New Yorker asks: Should you go gluten-free?

[Robin Garr]

I’m not taking sides, but this long essay on dietary gluten makes interesting points. Here's a summary:

For people with celiac disease—about one per cent of the population—the briefest exposure to gluten can trigger an immune reaction powerful enough to severely damage the brushlike surfaces of the small intestine. People with celiac have to be alert around food at all times, learning to spot hidden hazards in common products, such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein and malt vinegar. Eating in restaurants requires particular vigilance. Even reusing water in which wheat pasta has been cooked can be dangerous.

Until about a decade ago, the other ninety-nine per cent of Americans rarely seemed to give gluten much thought. But, led by people like William Davis, a cardiologist whose book “Wheat Belly” created an empire founded on the conviction that gluten is a poison, the protein has become a culinary villain.

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Against the Grain: Should you go gluten-free?

It's certainly quite a long read but very interesting. I found the comparison to people saying they have gluten allergies today to people who used to say they had MSG allergies to be very interesting and there is probably quite a bit of truth to it! I've actually never heard of anybody adding powdered gluten when they are making bread themselves like a discussion near the end. It seems like you can always make the bread do what you want just manipulating the portions of what you are using. I don't really have any desire to just eat plain gluten similar to what was discussed in the article and tried by the author.

It will certainly be interested to see what scientific data shows in the future when it's developed regarding gluten allergies. Taking gluten out of your diet certainly isn't the silver bullet like some people say it is but the psychological benefits may be a significant factor in many cases.

Don't get me wrong. I fully support anyone with food allergies of any kind. But what I will not do, is change my menu or create another menu for Gluten intolerant persons until the market calls for it. That would just be bad business. I think the few people who are expecting this, do not realize the complexities of the market. We strive to work with people according to their own particular allergies, but I draw the line at Onions, Garlic, or even Pepper! The chance of cross contamination is just too great to safely say that we would not endanger them. I might be wrong, but I think this movement will fade out in the next couple of years, just like low fat and as was mentioned, MSG. Did I tell you that as a young cook for a major Jewish caterer here in town..we used to soak out tenderloins overnight in pure MSG. Wow.