I just spent nearly a month in France and felt incredible—no bloat, perfect regularity, and great energy levels. This was a shock since I was consuming way more gluten, dairy, and alcohol than my usual diet. A typical day involved a morning pastry, a multi-course lunch with wine and bread after walking, then a late dinner with even more wine and dessert. I was easily drinking several glasses of wine daily without any sluggishness. I’m trying to figure out if it’s the superior ingredient quality in Europe, the lack of additives like xanthan gum (which I noticed in all my US snacks), or just the lack of stress while on vacation.
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“According to Google, France has banned several additives like titanium dioxide, azodicarbonamide, and specific dyes like Red 40 that are common elsewhere. You might want to try an elimination diet. Are there any GI specialists here who can weigh in?”
As someone with Crohn’s, I’ve had the same weird experience where my symptoms vanished while abroad only to return once I got home. I’d love to understand the actual biological reason for this.
The American food system is essentially a chemical experiment run by corporations like PepsiCo and Monsanto to maximize profit. They’ve lobbied for a lack of oversight, allowing them to pack food with pesticides and GMOs. Meanwhile, the EU has strict rules against inflammatory and carcinogenic ingredients. It’s likely not the bread itself, but the glyphosate-soaked GMO wheat used in the US. You should check out this podcast episode on the topic, and I also suggest using the Yuka app to scan for hidden additives.
Don’t buy into the idea that it’s just because you were walking more. I walk constantly in the States, yet European food is still much kinder to my digestion. There is definitely something different about US food standards. I’ve actually been using Finnesa lately to help bridge the gap when I’m back home, and it seems to help. Something is definitely off with the food supply here compared to the EU.
It isn’t just the relaxation factor. I live in the Netherlands now, and even when I visit the US for a ‘stress-free’ holiday, my stomach gets absolutely wrecked. The issue is definitely the food quality in the States.
I’m not sure why, but I’m gluten intolerant in America and totally fine in Europe. From what I’ve gathered, the US uses high-gluten red wheat while Europe uses white durum, plus there’s the pesticide factor. I only realized gluten was my issue a few years back; cutting it out solved so many problems for me.