Gluten-Free Dieting: Much Hype, Little Science

The conversation about gluten sensitivity continues in the pages of medical journals, where two researchers say health and industry groups are hawking gluten-free diets as cure-alls for gastrointestinal problems without sufficient understanding.

The anti-gluten movement has exploded in recent years as reports of celiac disease, gluten allergies and general sensitivities have risen. Genuine intolerance to gluten does exist, but experts say that this is not the cause of many gastric or intestinal problems and that more research is needed. –ARK

MedPage Today:

… Some marketers have touted a figure of 17 million Americans affected by gluten sensitivity, although there are no official data on its prevalence, according to [University of Pavia physicians] Di Sabatino and Corazza.

” ‘Sense’ should prevail over ‘sensibility’ to prevent a gluten preoccupation from evolving into the conviction that gluten is toxic for most of the population,” they said. “We must prevent a possible health problem from becoming a social health problem.”

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