Questions Out Of Curiosity

[rebe09]

I have been asked quite a few times by people who are curious about my gluten-free diet change, why people are becoming more and more intolerant to gluten if gluten is a natural thing for us. People have grown wheat on farms for as long as we can remember. I am always stumped when I come upon this question. How would you explain this to someone?

[YoloGx]

I would tell people who ask that up until 15,000 years ago almost no one ate gluten or much in the way of grains in general. There was suddenly less big game which created a need for some kind of food supply alternatives. Gluten thus is a fairly recent addition to the human diet--it came with the agrarian revolution which in turn helped create more possible stability and thus the possibility of settled villages, towns and finally cities for people. No one fully digests gluten however, despite it being used all these thousands of years. Some people just didn't adapt as well as others to the new food regime. As far as the rest--its just ignorance that stopped many people from knowing they had gluten intolerance or celiac. In the past most just suffered. Celiac was more fully acknowledged in Europe after WWII. People who had been chronically ill had stopped being ill during the grain shortages, and then became ill again when the grains were re-introduced--particularly grains from the wheat family. Gluten intolerance is more concentrated amongst North Europeans since 33% of them have the gene potential for celiac although it also occurs 10% in the rest of Europe and recently has been found to occur in other ethnic groups as well.

[Aroostook]

I believe that the increase in Celiac is due to the fact that manufacturers are using more products with high gluten such as high gluten flour for bread. I was facinated when researching Celiac in Italy, that they fully understand the disease. Our son just returned from a week in Italy. I wanted some real Italian gluten-free pasta, so looked up the words in Italian that I could not have. It turned out it was not necessary! Italy tests all citizen early and periodically for Celiac. They have gluten-free menus everywhere and foods readily available. My son said everyone is aware of the disease. He was facinated that the lunch room where he was working even had gluten-free vending machines! Why are we so far behind? Oh, and I did get my pasta. His Italian host recommended one his mom uses. It is E-Coop and 80%corn 20%rice! Fantastic!!!! Could not tell it from regular wheat pasta. But of course I can't find that brand here in the US! But I'm still looking!!

[YoloGx]

I've heard the same thing about Italy--but not in such detail. That sounds so wonderful!

I forgot to mention before that the Italians apparently have the 33% gene potential for celiac too. I think its due to the northern peoples being brought down by Caesar to help make his troops more invincible since they were so much taller and known for their superior warrior qualities.

[ranger]

  Aroostook said:

I believe that the increase in Celiac is due to the fact that manufacturers are using more products with high gluten such as high gluten flour for bread. I was facinated when researching Celiac in Italy, that they fully understand the disease. Our son just returned from a week in Italy. I wanted some real Italian gluten-free pasta, so looked up the words in Italian that I could not have. It turned out it was not necessary! Italy tests all citizen early and periodically for Celiac. They have gluten-free menus everywhere and foods readily available. My son said everyone is aware of the disease. He was facinated that the lunch room where he was working even had gluten-free vending machines! Why are we so far behind? Oh, and I did get my pasta. His Italian host recommended one his mom uses. It is E-Coop and 80%corn 20%rice! Fantastic!!!! Could not tell it from regular wheat pasta. But of course I can't find that brand here in the US! But I'm still looking!!

I wish it were that way here. It would make life so much easier.

I have also read that not only is wheat a fairly new food source, but that "modern" wheat is genetically engineered for various reason ( mostly profit) and that is part of the increased intolerances. Anyone know more about this?

[Gemini]

  Aroostook said:

I believe that the increase in Celiac is due to the fact that manufacturers are using more products with high gluten such as high gluten flour for bread. I was facinated when researching Celiac in Italy, that they fully understand the disease. Our son just returned from a week in Italy. I wanted some real Italian gluten-free pasta, so looked up the words in Italian that I could not have. It turned out it was not necessary! Italy tests all citizen early and periodically for Celiac. They have gluten-free menus everywhere and foods readily available. My son said everyone is aware of the disease. He was facinated that the lunch room where he was working even had gluten-free vending machines! Why are we so far behind? Oh, and I did get my pasta. His Italian host recommended one his mom uses. It is E-Coop and 80%corn 20%rice! Fantastic!!!! Could not tell it from regular wheat pasta. But of course I can't find that brand here in the US! But I'm still looking!!

Open Original Shared Link

Check out this place for exceptional Italian gluten-free pasta. I buy my supply from this company and they have great customer service. I usually buy the Bi-Aglut but one of the guys who run this company recommended the Le Veneziane also. I realize it's very expensive pasta BUT after eating these, you'll throw the Tinkyada in the trash. Italy does a fantastic job on gluten-free foods!

[VioletBlue]

The ancient ancestors of wheat were considerably lower in gluten. But gluten's interaction with yeast is part of what makes bread rise and become larger and lighter in texture. So the higher the gluten content in the wheat, the bigger the loaf of bread and the fluffier. This was seen as a good thing in a world where food was in short supply. Wheat was specifically grown for higher gluten content by our ancestors for centuries. Wheat was relatively cheap compared to meats fruits and vegetables. It still is cheaper. It costs less to grow wheat and make bread than it does to grow wheat and feed it to cows and make steaks.

Modern Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO's are a whole nother story. Gene's are being spliced left and right and not just in wheat. I don't know that the specifc goal is a higher gluten content, but rather a more resistant plant with more profitable qualities. Who knows what most GMO wheat out there really is anymore. But the same goes for corn and rice and many other vegetables and fruits on the market.

  ranger said:

I wish it were that way here. It would make life so much easier.

I have also read that not only is wheat a fairly new food source, but that "modern" wheat is genetically engineered for various reason ( mostly profit) and that is part of the increased intolerances. Anyone know more about this?

[SGWhiskers]

  rebe09 said:

I have been asked quite a few times by people who are curious about my gluten-free diet change, why people are becoming more and more intolerant to gluten if gluten is a natural thing for us. People have grown wheat on farms for as long as we can remember. I am always stumped when I come upon this question. How would you explain this to someone?

I also share that a lot of the increase in the number of gluten free people is better understanding of the disease. better blood work, better education, better understanding of the need for compliance with the diet, better food choices.

[Ahorsesoul]

IMO: As soon as the medical field can genetically alter my digestion system then my body will be able to process all the genetically altered food.

[YoloGx]

  Ahorsesoul said:

IMO: As soon as the medical field can genetically alter my digestion system then my body will be able to process all the genetically altered food.

lol!!

[VioletBlue]

If they're gonna splice genes into me I want German Shepherd genes

  Ahorsesoul said:

IMO: As soon as the medical field can genetically alter my digestion system then my body will be able to process all the genetically altered food.

[YoloGx]

Woof woof!

Meanwhile, thought this article from the Mayo Clinic on increased celiac incidence might be relevant:

Open Original Shared Link

But honestly I think supposed increased incidence of celiac has more to do with people now being more aware of this condition -- although its also true that the standard American diet and level of stress could bring more incidents of celiac out in the general population...

Bea