Toribash
Original Post
Are wheat free diets a fad?
http://www.cbc.ca/q/blog/2013/02/07/...e-diets-a-fad/

Just listened to this and it raises some questions.
  • Are wheat free diets a fad?
  • Do they work?
  • Have you done this?
  • Who is the right one in the debate?
  • Will you try this after listening to this?
  • Are we going too far with these diets?
  • Is this a diet at all?
<BISH> kick chan my modes are moving on their own~
<Shook> FLAGGOTS
Wheat contains gluten which is poisonous to all humans (mildly, and no, not just to coeliacs). It's pretty well known that practically all grains evolved mechanisms to defend themselves against animals that eat it. Wheat is one such grain.

Eliminating all grains is a better way to go, but a wheat free diet is a component of what a coeliac would eat, and what is more healthy for humans.

It also has the benefit of helping correct the imbalanced caused by the "food pyramid" that emphasizes grain over fruit and vegetables. Grain is mostly carbs, and partially fibre. It's not something you should ever eat in the high volumes suggested by the food pyramid. If you abide by a wheat free diet you will create and artificial restriction that will force you to eat a healthier diet containing the remaining food groups (fruits, vegetables, diary and meat mainly - not so much the fats and oils and sugars).

Elimination of all grains is better for you than all wheat, but elimination of no grains is definitely worse.

Are wheat free diets a fad? Yes, but gluten free or grain free aren't
Do they work? They help, as above
Have you done this? No, but I don't eat a lot of grain and I know a lot of people who eat gluten free
Who is the right one in the debate? Both are partially wrong, as above
Will you try this after listening to this? No, anything that is a best seller is unlikely to be scientifically valid
Are we going too far with these diets? Dietary intake needs to be reassessed as new information is gathered and research is performed. Fad diets may be a knee-jerk reaction, but they are probably a valid step towards forming new dietary habits - eg if you want to cut down on carbonated drinks, then why not cut them out for a few weeks until you loose the addiction.
Is this a diet at all? Yes, it defines rules as to what you should eat, it is a diet.
It's exactly as Gorman said.

The evolution process of humans took 2 million years. As a race, we didn't actually start eating grains until the agricultural revolution, about 10,000 or so years ago. Our bodies physically don't cope well with grains because our bodies aren't used to it (it tears up our guts). That's why gluten intolerance exists.

It's the same thing with milk. Now, of course, we've been drinking milk from our mothers since the beginning, so it's not as bad as grains, but it's only recently that we started drinking milk after weaning. Thus, lactose intolerance. In areas of the world like Europe where we started drinking milk after weaning earlier, there are lesser rates of lactose intolerance, and, in areas like Africa, where drinking milk after weaning only after it was introduced by Europeans settlements, there's rates of up to 80-90%.

Grains are bad, m'kay?