivities are as real as any number or other conditions people commonly address via food choices (cholesterol, lactose intolerance, diabetes, blood-pressure.....).

It is my understanding from extensive reading on the subject that a general blood test will not necessarily show if you have a gluten sensitivity. There are 17 proteins in wheat, and you could be sensitive to any one of them. The usual blood test only tests for the most common protein and skips the other 16 - as my niece (age 35) found out. Her first food allergy test only tested the one most common protein and said she didn't have a gluten problem. After sharing this information with her, subsequent tests for the other proteins showed a severe problem with gluten and may likely be the cause of her arthritis, just as it was with me (arthritis since I was 14-years old). Her mother (my sister) has had any number of "gut" issues which have all improved since going gluten-free and are commonly associated with gluten sensitivities. The same goes for my two brothers. And all because of the explosion of books and information on the subject in the past few years. People reading them and saying, "Hey, that sounds like me!" That dope of a doctor certainly didn't know what was wrong, and he had been treating me for arthritis for 37-years. One year and 4-months off gluten, and no more major problems with inflammation, except when I eat something with wheat or spelt (as I painfully found out in March).

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Carol's Gluten Free Story

There is some early evidence that if you go gluten free for awhile, you may not be able to go back easily. It has to do with the human biome....the flora of bacteria that live in our gut and help us digest food. We need the bacteria that help us digest wheat, but if we starve them of wheat, then they die off and aren't there when we add wheat back, giving us difficulties.

And if people thing that eating GF is an automatic way to losing weight, they will find otherwise when they start loading up on GF breads, cookies, etc.

Then there are the books like wheat belly and grain brain that support the notion of wheat and gluten being bad for us.

Moreover, I suspect the food manufacturers are high on the bandwagon as people will willingly pay double for a box of cookies if it's labeled GF.

IMHO, until there's more evidence, I suspect the issue is one of carb intake. If going GF helps you cut carbs, it helps. If it doesn't, it won't be of as useful.

Grainlady, you're absolutely right about the merchandise and how gluten free is a category like any other (low sodium, kosher, etc.). With 1 in 133 (latest figure) people in the U.S. having Celiac disease, let alone any other wheat and gluten issues, there will continue to be a good market for these products and books long after the faddishness has passed. But there really is a fad. I'm not talking about people like your undiagnosed family members who know something is wrong but can't get it identified.

There are a heck of a lot of people who don't do any of the research and self-education, and don't really have any sensitivities, who jump into a fad, whether it be juicing, "Cajun style" or gluten free, just because it's there. Those are the people I was talking about who say they feel better when they've given up gluten, when what they really mean is that they feel better when they've given up most junk food and beer.

There's a kosher fad currently, which blows my mind. People who have no intention of keeping kosher, or even, like me, keeping the ability to make kosher meals when required, are specifically buying only kosher foods. Rabbinic standards of purity are higher than FDA minimums, but most food producers have similar high standards (playing to the minimum is shoddy business practice). There a lists from the rabbis of manufactured foods that are considered kosher for all levels of kosher practice even though they don't have a rabbinic mark. And the difference between a lot more kosher products and non-kosher ones isn't in the making of the foods, but whether the company pays for the rabbis to inspect regularly and put their mark on the packaging. Add to that, some exclusively kosher producers have the same problems as any other manufacturers, including cheating, and it really loses any meaning but its original intent as being designated by religious authorities as ritually fit for eating for those who follow them. As you said about the gluten free category, the kosher fad is helping keep the demand up for kosher products, but it's still a fad.

Dr. Oz, really????? Isn't he the one who claims your product of defecation should look like the letter S or some such nonsense?

The comments are interesting but I still think fads are nonsensical. As far as the long list of niche market items, I didn't see a single thing there that I would need in my food although if it is there and enhances the taste, well maybe..

RyseRyse

I completely agree with you that fads are nonsensical, and possibly one of the greatest ideas going for capitalism. It's the American way! We've all participated in it in some way or other whether it's food, clothing (I've seen bell bottom pants go in and out of style at least 6 times in my lifetime), and everything else from cars to appliances.

Yes, if someone thought they would lose weight on a gluten-free diet because Gwyneth Paltrow started touting it, that's probably a fad, but in and of itself, there is nothing wrong with a fad. I did it because I was tired of hurting and it seemed like a 3-month trial was the least I could invest to find out. I could always go back to the way I was before - that's easy.... Once again, it's a choice, whether it works, or not, seems sensible at the time, or not.

Famous "fads" that made good (not necessarily ARE good): baby food, pet food, boxed cereal, barbequing, bacon and eggs (which was food propaganda developed by the "Father of Spin" Edward L. Bernays - nephew of Sigmund Freud - in the mid-1920's for a huge bacon producer, Beechnut Packing Company - along with a smoking tobacco campaign for the American Tobacco Company). It's all about pushing people to buy products they didn't need - and it works ALL the time.

I checked my on-going grocery list, Price Book (where I track food prices of the foods I purchase on a regular basis) and food storage inventory, and I regularly buy around 50 food items (mostly whole foods) and about 1/3 of them are whole grains/seeds/beans - about 1/3 is meat, fruits and vegetables, and the remaining I would put into the "ingredient category" for cooking from scratch - which fits perfectly in the home food storage plan.

-Grainlady

I've been sensitive to wheat/gluten products since I was in grade school (1960-67). I used to get what we now know as allergic shiners. And I always got a stomach ache. As kid I never gave the bloated tummy another thought. My mom did not know at the time what the problem was with the black eyes. Sister Barbara (2nd grade) kept sending home notes saying I needed to get more sleep.

As I got older (highschool) I noticed I would feel bloated after eating wheat products. It wasn't until I was in my late 20's that I went without wheat for a week and could not believe the difference. I don't have celiac.

By the time I tried a wheat free week I had already gradually veered away from wheat products because of the way they made me feel. And the allergic shiners that come with eating it also. I still eat wheat products but in small quantities. A portion of pasta for me is a 1/2 cup to 2/3 tops. I'm not even tempted to eat more because I know what I will feel like. And that will be the only wheat product I will have that day. I still eat regular bread but only one piece.

It's not a fad for me. And I've eating this way so long (33 years) I don't even think about it anymore.

It is certainly a fad judging by the ever-expanding gluten-free junk isle in the grocery. Replacing one boxed/bagged processed food for another. It is a money maker.

But if it forces some to take a hard look at their diet and make some better choices, or find in doing so, feel a bit better, so be it. Might just be a more varied diet rather than than over-eating the same ol' recipes.

For those of us that cook from scratch and fresh foods, i welcome the variety that all this brings to the table. No longer do i need specialty international grocery stops for a variety of grains and veggies. Just like the kale craze. I've been growing many varieties for years, but now can get the seeds much easier. And my local grocery has at least 5 fresh varieties now.

In Costco week before last, the Kosher packaged food variety was insane. Some had carts full of tv dinner style meals. Sample tastings at the end of every isle. A spinach quinoa cake/patty type thing was really good. (I thought i must be starving).
I finally got around to making my own version last night. (Mixed grains with kale and spinach). Really good. I never did look at the packaged ingredients, got distracted.
Looked it up on-line, not a kosher product, but gluten-free. So basically i made a vegetarian gluten-free meal without even trying, lol. I'm so hip it hurts. At least i have an easy go-to recipe for those sensitive.

A brief explanation ... that makes sense

Here is a link that might be useful: gluten sensitivity

Here's my 2 cents worth:
I have lots of friends who have self diagnosed and have gone gluten free. They say it helps them. Is it a fad for them...maybe. Who knows?

As for me, I had arthritis for years. I went from one medication to the next with no relief. I happen to notice I felt better when I cut down on carbs so I started my own elimination diet. What I discovered was white wheat flour and white sugar exacerbated my arthritis. I cut back on all wheat products in general, (I still make a multigrain & seed bread that I will eat). I eliminated white wheat flour, switched to honey and agave for sweeteners. Lo and behold, I no long take arthritis meds and feel great. I still cheat occasionally and pay for it but sometimes regular pasta calls me. LOL

The bottom line is I didn't need to go gluten free but rather just cut out white wheat flour and cut down on carbs in general.

I have not yet tried a gluten free diet, but I have no doubt that I would feel better if I did. A few years ago, I had my doctor check to see if I had any food allergies (He warned me that I might not like the results), and I learned that I have moderate allergies to wheat, rye, corn, soy, rice, and barley, but basically all grains plus soy. I did not test positive for allergies to dairy or eggs, even though I know that those can upset my stomach.

At some point, I think it would be interesting to try a diet without grains and soy, but that would be much easier if I lived alone. I do not eat much soy, except for soy sauce and occasional tofu, but giving up the grains would be a major change. Maybe I could go on a grain-free vacation somewhere, but I would definitely want to have a lot of seafood in its place.

I wonder if I am allergic to quinoa and amaranth! I haven't really explored those options.

Lars

Lars, quinoa and amaranth are actually seeds, or "seed grains", so you can probably eat those, along with wild rice which is also a seed and not a grain.

As I've mentioned before, my stepdaughter is celiac, as is my Aunt Ellen. I do make gluten free items for them, although I haven't found a single one that I actually like as well as the ones which do contain gluten. A few weeks ago I made a gluten free brownie, with black beans in place of the difficult-to-find-in-a-small-town-and-expensive gluten free flours. The brownie was acceptable, definitely better than nothing, but it wasn't as rich, as fudgey or as delicious as a real brownie, plus the skins of the black beans tended to stick in your teeth. My son in law tasted one and put it down, he told Amanda later that it was "awful, the worst brownie he ever tasted". (grin) I didn't think it was the worst I ever tasted, but it certainly was not the best. However, the celiacs in the family were happy because it was, indeed, better than nothing.

So I don't understand why anyone who doesn't need to give up gluten would do it voluntarily. The substitutes are minimally acceptable and expensive, and many are high in fat and sugar to make up for the fact that they just taste terrible. Texture is generally awful. I'm sorry for anyone who has to eat them and doesn't have a choice, I can tell you that, and I'm not even a big eater of bread or pasta.

I do think the gluten free phase we're currently experiencing IS a fad, as evidenced by the plethora of "snacks" but little real food, as mentioned above. I've lived through everything from eggs are bad/no they're not, coffee is bad/nope it's actually filled with antioxidants, chocolate is bad/no, dark chocolate is good, butter is bad/margarine is good/oops, it has transfats. Shortening is better than lard, no it's not. (sigh) Absent health issues or allergies, giving up an entire group of foods for no apparent reason other than it's popular and "new" doesn't make sense to me. You never know until you try, I suppose, but my Aunt had a lot of high powered doctors tell her that even the blood test isn't a sure thing, you need an intestinal biopsy to accurately diagnose celiac.

Annie

I have a small farm with a gluten free bakery and sell at the local farmers market. Nothing I make has corn syrup, artificial flavors or colors, or weird chemicals. I estimate that of all the visitors we get at the market, 20% buy from me and they are not all celiacs or have a true wheat allergy. Some of my customers have jumped on the bandwagon, so to speak, of the GF fad. They include those with autistic children, or arthritis, cirrhosis, IBS, lupus, or chemotherapy reactions. Many have other allergies that I also create tasty treats without - dairy, eggs, soy, tree nuts, peanuts. Others just say they feel better and I do agree that they are probably looking at what junk they have been eating and are making changes overall to their diet. That is a good thing and we little local farmers are benefiting from that - not the conglomerates. Some people just buy from me because it all tastes good, and don't care if it is GF or not.

As for the GF stuff on the shelves that the major food mfg are producing they are using just different chemicals than their regular chemically enhanced wheat based stuff. Truly most are awful. But, having been working on baking GF for 5 years, I have developed quite a few treats that taste good and are equivalent to their wheat counterparts. Because I can eat wheat, what I make has to taste like it does and believe me I have thrown out lots of inedible GF baked goods. However, white GF bread will never, ever taste like Wonder Bread, but there are good tasting white breads while the sourdough and quasi-rye GF breads do taste quite similar to wheat/rye breads and waffles and pancakes are very close, especially when you add pecans. There are also many treats that have been out there for many years that never had wheat in them anyway and are just now being labeled as GF - Pavlova and meringues, Brazilian butter cookies (Maizena), and all candy and fudge. etc.

I have a theory that the wheat I ate as a kid in the 40's and 50's was not what is growing in the fields today. Hybridization, chemical fertilization, tinkering with GMO's, and a raft of questionable long term effects of pesticides and herbicides have produced a wheat that is not at all what it once was and genetically has been proven to be just that - not "wheat".

Something I tell people who ask what gluten free means is, "All those lovely vegetables, fruits, meats, eggs, and cheese you are buying at the farmers market do not contain gluten so you are already buying gluten free without knowing it. But, when you add bread, cupcakes, muffins, pizza, pasta, sub rolls, beer, and the famous Southern biscuits with breaded fried chicken, you are consuming wheat and that contains the gluten that some people are avoiding by eating gluten-free."

I do hope people are becoming more conscious of gluten free eating, if nothing more than to be aware of how much junk is on the grocery shelves and in the restaurant's and fast foods' meals. Gluten free eating out is impossible as there is a lot of cross contamination with wheat in restaurant kitchens - residual on pans and in bowls, and even floating in the air, so it is just not safe for those with celiac disease.
Nancy

Annie - you will never have a good brownie that is made from black beans. It is just not a good substitute and beans belong in soup and tacos, not treats. My recipe uses cornstarch instead of wheat or beans so try this -

GF Fudgey Brownie Recipe
Altered from the recipe in the book Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz

Line 8"sq pan with sprayed foil or parchment with overhang on both sides to lift out.

Micro 6Tblsp butter with 12oz chocolate chips for 2 min, stir with wooden spoon and micro another 1 or 2 min until partially melted. Stir with spoon to complete the melting - do not over micro or it will be stiff and off tasting.

Stir in 3/4 C sugar, 1tsp vanilla extract. Then, beat in 3 eggs just to incorporated.

In a bowl mix together 1/3C cornstarch, 1/4C unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2tsp cinnamon, 1/2tsp salt. (I also add a couple shakes of fine black pepper because I like that tang with all my chocolate treats.)

Stir dry ingredients into wet, about 2 minutes, using a wooden spoon not a hand mixer. Option: Add 1C coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts.

Bake 350F 20 minutes and check with toothpick - if it looks wet continue baking checking at 5 min intervals until toothpick is mostly dry but don't over bake or they will be hard. Touching the top with fingertips to test does not work with this recipe as it is not springy like cake. Let cool in pan on a rack, then lift out to cool completely before cutting (using a pizza cutter makes nicer edges than a knife).

Nancy

Moosemac, I also got off my arthritis meds when I went gluten free. At the beginning I was gluten light (2 years) and when I fully committed to gluten free then all my AI conditions cleared. Unfortunately, I also have to make more eliminations and restrictions in consumption of certain foods.
Annie, not sure if you are interested in ever trying those black bean brownies again but if you blend the life out of them there are no skins (I also modified recipes to my own liking). I don't make treats often but I will do these occasionally with a very thin coat of a coffee icing. I try to keep my carb levels lower so most things are made with almond meal, very little sugar or I avoid them all together. I used to always bake our bread (with wheat flour and the like) and bake in the same way (reduced sugar) and do miss it a lot.
Have to say, we are saving a lot in not eating out.
So, for me, I am happy this "fad" happened as I never would have gone this route. Now, if I do want the occasional box of crackers there are options.

RyseRyse - I guess I've not noticed the "ever-expanding gluten-free isle" in the grocery store. I stick to buying poultry, meat, dairy, legumes and fresh produce - pretty much basic stuff. I did pick up some jelly beans for my mom recently. I noticed there was a little banner on the package that said "gluten free". That did strike me as odd.
Nancy - thanks for pointing out that there are many "gluten free" foods in our everyday diet. I've been (for the most part) avoiding flour/gluten for 33+ years so it's not a fad for me. Like moosemac, Chi and Cookie I've figured out what makes me feel good and avoid what makes me feel bad. I have small portions of flour/gluten products occasionally but pay a price.
Here is what I ate yesterday:
scrambled eggs with cheese, a bowl of diced cantaloupe
homemade split pea soup with ham and vegetables
a salad of mixed greens, asparagus, red pepper, sunflower seeds, blue cheese crumbles and a vinaigrette
strawberries
mixed nuts
a bowl of wild rice with butter and diced ham

Gluten free foods are readily available without going the processed food route.

Any path to more choices is good. Any path to healthy food is good.

I'm happy to see more gluten free goodies for people that need them. For people with Autism, foods that cause inflammation/ allergies can be like taking away their ability to use fine motor control, to speak clearly, to be free from getting in repetitive thinking and behavior ruts, to think clearly and express emotion. Gluten free foods allow them to enjoy what the rest of us have so they aren't limited ( no waffles no cake no cookies, etc. ) I've seen what some foods can do to my autistic nephew. It's like taking his personality away. He just wants a cupcake like the other kids have. He shouldn't have to lose his ability to think over it.

God bless everyone who makes these "fad" gluten free foods

That's a great point kittymoonbeam. My daughter is a school psychologist who works with autistic children and has seen what a gluten-free and casein-free diet can do for many children. -Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Autism Web

As I'm sure someone has already mentioned, it appears that the traditional tests for celiac disease are not totally reliable, and as a result, it may be under diagnosed. The only sure way is to do a biopsy. So, in lieu of that, many opt to do an elimination diet and see if their symptoms improve. There seem to be many for whom a gluten-free (or even just wheat-free) diet improves symptoms from other medical conditions, although it may simply be that they're eating a healthier diet. But what ever works, you know?

Also, I think it can be like any other food sensitivity - just because you don't have celiac disease doesn't mean you can't be sensitive to gluten. I don't have a true milk allergy, but I'm sensitive to casein to the point that I don't drink milk, which affects me more than other dairy products.

I have autoimmune thyroid disease and there are studies that suggest a possible link with celiac disease - not that one leads to the other, but that eliminating gluten may help alleviate some thyroid fluctuation for those of us that swing between hyper and hypo. One friend who went gluten free has been able to cut her thyroid meds down to almost nothing and says she feels so much better now that she'll never go back. And this is someone who always ate a low-sugar, healthy diet, so it's not that she went from a bad diet to a good diet, which could account for the changes.

I'm thinking of trying it for a month to see if it changes how I feel.

I see this is an old thread, but goldgirl, if you're still around, FWIW I have Hashimoto's and wheat is an asthma trigger for me, so I've been mostly gluten free for a while now and it has made no difference at all to my synthroid dose.

I would have to agree with some of the posters up thread that just because something is gluten free doesn't mean it's healthier--after all, Cheetos are naturally gluten free.

Gluten sensitivity (as opposed to real celiac disease) ... may not exist.

http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2014/05/are_you_really_gluten-sensitive.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Gluten

Great article Lazygardens!! I've been learning about Low FODMAPs due to a friend who is on the diet for non-gluten reasons. The "may not exist" headline is a scorcher--journalistic maximal hyperbole--but the actual scientists in the article do not say, in the end, that it may not exist, but that the widespread version of it may actually be a FODMAP issue (FODMAPs are plant chemicals found in a large variety of foods ranging from the gluten grains to apples to onions), and that they don't know if non-Celiac specifically gluten sensitivity exists, having not proven it in their experimental sample, and that they don't know the mechanism by which it might work.

The psychological component is also striking, but not surprising since the subjects are people who have been suffering long term and had finally been given a couple weeks of relief before being told they were now going to try something that might make them sicker again. I'm sure I'd be one of those who would be so anxious about switching that I'd give myself problems too. Since they said that they didn't tell the subjects which diets they were on, they might have been able to control for that by not telling them when they were switching. Or, even that they were switching at all, if that would pass human subject protocol.

Headline aside, what I like about the article is that it's about actual science, rather than a bunch of whoohoo.