Gluten free fad.

Harry Palmr

Less than 1% of the population suffer from diagnosed gluten intolerance, and are largely Coeliac. So you'd imagine the market for gluten free products was pretty niche yet cynical food companies and their marketing departments are now flogging any number of products on the promise of being gluten free and in a way that seems designed to scare people who know little about such intolerances into believing they might be sensitive to the family of foodstuffs that are in the gluten family - high-gluten wheat flour, European spelt, barley, rolled rye flakes, pizza and bagels and so on and thus with a premium price bolster their bottom line.

CONCLUSIONS:

All the commercially available products labelled gluten-free were significantly more expensive than comparable products. This information will be useful to dietitians who counsel individuals and families with celiac disease, and to celiac advocacy groups for lobbying the government about financial compensation.

and http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/gluten-free-products-cost-up-to-four-times-as-much-in-supermarkets-coeliac-uk-finds-a6893396.html

So have you fallen for this wallet emptying guff and if you are a diagnosed Celiac how do you view this "health" fad.

Mr. Incognito

More Dominios for me.

Its middle class makey uppey

Poor people eat bread fine

daveyeh

It's nonsense, it actually started as a publicity stunt by Steve Glutenbergs agent.

Peregrine

Never ever buy pizza with a gluten-free base. Even if you're sharing with someone who's actually intolerant, don't ****ing do it. I can still taste the horrible thing in my mouth. Yuck.

daveyeh

Caffe Nero wrote: »

It's not nonsense, pretty much everyone suffers harmful affects from wheat products.

Beer?

A lot of it seems to be driven by people who want the drama of a "condition" when they are really dieting. Know a couple of GPs who concede that hearing 20 somethings with their "I'm not allergic...but I'm intolerant" makes them roll their eyes. Particularly when they are not relying on the findings of consultants who have done proper tests, but on those food allergy tests outside health shops in shopping centres.

Turtle_

There's a fad element to it, but there's the other side of it too.

Someone can go years being told they have IBS, only to cut out gluten and find they're okay. Why waste money on a test to tell them what they already know?

Then there's the benefit for people who do have a genuine intolerance- more variety and better quality food products.

The only actual downside - and I'm not including your sensibilies being offended when someone says they're gluten intolerant and doesn't present you with medical proof of same - is that people have taken an attitude of "oh sure people are only making g that up". Fine, until someone doesn't properly prevent cross contamination and the genuinely gluten intolerant person ends up sick. Which happens, btw.

Pedro K

I don't think its driven by the food companies' marketing departments as much as it is quacks and nonsense nutritionists.

They convince people that gluten is the devil (like Rosana Davison and her gluten causes arthritis nonsense a while back).

They create the market. The food companies would be crazy not to sell to it.

Turtle_

Turtle_ wrote: »

The only actual downside - and I'm not including your sensibilies being offended when someone says they're gluten intolerant and doesn't present you with medical proof of same - is that people have taken an attitude of "oh sure people are only making g that up". Fine, until someone doesn't properly prevent cross contamination and the genuinely gluten intolerant person ends up sick. Which happens, btw.

Not in the least bit offended. The fad is laughable, not offensive.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

I was of the opinion that people who weren't coeliac and didn't eat gluten were knobs. Mocking is catching though. I'm tested consistently for coeliac disease, my GP seems pretty convinced it'll come back positive one of these times. It was suggested I come off gluten myself for a few weeks. About 4 days in I felt so much better. I couldn't believe eating my lunch didn't make me feel tired bloated or vomitty. About ten days in I cheated and ate pizza. Dear Jesus it was horrific. Cramps, bum explosions, actual physical pain. Never in my life have I felt anything like it. It was terrible. Anyway, I went back eating gluten anyway and on occasion I'd get a dodge tummy or whatever but it was much worse taking a break and going back on it than it was having it constantly.

There's definitely something to the "not coeliac but intolerant" thing, loathe as I am to admit it

(Edit: I'm not coeliac, did it as a knob for two weeks)

PARlance

LexieOnRale wrote: »

I was of the opinion that people who weren't coeliac and didn't eat gluten were knobs. Mocking is catching though. I'm tested consistently for coeliac disease, my GP seems pretty convinced it'll come back positive one of these times. It was suggested I come off gluten myself for a few weeks. About 4 days in I felt so much better. I couldn't believe eating my lunch didn't make me feel tired bloated or vomitty. About ten days in I cheated and ate pizza. Dear Jesus it was horrific. Cramps, bum explosions, actual physical pain. Never in my life have I felt anything like it. It was terrible. Anyway, I went back eating gluten anyway and on occasion I'd get a dodge tummy or whatever but it was much worse taking a break and going back on it than it was having it constantly.

There's definitely something to the "not coeliac but intolerant" thing, loathe as I am to admit it

(Edit: I'm not coeliac, did it as a knob for two weeks)

Have you tried a yeast free diet?

Harry Palmr

Pedro K wrote: »

I don't think its driven by the food companies' marketing departments as much as it is quacks and nonsense nutritionists.

They convince people that gluten is the devil (like Rosana Davison and her gluten causes arthritis nonsense a while back).

They create the market. The food companies would be crazy not to sell to it.

Blogging lifestyle "queens" are certainly part of this, it's not something I've looked into deeply (obviously!) but I imagine bloggers and companies work hand in hand when beneficial for them.

Outlaw Pete

Gluten is just a vague term used to categorize things that are bad.

Senna

In the hotel I used to work in:
G. Is there gluten in that.
ME. yes there is
G. Can you make it gluten free
ME. OK
G. I'll have the cheesecake for desert
ME. But that's not gluten free
G. Oh, it'll be OK

But there is the genuine 1% and they can have serious reactions, my niece would be in the most severe category of the 1%. If her gluten free bread was cooked in a toaster that had normal bread in it earlier, she'd be severely sick within minutes.

Prime Irish Beef

Peregrine wrote: »

. I can still taste the horrible thing in my mouth. Yuck.

That's what she said.

Cervantes2

It's become a total fad. People associate gluten free with healthier food .
When often the opposite is true.

odyssey06

Nobody is coming on here defending the 'cheesecake' food fad follower, but, I'm open to the possibility that there's 1% - 10% of the population with an intolerance \ sensitivity to gluten, without full blown coeliac disease.

It should also be borne in mind that a lot of food companies replaced animal fat based ingredients with wheat based ingredients so that they could market their products as vegetarian friendly. The BSE scare may have played a part in that.
So I would not be surprised if some people who were using the same product for years suddenly started having reactions, of varying degrees.

I'm not gluten intolerant, looking at what they are replacing gluten with in a lot of products... I don't think under normal circumstances you could make any great health claims for it.

Boom_Bap

I buy and eat gluten free stuff from time to time. It's not as nice as gluten rich foods, but it easier on the digestion if I'm going through a phase of lots of running or cycling. It's also more filling and stops me snacking between meals.
Pancakes made from spelt flour are awesome though.

Cee-Jay-Cee

My 4yr old daughter was diagnosed as coeliac 2 years ago (blood and scope test proved positive) I'm so thankful to this 'fad' as we are able to feed her with pretty much all the regular foods that everyone else eats.

Long live the gluten free fad.

byhookorbycrook

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

My 4yr old daughter was diagnosed as coeliac 2 years ago (blood and scope test proved positive) I'm so thankful to this 'fad' as we are able to feed her with pretty much all the regular foods that everyone else eats.

Long live the gluten free fad.

Until you find that the fad people push prices up..

murpho999

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

My 4yr old daughter was diagnosed as coeliac 2 years ago (blood and scope test proved positive) I'm so thankful to this 'fad' as we are able to feed her with pretty much all the regular foods that everyone else eats.

Long live the gluten free fad.

There is no issue at all in your daughter's case which is a chronic medical condition that needs to be managed for life.

However there are a lot of people out there that think gluten is unhealthy and should be avoided which is blatantly wrong and doing more harm than good.

murpho999

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Until you find that the fad people push prices up..

In fact the fad is helping prices as more demand should equal more supply. It's when something is niche that they become more expensive.

murpho999

murpho999 wrote: »

In fact the fad is helping prices as more demand should equal more supply. It's when something is niche that they become more expensive.

It sure beats the days when you had to mount an expedition to that one shop that might do specialty food and even looking at it cost 20 quid

Mr.Wemmick

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

My 4yr old daughter was diagnosed as coeliac 2 years ago (blood and scope test proved positive) I'm so thankful to this 'fad' as we are able to feed her with pretty much all the regular foods that everyone else eats.

Long live the gluten free fad.

When you are coeliac and can not eat gluten at all, it is bloody painful to listen to the disbelief and watch the rolled eyes. It's also dangerous in that the disregard can spread and affect people working in cafes/restaurants, and when they flippantly tell you: yep, no worries, it's gluten free when in fact it isn't, and you find out a few hours later when you feel so sick you can't move.

The GF food fad doesn't bother me, but the people who constantly moan and disregard the GF food fad do.

Capt'n Midnight

British Medical Journal are now warning against a gluten free diet unless you suffer from celiac disease.

http://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1892

Conclusion Long term dietary intake of gluten was not associated with risk of coronary heart disease. However, the avoidance of gluten may result in reduced consumption of beneficial whole grains, which may affect cardiovascular risk. The promotion of gluten-free diets among people without celiac disease should not be encouraged.

Junkyard Tom

I've just about every disease, condition, and affliction, that you could think of except hypochondria thankfully.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oht9AEq1798

endacl

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

Gluten is just a vague term used to categorize things that are bad.

No no no. You're thinking of 'toxins'.

Mr.Wemmick

endacl wrote: »

No no no. You're thinking of 'toxins'.

He's got a vocab intolerance.. and he has it real bad.

Vojera

Ah, Junkyard Tom, ya beat me to it. Love that video.

I'm friends with a few coeliacs and while they're both glad they can get food most places now, they have also said that they nearly feel like they need some sort of cert to show in restaurants and cafés to prove that they really need a gluten free meal and aren't just ordering for the sake of it as they feel many places don't take it seriously (due to people like the cheesecake example above).

Mr.Wemmick

Cervantes2 wrote: »

It's become a total fad. People associate gluten free with healthier food .
When often the opposite is true.

Agreed. Some GF cakes etc are just pure sugar, rather disgusting.. no taste other than sugar. Not good for you at all.. some breads/products are quite artificial and again no taste. There are quite a few products on the market which are very good but it takes time to find them.

After years, I have finally found great Pitta breads and some decent fresh bread.

Jobs OXO

My sex stick works better when I am on the gluten

irish_stevo815

This whole Gluten Free thing must be some kind of fashion statement, it's ridiculous. I work in a hotel and regularly get people looking for Gluten free sandwiches and such. That's grand, but when I explain that the chips that accompany the sandwich are cooked with non gluten free products, I often get the response of "That's fine, I'll eat them anyway".....it just baffles me sometimes

learn_more

My elderly mum went gluten free and she lost a significant amount of weight and looking much better for it. I don't know why she decided to go gluten free, she wasn't diagnosed as gluten intolerant afaia. A few years previous she was given a strict healthy diet by her doc following a galstones op and lost weight but lost much more by just going gluten free. The only problem I see is that I understand that the gluten free food you get in supermarkets isn't very healthy in itself and it's much better to make your own or pay through the nose for it in health food stores. She does make her own guten free bread from time to time though. I don't think my mum is ever going to become a nutritional nazi at her age but I think this one simple adjustment has benefited her general health quite a bit so I wouldn't be too quick to knock it.

Mr.Wemmick

irish_stevo815 wrote: »

This whole Gluten Free thing must be some kind of fashion statement, it's ridiculous. I work in a hotel and regularly get people looking for Gluten free sandwiches and such. That's grand, but when I explain that the chips that accompany the sandwich are cooked with non gluten free products, I often get the response of "That's fine, I'll eat them anyway".....it just baffles me sometimes

Because some people can have a little gluten once in a while in small quantities without feeling sick, while others can not. I know a semi pro cyclist who was told by his doctor that a measured amount of gluten 1 x week is okay and he hasn't had any problems since. I don't have an allowance of gluten as the way I see it if I accidentally, once in a while, eat gluten by cross contamination, I'll be okay.

I suppose you could compare it to a nut allergy: some have severe allergies and could go into shock and die, while others would just get tummy sick if they ate nuts. Allergies effects are not repeated in exactly the same way for everyone

learn_more

learn_more wrote: »

My elderly mum went gluten free and she lost a significant amount of weight and looking much better for it. I don't know why she decided to go gluten free, she wasn't diagnosed as gluten intolerant afaia. A few years previous she was given a strict healthy diet by her doc following a galstones op and lost weight but lost much more by just going gluten free. The only problem I see is that I understand that the gluten free food you get in supermarkets isn't very healthy in itself and it's much better to make your own or pay through the nose for it in health food stores. She does make her own guten free bread from time to time though. I don't think my mum is ever going to become a nutritional nazi at her age but I think this one simple adjustment has benefited her general health quite a bit so I wouldn't be too quick to knock it.

Bingo, there you have it. No diagnosis, it was linked to weight loss and looking better. Which is, fundamentally the reason behind the fad. It's not about health, it's using a claimed condition to hide a version of the Atkins Diet.

Incidentally, she should follow her doc, and not necessarily equate losing weight and losing more weight with healthy.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Mr.Wemmick wrote: »

When you are coeliac and can not eat gluten at all, it is bloody painful to listen to the disbelief and watch the rolled eyes. It's also dangerous in that the disregard can spread and affect people working in cafes/restaurants, and when they flippantly tell you: yep, no worries, it's gluten free when in fact it isn't, and you find out a few hours later when you feel so sick you can't move.

The GF food fad doesn't bother me, but the people who constantly moan and disregard the GF food fad do.

We usually have to ask several times if the food is gluten free in restaurants/hotels as our daughter is ultra sensitive and will be violently ill if she has anything containing gluten (even a small
amount). We always tell them she's coeliac and it's not a gimmick thing and that our other daughter can have food containing gluten. Thankfully we have only had one mishap when eating out where she got something which either contained gluten or it had become cross contaminated (we will know within an hour as she becomes very flushed and red in her face and then will vomit within another hour or two)

Jellybaby1

I am Coeliac. I was very ill 20 years ago and losing a lot of weight, I was iron/nutrient deficient and lacked the energy to stand up. The GP sent me to the hospital for tests. I was tested for everything and my condition totally puzzled the medical staff. Thankfully after having seen several different doctors I finally was sent to one brilliant doctor who tested me for Coeliac disease and discovered that's what I was suffering from. I had never heard of Coeliac disease before and was in shock, how was I going to manage such a diet. At that time there was nothing in the supermarkets and I had to order my food/cereal/flour etc., from the chemist. After a few months on the diet I gained weight and my energy levels improved. I have had so many cameras down my throat over the years, it really is not funny at all. I am so thankful there is so much GF food available now as it makes me feel almost normal. I would hate to be a chef trying to keep up with different diets. A couple of my friends decided to go gluten-free though they are not Coeliac. After a couple of months trying to keep gluten-free, they had to give up because it is such a tricky diet and you have to keep up to date regarding what is GF and what is no longer GF, it changes continually depending on the ingredients or the process the food goes through in the factory, i.e. cross-contamination. It is a minefield and Coeliacs have to be on their guard all the time. What makes me angry is when restaurant staff cast their eyes to heaven when I ask for gluten free. I swear I will swing for the next one that does it to me. Some may be on a faddy diet but the rest of us, the Coeliacs, are in danger of being extremely ill if we eat gluten, it actually causes damage to the gut and the searing pain from that is not something faddies know anything about. So I just ask that we be respected.

Outlaw Pete

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34tdQdrA2sI

learn_more

Deleted User wrote: »

Bingo, there you have it. No diagnosis, it was linked to weight loss and looking better. Which is, fundamentally the reason behind the fad. It's not about health, it's using a claimed condition to hide a version of the Atkins Diet.

Incidentally, she should follow her doc, and not necessarily equate losing weight and losing more weight with healthy.

I wasn't in any way advocating a gluten free diet over a healthy diet as a means to losing weight , I just though I would provide some anecdotal evidence where it worked to improve the health of a person who found it very difficulty to change the habits of a lifetime by making one more or less simple adjustment.

I totally agree with your advice re doctors orders but on a pragmatic level she did loose a lot of weight as a result of going gluten free and I think that's a good thing.

When I seen my mums weight go out of control about 15 years ago I gave her so much advice, stop frying with vegetable oil, lay off the scones and jam, give up the disgusting apple pies she buys for 2 euro in Dunnes, loaded with sugar. It all went in one ear and out the other.

She's 81 now, I think anything she can do, that is easy to do, like gluten free, she should go for it. She is never ever going to follow long term the diet her doc gave her. It's totally alien to her. She lasted 6 months on it before going back to her old habits before going on the gluten free.

Calibos

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

What makes me angry is when restaurant staff cast their eyes to heaven when I ask for gluten free. I swear I will swing for the next one that does it to me. Some may be on a faddy diet but the rest of us, the Coeliacs, are in danger of being extremely ill if we eat gluten, it actually causes damage to the gut and the searing pain from that is not something faddies know anything about. So I just ask that we be respected.

How about you see it from the staffs side and kill two birds with one stone and open with, "Hi I'm an actual genuine Celiac and not one of those Gluten Free Fadist gob****es. Can I order the Gluten Free XXX and could you please inform the chef that the order is for a genuine celiac and not a gob****e to ensure he doesn't take any shortcuts."

Gets the wait staff onside with you by making fun of your common 'enemy' before they make any faces and also ensures Chef knows that he/she is preparing food for a genuine celiac.

learn_more

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

What makes me angry is when restaurant staff cast their eyes to heaven when I ask for gluten free. I swear I will swing for the next one that does it to me. Some may be on a faddy diet but the rest of us, the Coeliacs, are in danger of being extremely ill if we eat gluten, it actually causes damage to the gut and the searing pain from that is not something faddies know anything about. So I just ask that we be respected.

Most dishes in restaurants are pre-prepared. It would be a logistical nightmare to have a gluten free version of every meal. It would also be completely random as to when a customer would order a gluten free version. You see the problem - it would cost a lot just to cater for a tiny proportion of customers.

Having worked in restaurants for years I would sack anyone who threw their eyes up to heaven due to any kind of customer request. Your not talking about star graded restaurants here , are you?

B0jangles

learn_more wrote: »

I wasn't in any way advocating a gluten free diet over a healthy diet as a means to losing weight , I just though I would provide some anecdotal evidence where it worked to improve the health of a person who found it very difficulty to change the habits of a lifetime by making one more or less simple adjustment.

I totally agree with your advice re doctors orders but on a pragmatic level she did loose a lot of weight as a result of going gluten free and I think that's a good thing.

When I seen my mums weight go out of control about 15 years ago I gave her so much advice, stop frying with vegetable oil, lay off the scones and jam, give up the disgusting apple pies she buys for 2 euro in Dunnes, loaded with sugar. It all went in one ear and out the other.

She's 81 now, I think anything she can do, that is easy to do, like gluten free, she should go for it. She is never ever going to follow long term the diet her doc gave her. It's totally alien to her. She lasted 6 months on it before going back to her old habits before going on the gluten free.

I'm glad to hear your mum is healthy and well, but I'd be cautious about concluding that it was the gluten that was her actual problem. Its sounds more like by living by (what is for her) an essentially arbitrary rule she's coincidentally eliminated an awful lot of convenience and snack foods that she'd otherwise have bought - you could just has easily say 'giving up all food with red on the packaging is so much healthier' and probably end up with much the same result.

My cousin was fairly recently diagnosed with coeliac after years of chronic pain and fatigue and she'd agree with the current gluten-free fad being a double-edged sword; on the one hand there are so many more products available, but on the other hand she's nearly been 'poisoned' in restaurants more than once because they don't know that there is a major difference between actual coeliacs and those who are fashionably gluten-free.

PARlance

learn_more wrote: »

Your not talking about star graded restaurants here , are you?

The MIL, who is a coeliac, was in a Michelin star restaurant last year. She had her worst episode in the 15 years since being diagnosed. Absolutely floored for the night, literally. She couldn't get off the ground between the cramps and vomiting.

Some genius rolled her gluten free gnocchi in real flour (according to the head chief the next day).

Hannibal_Smith

Prime Irish Beef wrote: »

That's what she said.

....to the prime Irish beef

Samaris

I get the annoyance value of "these people are jumping on the bandwagon", but I don't quite understand the "you will die of it or else it's absolutely fine for you, so shut up already" approach.

There are various food intolerances in my family, some coming out worse in individual members than others (nope, my family has never been faddy, I'm afraid there's very real consequences of certain foodstuffs for some people). I got pretty lucky overall, but after years of general discomfort, cramps, stomach issues and all the rest of it, I cut out wheat, since it worked to some extent for two other family members and it's made a significant improvement. The concept of eating without pain and discomfort afterwards is, honestly, amazing. If it's normal to you to feel discomfort after eating, well, it's normal, it's just one of those things. To be suddenly absent of it is unusual and liberating.

I'm not coeliac, I won't end up in hospital if I eat wheat/gluten (I'm not 100% sure which it is, but it seems to be more wheat for me), but same as I will be in significant discomfort if I drink milk (and apparently spent my first year or so of life screaming due to it!), I will be if I eat it which frankly matters more to me than what some people might think of my "faddiness"! I buy gluten-free products and help to raise the demand for them that means that more products are available for those who must not eat it for fear of permanent damage to their guts. (I agree on gluten-free pizzas, btw, could use them for discus-throwing.)

I assume there are people who make a huge deal of it in every restaurant they are in and are generally annoying about it, but having a go at anyone who finds themselves better off without it is a tad counter-productive. Anyone remember trying to avoid gluten even six or seven years ago? Difficult, expensive and made for fairly boring meals. Now it's easier, cheaper and there's more variety. How is that a bad thing for people with coeliac disease?

Jrop

Samaris . GF Fad lessens the seriousness of Coeliac disease. Coeliac disease is an auto immune disease which you can't switch on and off. I'm coeliac and I have lost count of the number of days and nights I have been in pain with severe diarrohea, sweating and in a lot of pain because I have accidentally eaten gluten.

Murrisk

Deleted User wrote: »

Bingo, there you have it. No diagnosis, it was linked to weight loss and looking better. Which is, fundamentally the reason behind the fad. It's not about health, it's using a claimed condition to hide a version of the Atkins Diet.

Incidentally, she should follow her doc, and not necessarily equate losing weight and losing more weight with healthy.

Doctors are not dieticians. A lot of them still advocate following the food pyramid, FFS

Mr.Wemmick

Some people develop Coeliac disease later in life, but have often tested negative in earlier tests rising to confusion as to why certain gluten products make them feel bloated along with a general sense of feeling unwell. The chances are those people are just under that threshold and will in fact develop it later. A nutritionist once said that our problem can stem from wheat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.. years and years of depending on wheat/gluten alone in our diets can have an impact over time and people who are not yet intolerant should eat different whole food types and vary the diet so as to give our bodies the balance it needs.

Funny, a UK doctor told me coeliac disease is prevalent/ very common in Irish people. If so, and this is true, then why is the general public here in Ireland so ignorant about gluten intolerance and see it as a fad all the time

We are not ignorant about nut allergies.. or diary intolerances. If someone tells you they are allergic to eggs, it's just accepted, no question. I find it very odd.

Murrisk

Yeah, allergies can and do intensify over time.

twill

Some recent research on non-coeliac wheat intolerance. "The findings suggest that these individuals have a weakened intestinal barrier, which leads to a body-wide inflammatory immune response."

Samaris

Jrop wrote: »

Samaris . GF Fad lessens the seriousness of Coeliac disease. Coeliac disease is an auto immune disease which you can't switch on and off. I'm coeliac and I have lost count of the number of days and nights I have been in pain with severe diarrohea, sweating and in a lot of pain because I have accidentally eaten gluten.

Okay, there's an issue with people not taking "please make sure this is not made with gluten" seriously, I grant that one. Worked somewhere where I'd get that request from time to time and you can be damn sure I took it seriously! But same as with peanuts, that is absolutely the responsibility of the place you're in to take such requests seriously before they make someone seriously ill. It took some time to drill into popular conciousness that peanuts can kill some people. And still some parents object to their little darlings not having a peanut kitkat for break-time in school because of some mere possibility that it might seriously harm or even kill one of their schoolmates.

My situation is not nearly so serious as yours, I'll absolutely admit that ofc! I'm well aware that gluten for coeliac-sufferers will cause permanent damage over time. But I do have a mild issue with people who mock anyone who isn't coeliac not eating wheat or gluten. Even we fadlites may be doing it because we don't like suffering lethargy, cramps, mood-swings, sickness, diarrhoea, constipation and a constant feeling of nrghle after eating. It's nice to be able to enjoy food, and I never particularly have before.

Sometimes there is a sliding scale between "silly fad" and "permanent damage to intestines", and those on said scale should be able to choose how they cope with it, even if it means going gluten-free. Believe me, I wouldn't have if it wasn't helping. It's still an expensive and awkward business, for all it's improved.