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Hi everyone,
Following my request for responses to the New Yorker article (http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/11/03/grain), I received the seven replies below. Thanks to all who responded for taking the time to share their opinion with the national community - it benefits us all.
As an interesting aside, lest we forget the role of money: Even though David Permutter's book "Grain Brain" did not receive sympathetic treatment in the article, the New Yorker was not too principled to publish a full page ad for Grain Brain in the print issue of the magazine in which the article appears, and Dr. Perlmutter (or his publisher) was not too offended to buy the ad. He also tweeted a link to the article. I guess, as they say, all publicity is good publicity.
- Jennifer Iscol
RESPONSES TO NEW YORKER ARTICLE:
CAROL FENSTER
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As someone who’s been gluten-free since 1988, I have seen many, many phases of what we call the “gluten-free diet.” This is just another one and will eventually pass when we have more research and data. We have come so far since the days when no one could pronounce gluten or define it and no one took our diet seriously, except for the few of us who lived with it.
Despite gluten-bashing articles, those of us with true gluten sensitivities (whether it’s celiac, allergies, or intolerances) will still be here, striving to maintain our health by eating the food that’s right for our bodies. For us, it is not a fad but a medically-prescribed lifestyle. We will still buy gluten-free foods, ask for gluten-free menus in restaurants, and enjoy a wide variety of gluten-free foods that nourish our bodies.
Perhaps the market won’t be as big, once the “transient gluten-free” group realizes that it is challenging to live gluten-free and gluten-free junk foods are no healthier than their gluten counterparts. These “transients” will dump the gluten-free diet when it becomes too much work to maintain and they will move on to embrace the next fad.
It saddens me to see our lifestyle bashed by the media, but I also know that the media likes to incite controversy to promote readership. Downplaying what is a medically-prescribed lifestyle for millions of us is the media’s way of creating an article that gets readers.
Yes, some people adopt the diet for the wrong reasons but they eventually go away, leaving the rest of us living our gluten-free lifestyle because we must. In short, this too will pass.
BETTY WYCKOFF
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I think he presented the information fairly and going into more detail than one would normally see in an article like that.
I understand that the gluten intolerant folks will be upset. This is how the medical community views us and we have to understand that. It doesn't mean intolerant folks have to give up their diets, just be knowledgeable that this is medicine's way of looking at the problem.
Continue to eat what feels good but always, always be aware of good nutrition because most of the gluten free mixes, breads, cakes, etc. do not have good nutrition in mind. Rice flour and tapioca flour have few nutrients and certainly we don't need all sorts of chemicals etc. That goes for all of us. We need good nutrition. I eat very few grains because of the high calorie count as well as sparse nutrition. I can get far more nutrients from an extra helping of vegetables, fruit, meat, or nuts.
KIT KELLISON
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I have been diagnosed with celiac disease for 12 years. When I asked a local sushi shop waiter about which of their maki rolls was gluten-free, he got very animated, raising his voice to say "no gluten, only sushi!" He admitted he didn't know whether the many sauces had gluten. The neighboring table punctuated the waiter's exhortations with rude laughter. My party left hungry and embarrassed.
Articles like this just make it more difficult to eat safely. Although I think it's important to have solidarity with those who have non-celiac gluten sensitivity, I sometimes wish for a celiac authentication program so that at least I'll be taken seriously.
I won't do it, though, because it means throwing the 20% of gluten-free dieters who actually need to eat gluten-free under the bus.
JEANNE
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Thank you for trying to compile the various responses from the GF forum. I hope you don’t lose your respect for humanity along the way.
I almost responded immediately to counter the negative comments by Diana Day, the original poster on this subject and the person who supplied the link. I enjoyed reading the article and did not want to provoke a confrontation with anyone.
As to my take on the article – I thought it was fairly well researched and only slightly offensive and then only to my gluten intolerant compatriots. He covered celiac disease with accuracy. He did not accuse the entire gluten sensitive population of being silly. After describing how he was going to eliminate added gluten from his bread (a positive step from my perspective) he indicated it would be silly if he went GF. The article had laid out a case for and offered various studies regarding gluten sensitivity.
For the general population it is hard to separate GF from the “fad diet” category when some people on the GF diet don’t even know what gluten is as exhibited on a recent Jimmy Kimmel episode. In my experience the real culprit here is the medical establishment. I don’t think doctors know much about celiac or gluten sensitivity. I think doctors are not all that well informed. I can picture someone going into his/her primary care physician’s office and saying I have ____ symptom and I think it might be gluten related. So the doctor says, “Well maybe you are gluten sensitive, (and since I can’t figure out what’s wrong with you in 10 minutes) why don’t you give GF a try?”
I am a biopsy confirmed celiac and will be GF for the remainder of my days whether GF is a “fad” or whether it becomes more mainstream. While I don’t wish gluten troubles on anyone I hope for the latter.
Hopefully the medical community will get a bit better informed for all our sakes.
RON HOGGAN
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[Sent an article he wrote titled “Doctor, how do I feel?” for the Journal of Gluten Sensitivity, but I cannot provide the full text here.]
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Well said Jennifer. ...from a celiac of 46 years!
CATHY
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I thought it was a good article that makes you think. Perhaps there are too many self diagnosed people. Perhaps it is FODMAPS. But i believe gluten intolerance exists. People in the field of consulting others should be more careful about their advice. Too many of these people give bad advice. I've got a friend who was told she has a ton of food intolerances including gluten. After further discussion with her, i strongly feel she should be tested for CD. She wasn't advised to do that. Just stop eating gluten.
We have too many people with CD who can't get diagnosed due to doctors like this, inaccurate blood results (i know they aren't 100% and know of at least one person who had it but blood test said she didn't), or can't afford biopsy to confirm it.
We need more accurate testing for all of the above. No one should have to live with educated guesses when it comes to their health.
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