The Gluten Effect

It is important to look for the true "source" of medical problems rather than simply treat the symptoms. However, a book simply saying that would not sell very well. So, the authors focus on gluten. They provide a very well done biological background of how gluten can cause impacts throughout the body. Then, the next 80% of the book identifies just about every possible symptom of gluten sensitivity. While the language is couched in reluctant probability, the reader will still come out thinking they must be gluten sensitive.

One of the authors has spoken a few times at our office. Her public lectures are much more balanced than the content of the book. In these she brought up many of the key points (such as seeking the root cause), but didn't go overboard in trying to tie every ailment under the sun to gluten. (She hardly mentioned gluten in the lectures.)

To be fair, some of the 'symptoms' attributed to gluten are even said to impact only a very small percentage of the population. However, the amount of space devoted to these ailments makes it seem much more significant. (Its like a car add where they show all these "bad" things that the car can do, while having a small disclaimer run across the screen.) Luckily, the book also has bold headings for every paragraph, making it simple to skim through the lame parts.