Three distinct groups of people follow the gluten free diet:

• People who have been diagnosed with celiac sprue. This is a hereditary auto-immune disease that causes the body to react to gluten as if it were a poison. There is no cure for celiac disease and the only prescription is a lifelong adherence to the gluten free diet. The disease causes damage that is observable in a biopsy of the intestines. The sufferer may or may not have obvious symptoms. Many celiacs are asymptomatic. They were diagnosed because close blood relatives have celiac disease and warned family members of the need to be tested.

• People who experience painful symptoms generally described as gluten intolerance, gluten sensitivity, or gluten allergy. People in this category need to understand fully that they may have celiac disease and that it difficult and painful to diagnose a person who has already begun the gluten free diet. People in this category face an interesting dilemna: some of them assume that they have celiac disease and make a life-long commitment to the gluten free diet. Others assume that all they need to do is to eliminate enough gluten from their diet to control the symptoms.

• People who feel healthier, more energetic, and happier when  they live gluten free. These people’s choice to go gluten free is totally voluntary and can be changed at will. Many people in the first two categories regard these people as food faddists who downgrade the importance of the gluten free diet. We must all agree that they increase that they increase the number of gluten free products available.

This article is different from most of what I have written  in that it reflects my thoughts and observations. I have not linked you any “experts”. I’m anxious to know how you react to these ideas and will certainly publish your reactions to them. Leave a “reply” at the end of this article or e-mail me at gfceliac@gmail.com.