Last week I asked the question, what is the difference between wheat and other high glycemic starches such as potatoes or rice? Well the answer is gluten. Gluten happens to be a very hot topic right now, and like I said last week, about 6% of Americans are apparently suffering from gluten sensitivity. Dr. Davis claims that gluten is a toxin for our body; however, research concerning non-celiac individuals has yet to find gluten as a trigger for any health problems (see here, here and here).
Davis goes on to say that gluten is like a drug to our body, and removing it from our diet will result in withdrawl effects such as fatigue, depression, etc. The problem with this is that the effects Davis outlines sound very similar to the first few days of a low carbohydrate diet. In reality, the reason why you will feel fatigued or depressed is because removing gluten also means removing a huge source of carbohydrate (wheat) from your diet. Your metabolism does not instantly become efficient at using body fat as a source of energy, and until it does, your reserve glycogen stores will be running low and you will undoubtedly be tired.
To summarize, do I think gluten is good for you?
Probably not.
Do I think gluten is the reason for the majority of North America’s health problems?
Absolutely Not.
The obesity epidemic in North America is easier explained by the over consumption of carbohydrate in general by inactive individuals. Those that are sensitive to gluten should avoid it, just as those intolerant to lactose should avoid lactose; but what’s more important than removing gluten is replacing excess high glycemic carbohydrate with nutrient dense foods such as vegetables.
To summarize, do I think gluten is good for you?
Probably not.
Do I think gluten is the reason for the majority of North America’s health problems?
Absolutely Not.
The obesity epidemic in North America is easier explained by the over consumption of carbohydrate in general by inactive individuals. Those that are sensitive to gluten should avoid it, just as those intolerant to lactose should avoid lactose; but what’s more important than removing gluten is replacing excess high glycemic carbohydrate with nutrient dense foods such as vegetables.
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