Yum, yoga mat! List of foods that include this new food group!

[Orrex]

42. On the question of gluten intolerancd

It is far too strange that in ancient times people ate bread like crazy because most people were poor and that's how they filled their belly and got vitamins and energy, and now people are reacting adversely to the staple of life.

Leaving aside the fact that we don't actually know how many ancient people suffered from what we now call gluten intolerance, I would be interested to learn how many modern people claiming to suffer from gluten intolerance actually do suffer from it.

I know about celiac disease, and that's not what I'm addressing here. For every person I've met who has been diagnosed with celiac disease, I know two dozen people with a vague and self-diagnosed gluten intolerance. I don't doubt that some of these people actually do suffer this intolerance, but in the absence of a formal diagnosis, then we are, broadly speaking, dealing with anecdotal guesswork.

I begrudge no one their right to alter their diets in a way that they find to be more conducive to easier digestion. But when we're speculating about the alleged relative toxicity of modern versus ancient bread, then that raises the stakes, and we simply can't rely on the personal anecdote or self-diagnosis.