Is Gluten Free Living Becoming More Mainstream?
Gluten intolerance has seemingly increased in popularity over the last 10 years or so. More and more people are trying gluten free diets as a way to avoid all of this, but it has to make you wonder, why the sudden increase? It’d be one thing if the spike was just happening in a certain area of the world, but the issue has become more widespread at a very fast rate. There are many theories behind why this has happened, but it is hard to pinpoint the exact cause. Here we will explain some of the different theories surrounding this question so you can develop your own opinion.
One theory about the increase in gluten allergies is that family connections impact a person’s chance of becoming afflicted by a gluten allergy. In other words, if you are related to someone with gluten allergy, you are more likely to have it than someone with no genetic trace of it. This theory is hazy at best, but it could be an indication as to why over several generations the number has been increasing. Since gluten intolerance does show up in people with no family line of them, there are still holes in this proposition.
Another hypothesis about why gluten allergies are widespread is that our clean environments are causing allergy increases across the board. Because we all live in a more hygienic state now than we ever have, our bodies don’t build up the same immune systems that they once did. This barrier is what prevents us from developing allergies, asthma, and a variety of other medical conditions. The problem with this theory is that there has been a peak of gluten intolerance even in developing countries, where people aren’t hygienic and do have to develop strong immune systems. Thus the mystery of gluten free living remains unsolved.
One other suggestion is that the high gluten diets that most people have today actually leads to the development of gluten sensitivity . In America and the world at large, bread, baked goods and pastas are consumed all day, every day. With so much gluten in your system, the body responds in a negative way – the same as it may with too much alcohol intake or the ingestion of too much caffeine. This theory hasn’t been tested yet, but it does follow a logical path. Whatever the case may be, it is your job to lead a gluten free lifestyle if you find yourself with these allergies.
