This Is Your Brain on Gluten

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/12/this-is-your-brain-on-gluten/282550/

by srs0001 • 13 years ago

12 5 13 years ago

When I started reading this article I was so very afraid that it was some sort of ant-gluten garbage, attempting to link gluten to everything bad that happens.

I'm glad I kept reading and got to the science part.

rebelidealist• 13 years ago

Other doctors did a widespread popular study that claim protein and fat are the root of all evils http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_China_Study

Clinton lost 20lbs after reading this book.

Which one is right?

icegreentea• 13 years ago

I honestly think about are both flawed.

That said, they can both be right. The China Study is specifically about animal protein and fat, not protein and fat in general. You can successfully attempt to combine the two by going near full out vegan.

Furthermore, the "two sides" typically point out that their causal agent typically drives disease development that focus in different areas. Obviously, there's some overlap (diabetes being a big one), but overall, they claim different effects.

There's absolutely no reason to believe that there is a diet that will minimize risk across all possible health complications. In fact, I think that it's incredibly unlikely that there is one given how complex the human body is.

So long story short? Probably neither are right. And I'm going to invoke one of the nastiest, meanest, dirtiest heuristic that I have. If it's in an idea first spearheaded by a best-selling book, it's more likely than not seriously flawed.

malandrew• 13 years ago

The China Study also involves a large population of people who have historically had a calorically restricted diet.

There are simply too many broad variables in culture, history and genetics for the China study's claims to be valid. You can't compare two types of diets when one group is heterogenous and the other group is homogenous, and if both were homogenous or both were heterogenous, you'd have to draw subjects from the same population.

DonGateley• 13 years ago

One fundamental thing has had millions (billions?) of years and countless organisms to refine and that is the remarkable ability of life to turn what it gets into what it needs and the ability to discard the rest.

Countless books have been written and people deceived, including the book's authors, trying to contradict that simple reality. As always, follow the money.

This Is Your Brain on Gluten

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