I haven't read the latest dietary fad book yet, Dr. David Perlmutter's 'Grain Brain', but I have read a couple of reviews of it by informed reviewers. Of interest to me is the fact that in fifty-five years of medical practice I may have seen a dozen or so cases of coeliac disease and a few possible gluten sensitivities but the astronomical numbers claimed today are absurd. It never ceases to amaze me that in this and other fad books, an article of faith seems to be that if only we could get back to our 'natural' hunter - gatherer diet we would prevent a litany of degenerative diseases. These 'experts' seem quite able to ignore that life expectancy on the regimens that they are recommending was thirty to forty years and that not many lived beyond fifty. Diseases and malnutrition were rife and most people didn't live long enough to get the degenerative diseases that they claim the diets protect against including Alzheimer's Disease and other neurological , psychological and physical diseases. Dr. Perlmutter's suggestion that a diet consisting of 75% fats is healthy and that carbohydrates are poison is closer to nonsense that commonsense. What amazes me is how many people have bought and taken for gospel this book, recommended by Dr. Oz. That alone should make people wary. In most instances the research is tenuous. It is ironic that the other great dietary boon to humanity quinoa, of the amaranth family appears to be one of the offending grains!
In fact, gluten intolerance may not even exist outside of coeliac disease. In 2011, Peter Gibson, a professor of gastroenterology at Monash
University and director of the GI Unit at The Alfred Hospital in
Melbourne, Australia,
published a study that found gluten, a protein found in grains like
wheat, rye, and barley, to cause gastrointestinal distress in patients
without celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder unequivocally triggered
by gluten. Double-blinded, randomized, and placebo-controlled, the
experiment was one of the strongest pieces of evidence to date that non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), more commonly known as gluten intolerance, is a genuine condition. When Gibson repeated his study under much more rigorous conditions he found that there was no relationship between gluten and the patients symptoms.
( Sales of gluten-free products are
estimated to hit $15 billion by 2016 — that’s a 50% jump over 2013′s
number.)
Another problem with Perlmutters recommendations is the potential to do harm. There is a vast amount of evidence to support the general concepts of the heart healthy diet, not least of which is the decrease of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity.
Source:
Biesiekierski JR, Peters SL, Newnham ED, Rosella O, Muir JG, Gibson PR.
“No effects of gluten in patients with self-reported non-celiac gluten
sensitivity after dietary reduction of fermentable, poorly absorbed,
short-chain carbohydrates.” Gastroenterology. 2013 Aug;145(2):320-8.e1-3. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2013.04.051. Epub 2013 May 4.
I just happened to walk by my television set and see a section of one of those sensational and often misinforming medical shows. So I stopped for a moment to listen and watch the ex fashion model and now expert on all things medical, perform. I caught the end of a section on sunblockers which was essentially the same old boring stuff dressed up a little in scientific terminology and was just about to walk on and go about my business when Act II started. This was a thirty-ish woman who told the interviewer that she had recently been misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis by a physician and mentioned he had done an MRI, as close to a definitive test for MS as there is. The lady decided she was not going to take any treatment as she didn't think that she had MS.
"So did you get a second opinion?" asked Carol. "Everyone should do that if they have any doubts."
"I did," said Pt.
"And how did that work out?"
"I didn't agree with that doctor, either!"
"So did you get another opinion?"
"Yes," said the pt." I got several more, and it wasn't until the TWELFTH that I found a doctor who knew what she was doing!"
"Oh, tell me about that."
"Well, she got me to keep a food diary for a week and then after she studied it she was able to tell me what was wrong!"
" And?"
"It was gluten allergy and I stopped eating gluten and now I'm better!"
Gluten is responsible for everything these days, everybody has it. Strange. In fifty-four years of medical practice I might have seen a dozen or so cases. It's certainly the flavour of the week these days.
Multiple sclerosis exacerbates and remits and its course can be extremely variable. Nowadays there is effective treatment to prevent exacerbation and at least delay the progression of the disease. This woman may indeed have had a total remission but I very much doubt that it has anything to do with her gluten free diet. I hope she is not missing a treatment opportunity. Maybe she needs one more consultation!
