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232 points BostonFern | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.229s | source
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throwawaygluten ◴[] No.41856131[source]
Anecdotal, but this (likely) happened to me. For a year, my body could not digest gluten. My doctors tested me for celiac antibodies and all tests came back negative.

A gastroenterologist asked if I had taken anti-biotics at any point. I had: 12 months prior I had gone swimming near a landfill, gotten sick, and my primary care doctor had prescribed antibiotics (suspecting giardia). This final GI doctor asked if I had taken probiotics after my regimen of antibiotics. I had not. He ordered a colonoscopy (I think the prep process for that itself – a hard reset – may have done something therapeutic) and I was prescribed probiotics (viz: over-the-counter refrigerated Natren Megadophilus pills, refrigerated MegaFood MegaFlora pills, and refrigerated Bio-K Plus drinks). After the scope prep, scope, and two weeks of probiotics, I could eat gluten again.

I've shared this story with others but wish I had more evidence so that it might have been written up in a way that helped others like Anders. It was frustrating that none of the many providers I saw during that year tied the giardia incident (in my chart) to gluten intolerance (some instead made mild allusions to psychosomatic IBS) until the final gastroenterologist (my hero! I am forever grateful) but I can't complain. Ever since that difficult year, I have tremendous empathy for those with allergies and intolerances, especially for those with celiac.

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consumer451 ◴[] No.41864733[source]
This is entirely anecdotal, and n=1, but I have seen a sailing YouTuber who claimed that she was unable to tolerate gluten in the USA, but once in Europe there was no problem. She assumed that it was related to agri-chem in the USA.

Does anyone know which grain related agricultural products are used in the USA and not in the EU?

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1. RickS ◴[] No.41866056[source]
My partner has celiac, and has mentioned something like this, but rather than chemicals, it purportedly had to do with heirloom seed strains. europe apparently has more variation among the same crop, and they're also closer to the things our body evolutionary expects since that entire region is much older w/r/t western diet. the USA has basically been hyperoptimizing a monoculture in relative isolation to such a degree that it's kindof its own thing, and some people's bodies don't tolerate it well. now, is this actually supported by a mountain of evidence? I don't know. But at a glance, it at least sounds plausible.