The Gluten-Free Fad and the Logical 'Or'

Has the gluten-free fad helped or hurt those who are gluten-free as a medical treatment? There are convincing arguments for both sides. But arguments require logic, and the logical "or" is inclusive ("or" can mean "both"). Perhaps it is the case that the fad has both helped and hurt. Here are a few ways the gluten-free fad seems to have both helped and hurt. Helped: Those in the food service industry generally know what gluten is these days, so when someone with celiac says, "I'm gluten-free," the statement is met with more of an understanding than it has been in the past. (Remember when you didn't know what gluten was? I remember when I didn't, and it wasn't unconscionably long ago.) Hurt: On the other hand, some of those in the food service industry who now know what gluten is thanks to its mainstream qualities are tired of hearing about gluten. So when someone with celiac says, "I'm gluten-free," the statement may indeed be met with understanding, plus a side of eye roll. The eye roll we can deal with if it means our food is being handled properly. But if the eye roll is a manifestation of the eye rollers' thoughts, and those thoughts are something along the lines of, "Great, another gluten-free faddist," there is a danger that the eye roll means the condition won't be taken as seriously. Helped: Let's face it -- what's popular gets more attention. More people are talking about celiac disease in light of gluten's celebrity status. And the more people talk about it, the...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news