Thank you for your comment.

PubMed certainly has many abstracts related to gluten-sensitivity.

I think a good place to start researching the science of gluten-sensitivity (and why a gluten-free diet might be beneficial to a certain percentage of the population), I would recommend this website:

http://jccglutenfree.googlepages.com/

Take time to explore that website — there’s an immense amount of information relating to gluten’s connection to various conditions and diseases.

For example, look at this page:

http://jccglutenfree.googlepages.com/theneurologicalmanifestationsofgluten

There you will find several quotes from scientific papers, as well as a long list of PubMed abstracts that relate gluten-sensitivity (including non-celiac sensitivity) to, in this example, various neurological conditions.

I definitely see where you are coming from. I think your comments provide a good contrast to the attitude of the article — a contrast that many people will find helpful.

I’ll just add a few more comments.

1 — I think the logic of a grain-free diet comes more from evolutionary science than “archeological trivia”.

2 — Gluten sensitivity is poorly understood, under-researched, and under-funded. But the numbers for the prevalance of gluten sensitivity in the [American] population (~30%+) come from Dr. Fine’s research (Read more here: (https://www.enterolab.com/StaticPages/Frame_Faq.htm)

3 — Regardless of the actual numbers, gluten-sensitivity is clearly far more prevalant than most people think, and in my opinion should be taken much more seriously.

4 — Most of us will probably live long lives. Fine-tuning our diets sometimes feels more like a matter of “thriving” than just “surviving”. Given the prevelance of diseases and conditions that occur today I think it’s worth the effort to try and emulate our ancestors, who likely lived with much healthier minds and bodies (I may write a post later with all the evidence that suggests this, but for now you can do your own search and draw your own conclusion).

5 — Once in a while, especially while traveling, I lose priority of what I eat for the sake of simply enjoying life without being so strict (though I stay strict with gluten). And while this mindset has its merit, overtime I begin to miss the “superman”, high-on-life feeling that I get from eating clean. Overall, eating a strict diet similar to our ancestors’ (and similar to what our genes were optimized for) is a sacrifice, but it works for me and I find the effort worth it.

I do take issue with some of the data in this article, such as the statement that “it is believed that 30-50% or more of the population is gluten sensitive, thus are deteriorating their health by eating wheat.” Who exactly believes this? What scientific studies have been done and published in medical journals that provides any evidence for this whatsoever?

I am all for increased awareness of Celiac disease and testing before embarking on a gluten-free diet that will result in false negatives. I am also aware of the failure of the medical community to diagnose patients and give them ways to improve their own conditions. However, I fail to see the connection between Celiac, an intolerance to the gluten protein found in some grains, and an anti-grain (including gluten-free grain) position. If people feel better and prefer eating grain-free, then they can knock themselves out, but I think it’s an excessively extreme diet that is unnecessarily restrictive for many.

My main concern would be that diagnosed Celiacs could read an article like this and feel an imperative to cut all grains out of their diet, making a restrictive diet even more difficult and cutting off many sources of nutrients. Obviously many of the processed white gluten-free flours that are low in fiber and nutrition could be cut out without any damage to anything but perhaps the morale of the patient, but I really don’t see any good reason for anyone to exclude buckwheat, quinoa, millet, brown rice, and other nutritious grains from their diet.

This article is well-written and persuasive, but much of it seems to be founded on popular science and archaeological trivia rather than sound nutrition or medical research. Frankly, if readers followed every article criticizing food demons like soy, beef, grain, nuts, dairy, etc. mankind would quite simply have nothing left to eat at all.

Personally, I refuse to let Celiac limit my lifestyle. I eat a largely healthful, mostly vegetarian gluten-free diet by choice and share it with my family and friends without courting unnecessarily faddish low-carb or grain-free diets… And I’m happy NOT to feel like a freak.

But I agree with the main idea.