The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Gluten sensitivity - more is being learned

breadforfun's picture
breadforfun

Gluten sensitivity - more is being learned

There have been a number of discussions on these forums about the effects of gluten on health.  Celiac disease is an auto-immune disease where gliadin, a component of gluten, causes the immune system to attack intestine walls, and sufferers must avoid all glutens.  Scientists are discovering other sensitivities to gluten as well, less dibilitating than celiac.  I came across an article that may be of interest to other bread bakers that talks about what is being learned and what is still controversial: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/gluten-free-whether-you-need-it-or-not/

-Brad

Yerffej's picture
Yerffej

Brad,

Thank you for the link.  It is certainly a hot topic and for some a very real problem.  I have been told by a number of people in other countries that the "gluten" problem in the USA is far greater than it is in Europe.  One has to wonder why thtat would be.

Jeff

breadforfun's picture
breadforfun

Hi Jeff,

It's good that it has generated enough interest to warrant additional studies.  As purveyors of gluten, bakers, amateur or professional, need to understand the implications.

-Brad

 

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

our grand parents didn't know about this article.  They ate 3 times more bread than we do today and I'm surprised that it is only recently that folks have increased Gluten problems.  I know that there are strains of wheat grown with higher gluten content today but more than 3 times as much?  I think not!.

So the swipe at 'artisan bakers', even though are so very few of them that bake with WFO's and without machines as artisan requires, is uncalled for and not at all truthful since folks consume 3 times less gluten and bread and pasta  than they used to.

 The harmful portion of gluten can't be digested and passes right through folks who aren;t diseased and intolerant; 99 out of 100 people who don't have gluten problem, yet the good doctor said he found the enzyme culprit in the bloodstream of 30% of the people he tested?

Most people with the disease don't know they have it yet they could be dwarfish, constantly vomiting or having diarrhea or be constipated?  I think I would know something was way wrong if I or my children were dwarfs, was that sick and found myself constipated before having having to deal with the resulting huge piles of diarrhea that followed.  I do think think that would make me vomit all the time.

This looks like another total and complete nonsense gluten induced illness  in millions to me,  but if makes you think you are feeling better by giving up gluten then by all means quit.    It is better to feel fine physically than dealing with these horrible symptoms of binge constipation followed by massive diarrhea and vomiting on your bed and in your dreams.   If this lifestyle  goes away by giving up gluten - good for you and I am happy for you.  

No bread or pasta sure smells like the Atkin's diet to me.

MichaelH's picture
MichaelH

+1

gerhard's picture
gerhard

I also have my doubts on this, they just had a bit of a debate on the radio last week.  Here is a link to the episote, I don't think you would feel your listening time was wasted     [link]http://www.cbc.ca/q/blog/2013/02/07/are-wheat-free-diets-a-fad/[/link]

 

Gerhard

Crider's picture
Crider

Especially the corn containg the bT toxin, which has been implicated in causing leaky gut syndrome, which is a factor in triggering autoimmune responses in the form of food allergies.

grind's picture
grind

I wonder if eating fermnting foods can break down or overcome the bt toxin in our gut?

Azazello's picture
Azazello

It's because modern commercially produced bread is rubbish, barely given time to ferment and it's full of additives and processing aids. At least that's how it is here in the UK, it may be different in the US, but I doubt it.

More generally, I believe that if people ate better food, there would be fewer food related illnesses/reactions.

 

 

 

 

gerhard's picture
gerhard

We were in Britain a few times and I was really surprised how little bread and pastries the bakeries sell, it seemed that they concentrate on meat pies and pasties.  Maybe it was just the area we visited, Gloucester and the Cotswold as well as London.

Anyway I think North America is all about bigger production and lower cost and if that comes at the expense of quality well that isn't too high a price.  There seem to be fewer real bakeries every year as most seem to do a lot of baking of goods they receive par baked.  I also agree that the additives that keep mold off bread for two weeks can't be beneficial for our digestive system.

Gerhard

EvaB's picture
EvaB

the fact that wheat grown before world war 2 was mostly fertilized with natural fertilizer (manure and other types of rock and natural greens) after Dow, and Monsanto got into the fertilizer production, the types of wheat and other grains changed (GMO isn't a dirty word, just what they have done with it lately) to work better with commercial fertilizers like phosphate in bags (used to come from manure etc) to keep them from being burned by the too pure product. Then came the stuff to kill weeds, instead of summer fallowing the fields and ploughing down the weeds to kill them, (have to up production you know to feed all those starving millions etc) which required more modification to the grains to keep from killing them, so no wonder grains now cause all sorts of problems, it could be not the gluten but the tiny ACCEPTABLE amounts of chemicals that are in the grains, and the flour etc, that one is suseptable to and may cause the reaction to the gluten.

And if you think that the chemicals they use to produce the fertilizer is from natural sources, I have bridges in Brookly and San Francisco to sell. Not to mention ocean front property in Arizona!