I Need A Safe Rice. Reacting To Lundberg Time, And Time Again.

[CNV2855]

I'm probably far more sensitive and to a lot more substances than your average poster here.  I also have a sulphite intolerance in addition to being very sensitive to gluten, and I almost undoubtedly react to gluten free oats.  Salicylates are also something I react to.

 

The problem is that I do amazing on a diet consisting of potatoes and butter, with nothing else, but this isn't enough to sustain me nutritionally.  The potatoes work because there really isn't a risk of contamination because I'm able to peel off the exterior, with the starches being somewhat protected from pesticides, contamination, or what not through processing.  

 

Now I should be able to tolerate rice, and I love rice, so I bought a lot of Lundberg Sushi (also tried brown rice) rice and I did a heavy trial where I ate nothing but rice for the past week.  

 

I have been experiencing severe symptoms throughout the week.  I'll wake up, have a small amount of energy, eat rice, and literally pass out/fall asleep sitting up.  It's almost like I'm being hit by a tranquilizer and this is one of the symptoms I get to something I shouldn't be eating.  However, rice has no salicylates, and I'm rinsing it well, it isn't sulphited, so... I don't understand why I'm reacting to it.

I have been "awake" less than 5 hours a day ever since I began trialing this rice.  It was DEFINITELY getting me, and getting me good.

 

The only thing I can think of is oat contamination with Lundberg products.  I'd hate to cut rice out for good just because of contamination with one product... so are there any non-oat contaminated rices out there that you guys can tolerate?  

[Joe0123]

It's tough, I've been looking for a safe rice myself.  I have reacted to Lundberg, Della, Alter Eco and Planet Rice.  Lotus Foods rice is one brand I haven't tried that might be safe, I don't know if others here have tried it or currently eat it.  I'm about ready to give up looking for a safe rice :/

[Celiac Mindwarp]

I know I wouldn't be able to function on rice alone for long.

Do yo have any safe foods you could have too? I have done very well having a palm sized piece of protein, surrounded by fresh veggies, and good fats, with a little carbs.

Good luck working it out

[dilettantesteph]

I finally found a rice that I don't react to.  I got it at a local Asian market.  It is a product of Thailand, and I looked for a lot of Thai writing on the package so that I could be sure that it had also been packaged in Thailand.  Yeah!  I haven't yet tried it unwashed, but washed I don't react to it.

[SensitiveMe]

I use a rice called A Taste of Thai Jasmine Rice. I also cannot tolerate oats as well as corn and soy. It has never given me a bit of problems, is grown in Thailand, and labeled Glutenfree, and best of all is delicious and takes only 15 minutes to cook in a pan on the stove. I get it at my local ShopRite grocery store but it is not with the regular rices there and is in a section they have for oriental products.

 

It does have 3 grams of protein but I don't find rice to be that nutritious for me and so more often than rice I will eat quinoa which has considerably more protein and which also has fiber, amino acids. B vitamins and iron. But that is me...I am very yet underweight, not feeling that well and don't eat as much as I should be able to yet and so quinoa is a better choice for me at this time. Still I love this rice when I eat it though and think it well worth the price of about $4 a box of about 1lb.

[tarnalberry]

Have you considered that this isn't a "reaction" to the food, but rather blood sugar swings that are causing the problems.  Eating the way you described in your first post would make me feel like death lightly warmed over.

 

Also, you could just have an intolerance to rice itself.

[Gemini]

Have you considered that this isn't a "reaction" to the food, but rather blood sugar swings that are causing the problems.  Eating the way you described in your first post would make me feel like death lightly warmed over.

 

Also, you could just have an intolerance to rice itself.

 Here is something worth reading:  Open Original Shared Link

 

I would agree that maybe the reaction is not from cover crops or gluten itself but an intolerance to rice or the blood sugar swings.  After reading this article on the degree Lundberg goes to ensure a safe and clean product, I don't see how a cover crop could possibly cause a reaction, by the time the manufacturing process is completed. 

[1desperateladysaved]

 Here is something worth reading:  Open Original Shared Link

 

I would agree that maybe the reaction is not from cover crops or gluten itself but an intolerance to rice or the blood sugar swings.  After reading this article on the degree Lundberg goes to ensure a safe and clean product, I don't see how a cover crop could possibly cause a reaction, by the time the manufacturing process is completed. 

I read it, but it wasn't clear to me if  wheat or other gluten grains may have been harvested with the same equipment.  Did anyone pick that up?

[dilettantesteph]

I know that Lundberg takes great care, and I appreciate it..  I still can't eat it without having symptoms, and I can eat rice from another source.  Of course, it could always be for some other reason, but the oat cover crop seems the most likely since I am sensitive to oats.

[Gemini]

I read it, but it wasn't clear to me if  wheat or other gluten grains may have been harvested with the same equipment.  Did anyone pick that up?

Lundberg only grows and sells rice based products so there would be no other gluten grains harvested with their crop.

[Kamma]

Would the sensitivity be to the avenin protein in the oat cover crop?

 

It's my understanding that the avenin shares similarities with the gliadin proteins of wheat.

 

Coeliac Australia advises that:

 

"Gluten is the name given to the protein in wheat, rye, barley and oats that affect people with coeliac disease. It is a composite name representing

• Gliadin in Wheat
• Hordein in Barley
• Secalin in Rye
• Avenin in Oats

The current tests for gluten can measure gliadin, hordein, and secalin but not avenin as it is a slightly different protein. Accordingly it is prohibited under the Food Standards Code to use oats in foods labelled or advertised as gluten free. When people discuss gluten free oats (and laboratories advise that oats are gluten free) what should be said is that they are free from wheat (and rye, barley) gliadin i.e. there is no measurable contamination.

 

Avenin is an essential part of oats (as gliadin is with wheat). Oats will never be gluten (i.e. avenin) free [even if they are described as gluten (i.e. gliadin) free]. As mentioned in The Australian Coeliac magazine on several occasions, Dr Robert Anderson has found that approximately 1:5 people with coeliac disease react to pure uncontaminated oats i.e. they react to oat avenin.

 

Since we cannot determine who is the 1:5 and we know that damage can occur in the absence of symptoms, Dr Anderson’s advice (and Coeliac Australia’s) is that oats should not be consumed without a biopsy prior to and during consumption."

 

Referenced here:  Open Original Shared Link

[Deaminated Marcus]

I agree with tarnalberry, it could be a high blood sugar reaction.

 

Can you mix vegetables in your rice?, like steamed broccoli and carrots - yum.

[IrishHeart]

Have you considered that this isn't a "reaction" to the food, but rather blood sugar swings that are causing the problems.  Eating the way you described in your first post would make me feel like death lightly warmed over.

 

Also, you could just have an intolerance to rice itself.

 

 

I agree, You are not eating much at all, hon.  You need more variety and sustenance. I would feel pretty punk eating just potatoes and butter.

 

Lundberg only grows and sells rice based products so there would be no other gluten grains harvested with their crop.

 

and I have never had a reaction to Lundberg rice and I'm a pretty sensitive sort.

[stanleymonkey]

Try the bags of rice from predominantly Chinese stores brands that are from the Philippines etc, they rarely grow wheat there, and rice tends to be grown in paddys in the middle of nowhere

[dilettantesteph]

I knew about Thailand, but not the Philippines.  I guess they do grow some wheat there: Open Original Shared Link  I guess hardly any as this source, a USDA report dated 3/2013, Open Original Shared Link

says that there is no commercial production of wheat, barley or oats in the Philippines.

 

Thanks

[elocin71]

I have been experiencing severe symptoms throughout the week.  I'll wake up, have a small amount of energy, eat rice, and literally pass out/fall asleep sitting up.  It's almost like I'm being hit by a tranquilizer and this is one of the symptoms I get to something I shouldn't be eating.  However, rice has no salicylates, and I'm rinsing it well, it isn't sulphited, so... I don't understand why I'm reacting to it.  I have been "awake" less than 5 hours a day ever since I began trialing this rice.  It was DEFINITELY getting me, and getting me good.

 

when i was looking for a gluten-free protein shake for my daughters, my naturopath had two to offer me:  one rice-based and one bean-based.  she said she had to switch to the bean-based because when she would drink the rice one, should would get so sleepy that she would almost fall asleep in her chair while she was with patients.  i don't think she explained to me the reason for it, only that she couldn't tolerate it.  so maybe it's not a contamination issue?  i wonder if it's a blood-sugar issue as white rice is a 89/100.

[Pegleg84]

I also think it could be either a blood-sugar issue, or just your body not being able to handle that much rice. If you're used to just eating potatoes (and you should be eating more than just potatoes!), then your gut might not be able to handle all the rice, regardless of any contamination issues. I know I can't handle too much rice at once without problems.

 

However, if you want to avoid contamination, imported thai jasmine might be best, though I've been told that basmati is easier to digest. I buy giant 10kg bags of rice for cheap at the asian grocery and it lasts a few months, and have never had contamination issues. Of course, always rinse it.

(Lundberg and other US-grown rice also has the risk of arsenic contamination from the soil, so I've been avoiding it even though I'd prefer to buy non-imported rice. Don't know the long-term health effects of that yet).

 

Eat veggies and protein with your rice, whatever you can handle.

[1desperateladysaved]

My functional medicine nurse thought that my problems with rice may stem from yeast problems.

[minnasagi]

I recently started ordering rice (and beans) online from Shiloh Farms, on the recommendation of Jane Anderson, About Celiac (at about.com). It is Certified Gluten Free, and thus less than 10 ppm. (For what it's worth, I also order my flours and other grains from Nuts.com, or the same reason--Certified Gluten Free. It's expensive, but less expensive than losing a day or more to being glutened, and less expensive than processed food..)

[kareng]

I recently started ordering rice (and beans) online from Shiloh Farms, on the recommendation of Jane Anderson, About Celiac (at about.com). It is Certified Gluten Free, and thus less than 10 ppm. (For what it's worth, I also order my flours and other grains from Nuts.com, or the same reason--Certified Gluten Free. It's expensive, but less expensive than losing a day or more to being glutened, and less expensive than processed food..)

Certified gluten free only needs to be to 20 ppm , in the US, when the law goes into effect. So, my point is, you can't be sure they are testing at less than 10 ppm without asking. Many do use lower tests.

[minnasagi]

Certified gluten free only needs to be to 20 ppm , in the US, when the law goes into effect. So, my point is, you can't be sure they are testing at less than 10 ppm without asking. Many do use lower tests.

 

By "Certified Gluten Free," I don't mean labeled gluten free. Some companies go out of their way to get products tested and certified by the Gluten Free Certification Organization, part of the Gluten Intolerance Group. Those products test at less than 10 ppm--or they don't get the certification. 

 

Things that are *labeled* gluten free now have no accountability, but will--as you point out--next year, when the labelling law goes into effect; at that point, anything simply labelled gluten-free will need to be 20 ppm or less. Unfortunately, for many on this forum, 20 ppm doesn't do the trick

 

. I recommend the Gluten Free Certification website to folks (Open Original Shared Link), with the caveat that its search function isn't very helpful now as they re-construct it. (There was a time when you could find the individual products that were certified. Having brand names--all that they offer now--isn't that useful, because those brands often make other products that are not gluten free, or gluten free enough for certification.) On products you find in the store or online, however, anything that has the gluten-free in a circle is either certified, or baldly misrepresenting itself. And they watch out for forgeries and warn of them on their website.

[kareng]

Thank you for clearing up which certification/labeling of gluten-free you are talking about.  We seem to have various versions of gluten free labeling in the US right now so not everything is tested to 10 ppm. Many members will post that something is certified gluten free but not be referring to the same agency you are.  Thus, my comment that they shouldn't assume a certain level of testing without further looking into it.

 

 

Just checked a few items I have.  I see the little gluten-free in the circle , one says "Certified gluten free" but just a G and F - no circle, a certified gluten-free with a "no wheat" symbol, and one that says tested gluten free.  So you can see why people might be confused at what levels foods are tested.  I would have to email most of them to see what the testing levels are. 

[kareng]

This would make a good topic in the gluten free labeling section.  We could link to different agencies and companies and their testing policies.  Might be very helpful, especially for New members.