There have to be some, other than deliciousness, no?
I'm wondering if anyone knows of a condition/issue that benefits from/requires eating gluten and/or dairy. I read so much about how cutting out gluten and dairy changed a kid's behaviors, eased symptoms, cured an adult's XYZ condition. Is there ever a benefit to eating this stuff, other than the nutrients you may or may not be able to absorb?
I am unaware of any specific benefit of gluten (which doesn't mean there isn't one). And the only benefits I have heard and seen regarding dairy are related to raw dairy.
But maybe someone else has more info.
ooh good question.
i have no clues on this but this is my thought.
gluten is protein. many different kinds of protein. so it is a good source of protein. wheat is the one plant that has a lot of protein.
perhaps someone who is sensitive to certain kinds of proteins might be able to deal with gluten protein?!!! so maybe some genetic disorder?
what is interesting is that in the countries that consume a lot of dairy and wheat - US, China, India, Russia - stomach issues are a common problem. some have identified it as intolerances but most people just live with those conditions and seek medical help - but traditionally have never associated dairy and gluten as an issue.
i just had this conversation with a mom from one of those nations. her 12 year old is in acute pain most of the time. but she has chosen not to give up all because its just too hard to completely give up muffins and icecream.
i tell you i am learning a LOT about food choices from middle school kids. and nutritional decisions. how habit and availability is really screwing our children up.
so i am so glad what NY did with giant sodas. at least its a stand.
Milk - and yogurt and cheese etc, - is a great and easy source of calcium. Other sources (dark leafy greens) are somehow always less popular among those who need the calcium. Like growing children.
when i think of desert climates i think of the middle east and africa. most of the tribes living there - the desert people really drink hot tea. they ferment the milk either into cheese or yoghurt. meat is a bigger part of their diet than milk. milk by itself is actually dehydrating.
and milk as good source of calcium - the netherlands and india (whose stats i am a little aware on in this matter) have pretty high incidence of osteoporosis - ie brittle bone. and they are high consumers of milk and dairy products.
Milk - and yogurt and cheese etc, - is a great and easy source of calcium. Other sources (dark leafy greens) are somehow always less popular among those who need the calcium. Like growing children.
Actually milk has half the calcium as soy milk and almond milk do. But the US dairy industry sure doesn't want that to become common knowledge.
Actually milk has half the calcium as soy milk and almond milk do. But the US dairy industry sure doesn't want that to become common knowledge.
The calcium in those milks are added - they are fortified. This is because the natural calcium in a soybean is not digestible by humans. I made my own soy, almond, and rice milk for many years and it is very true that I had to buy the CalMag liquid to add to it, for it to have any digestible calcium. Almonds, of course are better off in the calcium department, but still almond milk is not the same as eating an almond. In the milk, you are not getting the good fats that will help your body actually absorb the calcium, unfortunately.
If you're looking for calcium in milk, whole animal milk is the way to go! Gives you the fat you need to actually use the calcium :) That said, I hate the taste of cow's milk LOL! I do love some whole milk yogurt and cheese, though .. yum yum!
To clarify: I know that both have lots of nutritional value. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about health benefits -- I know that's linked to nutrition in some ways but I don't mean simply a source of calcium or a source of fiber or protein. I mean, has anyone seen other health benefits from INCLUDING one or both in their diets the way so many report seeing health benefits from EXCLUDING them?
i am not sure if you will find that kind of info OP.
technically there is no health benefit to eating meat right? even vitamin B12 right. you can meet the protein requirement very well being vegan or vegetarian.
so what could be the health benefits of eating meat? i see gluten and dairy the same way.
do you know what i just learnt from a scientific paper in my nutri class. the higher the family income the lesser the 'bread' intake. which is why in general - rich people are not that obese. statistically. fascinating stuff.
That's true, I suppose. It just seems like there's such a wide array of "issues" that are helped or solved by cutting these two things out that it made me wonder if there is possibly any unique benefit to them. Of course, everything I have been reading lately points to just about every food, whole or not, potentially causing or exacerbating health issues of one kind or another, so it leaves me wondering what the heck I should be eating!
That's an interesting study. It makes me wonder though -- I don't know anyone (wealthy or not) who doesn't eat "normal" amounts of bread other than a few celiac/IBD/gluten intolerant friends. Some are huge, some are thin, although of course my thinnest friend is gluten intolerant, and my chunkiest two LOVE bread. sigh I'm just mad b/c I finally mastered bread and pizza dough and LOVE to bake it more than sweets now. And I keep ending up feeling (knowing) that I should not be eating it.
sigh I'm just mad b/c I finally mastered bread and pizza dough and LOVE to bake it more than sweets now. And I keep ending up feeling (knowing) that I should not be eating it.
oh mama everything is not lost yet. it just means more learning. if you have the $$$s you can master gluten free pizza and bread. seriously (if you enjoy cooking - find it an adventure) then you can continue eating pizza and bread without gluten. i have mastered gluten free pancakes (some white rice flour coz its more binding, some brown rice flour and buckwheat flour) because dd can eat it. her body rejects gluten pancake. or should i say her tongue. she 'll take a bite of it and not eat anymore. which is a problem at sleepovers because pancake is the favourite breakfast.
you will also discover many parts of the world does not put dairy on their pizza. armenia puts mayo on their pizza and its delicious. also you will be surprised that pizza is a traditional food in many countries of the world but its not called pizza. meat on a thin tortilla like crust is what russian pizza is. i think its called pizza mostly for the younger non immigrant children of immigrant parents or grandparents so they can relate.
i am grateful to a starch sensitive friend and a friend with rheumatoidal arthiritis for giving me an opportunity to experiment.
however i am a veggie person. how to cook and eat veggies i have never seen or heard of before. THAT is my own challenge that i enjoy.
I thought the rich have less obesity because they can afford personal trainers.
are you being facetious here? are you implying that the rich exercise more? That is a fallacy. Yes of course hollywood can get their figures back so much quickly after birth is because they work out for their profession, but that doesnt include others.
this is the article http://www.cpc.unc.edu/projects/nutrans/publications/Popkin%20Nutr%20Trans%20IJO%202004.pdf
the author also wrote this fascinating book:
Diet and Disease in the Developing World
what is key these days is not just what we eat - but the whole culture of food.
and unfortunately as the US realises how bad the 'culture' of food has been here with industrialising food, the developing countries are now getting into the 'wonder bread' culture. cooking is now seen as a waste of time. its more about earning money rather than spending time cooking a healthy meal for your family.
Agreed that I think the personal trainer comment must've been said tongue-in-cheek.
And the bread study is old and should be easy to find. I think it was specifically that they ate less white bread vs. bread overall but I could be remembering wrong.
Vegans can get the protein they need without meat but I personally think this takes some level of skill to ensure it happens. So not impossible, but not exactly a no-brainer.
The dairy studies I saw (and I didn't do an extensive search, but saw maybe 5-6) linking dairy to obesity didn't state whether or not they used milk without Bovine Growth Hormone. I also saw studies linking dairy to an increase in Insulin Growth Factor and cancer with the same problem. I have to wonder if the potential was there for the growth hormone to be the problem vs. dairy on it's own. I should look to see if there are newer studies on this. Someone on here that's digging might want to keep those thoughts in mind. Similarly, I didn't find data on pasture-raised cattle or raw dairy where obesity (or IGF and cancer) is concerned.
Also agreeing that bioindividuality plays a huge role in why this eating regimen works wonders for one person and does nothing for the next. When you study a LOT of eating regimens, you find a few commonalities across the board--but very few. One person's miracle is another person's poison.
Last, you are not getting the calcium you think you are from milk. When the gov't put out the new "My Plate" scenario, the researchers at Harvard got so ticked off that they put out their own version--which removed dairy. From their website:
and
Here is a link to their article on calcium and milk: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/calcium-and-milk/index.html
Not that Harvard is the be-all-end-all, but it was a place I knew I could find the information quickly and I think it's a reasonably reputable source to consider when looking at the available information.
Also agreeing that bioindividuality plays a huge role in why this eating regimen works wonders for one person and does nothing for the next.
YES!!! i have also found generational geographic eating plays a huge role in how we react. dont have any scientific paper to back me up but it seems logical to me. it was actually my OB who pointed it out to me. in his clinic he found japanese pregnant women could eat sushi right through out their pregnancy and seeing i was about to jump wagged his finger and said - nope the same does not apply to me.
i think our genes remember or some sort of food memory is passed down when one lives in an area for generations and eats teh same food.
just so you know i just dont get a joke unless its v. explicit.
i now get it 
Follow Mothering