Furious!

[Kailynsmom]

hey Guys!

Once again I turn here for help.

Kailyn got sick a few days ago after eating a wal-mart brand yogurt. I ahve been on their website all morning, and on the phone with them for 2 hours! They do not have the gluten content information, and keep transfering me to different departments!

Has anyone else had problems with Walmart or with their yogurts? They are the ones that are labled "great value", and are the blended variety.

Help!!! I'm still on hold with them

In the mean time, beware of Wal-Mart and don't rely on them for product information

[Kailynsmom]

Finally...got an amswer....sort of.

Lady at corportare headquarters said that though she still cannot tell me if the modified food starch contains gluten, the yogurts are manufactured in same plant with wheat, so it could just be cross contamination.

She also said that Wal-Mart's policy is that if their product is 100% positively gluten-free the label will say so....got any boxes of walmart rice anyone??!!

Good God. So sorry I interupted their day to ask a medical question!!!

[CeliacMe]

As a general rule, anything that says "modified food starch", I do not eat. Maybe you should follow this rule as well. Stonyfield makes yummy, wholesome, gluten-free yogurt, you should try it.

Finally...got an amswer....sort of.

Lady at corportare headquarters said that though she still cannot tell me if the modified food starch contains gluten, the yogurts are manufactured in same plant with wheat, so it could just be cross contamination.

She also said that Wal-Mart's policy is that if their product is 100% positively gluten-free the label will say so....got any boxes of walmart rice anyone??!!

Good God. So sorry I  interupted their day to ask a medical question!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[lovegrov]

I'd have to agree that if it says MFS and you don't know if it's gluten-free, it shouldn't be eaten. That said, yogurt is generally gluten-free.

richard

[Claire]

While being gluten conscious it is all too easy to forget that there all other possibilities.

As she goes gluten-free sensitivies to other things may show up that were there before but not so easy to distinguish. Also the milk protein could be an issue.

Did I ever tell anyone here that I hate Wal-Mart. I tell my daughter all the time! Claire

[kevsmom]

MFS could be made with wheat or corn. You shouldn't eat it unless it specifies Modified Corn Starch.

[bluelotus]

As a general rule, anything that says "modified food starch", I do not eat.  Maybe you should follow this rule as well.  Stonyfield makes yummy, wholesome, gluten-free yogurt, you should try it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've reacted to Stoneyfield soy yogurt though, so be careful, though everyone is different (I dont' want to deal with the Stoneyfield topic again.....just wanted to add a little caution).

[CeliacMe]

I am reffering to the plain whole flavor in the large container. Most yogurts, I find, have some starch in them, so as a general rule for me, I do not eat yogurt, except for plain in the large container. Most of the smaller containers are "low fat" or "low carb" or have a million ingredients in them, some of which are questionable. If you cannot have milk, I wouldn't reccomend it.

I've reacted to Stoneyfield soy yogurt though, so be careful, though everyone is different (I dont' want to deal with the Stoneyfield topic again.....just wanted to add a little caution).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[bluelotus]

Good choice. When I could eat dairy, I used to buy the plain and add homemade jam to it......very yummy.

[jenvan]

Yes, note that Stonyfield only says plain yogurt is gluten-free. I am guessing since you are buying walmart brand, you are looking for a lower priced yogurt. Stonyfield is going to be more... Yoplait is a good brand--they say all their yogurts are gluten-free. Note--Dannon does not say that.

[darlindeb25]

As a rule--I never buy Dannon and I also will not purchase anything that says modified food starch unless it is from Kraft--Kraft always list allergens. I love Colombo yogurt--it is made my Yoplait, I think, but it is gluten free--some Kroger yogurts are, most Yoplait is---------Bluelotus, maybe you cant have soy either, I know I cant.

My big disappointment on Long Island--the dairy companies do not know how to make a good tasting cottage cheese. I miss Kroger so much here. I loved their cottage cheese. Here we have Friendship brands, but I cannot eat the cottage cheese--ewwwwwwwwwwww. I can buy Breakstone here, but I dont like it very well. Like I said--I miss Kroger, Country Fresh, and Pairie Farms---none of these here on the island --Deb

[bluelotus]

Thank you for the thoughts,darlindeb25, but I can handle soy - I used to drink silk soy milk all the time and never had any problems. Then I decided to cut out corn and, as such, had to give up silk b/c silk uses corn based flavoring. Other brands of soy yogurt were fine for me, never had any problems with any other brands. Silk makes an excellent yogurt - their lime is especially good.

[Kailynsmom]

Thanks for all the responses.

And yes, Kailyn has always had issues with lactose intolerance, but her GI dr seems to think that after about 6-12 months gluten-free that she may be able to tolerate milk again after healing takes place. We'll see....

I do buy yoplait, but she doesn't like the fruit chunks (the best part, right?) in the yogurt. The stonyfield are good, but waaaayyyy to expensive.

Does anybody know if there is a way to get help with the cost of gluten-free foods since they're medically necessary?

Anybody have any ideas for my youngest? Emma is 12 months and is still on soy formula. She weaned from breastmilk at 10 months to milk based formula only to get diahhrea. Dr said try soy, and she's done great. At one year, we tried milk again, and same problem. here's the kicker....her ped told me to put her on silk (soy milk) and she still got diahhrea....even though she does fine on soy forumula....What the heck?

I know lactose intolerance is common in celiac disease people, but what about soy? And any other ideas? Her pediatrician told me to keep her on the formula till she's 2! Between gluten-free food and Emma's formula, we're going bankrupt...a single parent can only work so much! Help

[lovegrov]

Because there are so many regular foods that are naturally gluten free, you really can't get any help with buying expensive specialty foods. In fact, I'd say it's better for your health to avoid gluten-free breads and other items packed with fat and calories.

richard

[bluelotus]

I agree with you, Richard, but my mom was a single mother, so I know that convenience is a God-send verses having to make your own jams, sauces, breads, etc all the time. Maybe Richard meant that it might be best to keep meals simple? That can cut the price if you use basics like potatos and rice for your starches, basic meat, and veggies. This way you can avoid the pricey breads as a side dish.

Prices of the gluten-free stuff are incredible. Good thing your children are young, so they don't have big tummies to eat lots of gluten-free bagels, cookies, or anything else extremely pricey! I've heard some insurance companies will cover the cost of food, but I haven't looked into it. Maybe something to consider? If you have time to cook on the weekends, maybe you can make big batches of homemade, gluten-free, kid friendly food? This stuff is cheaper to make at home (though at first, the prices of the flours are pretty tough to swallow too).

I am sorry to hear about your formula issue. Maybe you should post that question under the parenting section? Not sure if Moms going through similar things would notice this question more easily that way, but its worth a try......

[Kailynsmom]

I do try to keep it simple...I am not a chef type by any means...but I feel like she eats the same thing all the time

yogurt, cheese, milk

hot dogs, bologna

canned or fresh fruits and veggies...'

it's just so boring.

I have found mrs leepers hamburger helper meals and she likes those, as well as envirokids rice krispies treats, but what else is there?

It's only been four months since we went gluten-free, but I am already seeing why people on this board say they're tired of eating the same thing all the time

***We did try pork chops last night, dipped in egg then in crumpled Lay's potato chips and she loved it!! Wooo-hooo!

[ms-sillyak-screwed]

I guess I get a free pass to join your club today. I spent the entire day on the phone with Walmart 1800-WALMART to get some answers to the tuna packs walmart makes/sells under their name brand. Anyway, The ingredients list: light tuna, water, VEGETABLE BROTH, salt. Vegetable broth is SOY... soy is what is making many of us Celiac's with thyroid problems sick. I feel your frustration. Just like "modified food starch", I went through the same thing with Walmart today and the lame people on the phones, they disconnect you or put you in the endless Q, or send you to V-mail hell. I'm not kidding it took me all day.

But the good thing is the last guy I spoke to in the food allergy dept had food allergies himself (dairy) I spoke to him about celiac disease. I gave him our web site here and spent about 20 minutes giving an education about our disease.

If each and every one of us with celiac disease would take 10 minutes a day and talk to strangers about celiac disease we can spread the word. I do it. No kidding! I don't care if they want to listen or not I tell them about it. I feel that they might know someone, have a relative, loved one, or store the information in their little memory banks to call upon perhaps years later it will ring a bell and it will help someone else. Because celiac disease does KILL. No matter what the doctors say.

The new label laws will help us but a lot of the food on the shelves doesn't have the new labels and so until people buy it and it's replaced with the new labels we keep getting sick not knowing what we are eating.

Stay well my Celiac cyberspace friends

[elfkin]

I thought you could get tax help with gluten-free foods? Isn't this a form of reimbursement? I am referring to using the difference in the cost of regular bread vs. gluten-free as a medical expense.

[Ursa Major]

Kailynsmom, children DO NOT need milk or a milk substitute (or formula) after they are weaned. That is a myth put out by the dairy industry. Soy formula is about the worst thing you can give any baby, it is very unhealthy and will cause health issues down the road. Unfortunately, most doctors don't have a clue about that. They also have bought into the nonsense that you need milk to get enough calcium. Because of pasteurization (heating) the milk, the enzyme which allows us to even use the calcium in milk is destroyed, meaning, it is entirely useless to us.

My husband's grandmother was severely allergic to milk all her life and never had any dairy after being weaned. When she fell and fractured her femur at the age of 98, it was found that she didn't even have a trace of osteoporosis, and within half a year she walked again!

Leafy green vegetables have lots of calcium. If your daughter won't eat those, give her a good supplement. Give her juice and water to drink instead of soy formula, that would be an awful lot healthier. All four of my grandchildren are dairy intolerant, two are soy intolerant as well. They use rice dream on their cereal and like it just fine. They drink water and occasionally juice, and they're healthy. They do take a good multivitamin and extra vitamin C every day. The youngest is 18 months, and never had milk since being weaned, and doesn't need it.

In our family many people are dairy or lactose intolerant, including my youngest daughter (14). Again, she never had milk since being weaned. She is tall (5'9") and healthy. She uses rice dream on her cereal as well.

[Guest Robbin]

Ursula, what are the problems with soy formula that you mentioned? I am interested because that is what my oldest child had to drink since I had no milk and he couldn't tolerate cow's milk or goat's milk. Thanks

[Ursa Major]

Open Original Shared Link

How Safe is Soy Infant Formula?

By David Goodman

New research suggests high concentrations of manganese found in soybean-based baby formula can lead to brain damage in infants and altered behaviors in adolescents.

Dr. Francis Crinella, clinical professor of pediatrics at UC-Irvine, and Trinh Tran, a graduate researcher at the UC-Davis Department of Animal Studies, have described how the soybean plant lifts up manganese in the soil and concentrates it so that its use in soy-based infant formula can result in as many as 200 times the level found in natural breast milk.

These and other experts believe that such high concentrations could pose a threat to the immature metabolic systems of babies up to 6 months of age.

The size of the market for soy-based infant formula is held closely, and none of the producers contacted by Insight would reveal sales figures. An independent expert estimates the market for all infant formula to be about $3 billion, with soy-based formula accounting for about $750 million of that, having doubled in the last 10 years.

The best-selling brand is Isomil (Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories), followed by Enfamil ProSobee (Mead Johnson), Nursoy (Wyeth-Ayerst) and Alsoy (Carnation).

According to Crinella and Tran, the discovery of potential harm from such products began in 1980 when a federal agency then called the Food and Nutrition Board established safe and acceptable values for manganese in adults, toddlers and infants.

Permissible levels for the three age groups ranged from 2.5 to 3 mg per day for adults, 1 to 1.5 mg per day for toddlers and 0.5 to 1 mg per day for infants under 6 months. This job now is handled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which today permits 0.6 mg per day for infants, 120 times the amount found in mother's milk.

The FDA says that in the next few months it will lower the guidelines.

Ruth Welch, an FDA spokeswoman, confirms that a report will recommend a minimum of only 0.005 mg of manganese a day and no maximum for infants up to age 6 months.

Despite government assurances of safety at the recommended levels, the professional literature shows that in 1983 Phillip Collipp, a pediatric physician at Nassau County [N.Y.] Medical Center, tested infant formula for manganese in popular soy brands, including Isomil, ProSobee and Nursoy, purchased locally. He published data showing that they contained from 0.2 mg to 1 mg per quart. Later that year, Drs. Bo Loennerdal and Carl Keen of the UC-Davis Department of Nutrition tested formula taken from pharmacy shelves worldwide.

They found higher manganese concentrations in soy formulas, ranging from 0.4 mg to 2.2 mg; the mean value of 1.2 mg vastly exceeded the infinitesimal 0.005 mg found in mother's breast milk.

After the research by Collipp, Loennerdal and Keen, nutritional scientists worldwide reported that newborn babies, in symbiosis with their mothers during the first weeks, absorbed most of the manganese in breast milk. The tiny amounts the baby suckles a dozen times a day appear to function as a catalyst for more than 50 biochemical reactions. This suggests a newborn's digestive system is superbly attuned to absorb the infinitesimal levels of manganese in mother's milk, and that, in fact, it is essential to the development process.

At least some of this soy formula, which tested at up to 200 times the manganese of breast milk clearly has the potential to overload the infant's little body.

Lönnerdal says the baby's immature liver cannot handle the manganese load by excreting the excess. In newborns, ingested manganese rises to high levels in the blood plasma and red blood cells, then permeates the liver, kidneys and other soft tissues of the body, including the brain. He believes, however, that by the time of weaning, when the infant normally consumes solid food, it can metabolize manganese.

Crinella calculated that by the age of 8 months an infant fed soy formula daily absorbs approximately 1.1 mg of manganese above metabolic need. "A significant amount, about 8 percent, is deposited in a brain region vulnerable to threat of manganese attack," he says.

Six years ago, tragic incidents in two London hospitals, the Hospital for Sick Children and Queen Elizabeth's Hospital for Children, alerted the medical community to the vulnerability of sick babies to manganese attacks on the brain. Suffering from liver disease, the babies had received nutrient solutions containing recommended amounts of manganese through an intravenous tube. The manganese had no greater concentration than in soy formula and was considered safe by government standards, but after a few months the infant brains showed damage.

Of 57 babies receiving "safe" amounts of manganese, two fell ill with movement disorders and six suffered damage to their basal ganglia when examined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Also, Crinella has done extensive studies on the effect of manganese in adolescents. His research detected relatively high levels of manganese in the scalp hair of hyperactive children when compared with matched control subjects.

Crinella at first was puzzled by the high manganese levels in hyperactive children. The only exposure of his subjects had to be through diet, yet California has historic low levels of manganese in its soil, air and water. Because adolescents metabolize at least 97 percent of manganese ingested, the exposure had to have occurred earlier in life, possibly from manganese in baby food, or (as his research proceeded further) soy-based infant formula. Could elevated manganese be a clue to the current epidemic of adolescent violence sweeping the nation?

Crinella did a study with rats and manganese supplementation and the results were clear-cut: Rats given 0.05 mg. of manganese daily for 18 days in the amount comparable with the manganese in breast milk did as well as the control group given no manganese. Rats given supplemental manganese five times higher at 0.25 mg daily suffered a precipitous decline in basal-ganglia dopamine of 48 percent. The rats dosed daily with the highest amount, 0.50 mg, had a plunge in dopamine by a staggering 63 percent.

"The brain undergoes a tremendous proliferation of neutrons, dentrites and synapses during the first months of life," Crinella says. "The brain especially is vulnerable in early life precisely because such rampant growth is taking place, and at that time intrusions by potentially toxic substances like manganese perturbing the emerging neural organization can exert long-term effects. Manganese ingested during a period of rapid brain growth and deposited in the critical basal ganglia region may affect behavior during puberty when powerful stresses are un- leashed on the dopamine neurons, and altered behavioral patterns appear."

These altered behavioral patterns during late childhood and early adolescence, according to Crinella, may be diagnosed as hyperactivity with attentional deficit - or perhaps as "manganese-toxicity syndrome."

Everett Hodges, founder of the Violence Research Foundation, thinks Crinella's case is overwhelming. "Criminals ages 16 and 17 years old today, some of them born to poor mothers between 1983 and 1984, could have received from the government soy formula with enough manganese to disrupt growing brains, and this may be why adolescents have difficulty restraining aggressive impulses now."

Dr. Stanley van den Noort, a member of the foundation's board, is former dean of the UC-Irvine College of Medicine. He says, "I think the data presented at the conference are convincing that manganese is a neurotoxin. Newborn infants exposed to high levels of manganese may be predisposed to neurological problems. We should exercise strong caution in the use of soy-based formula around the world."

Naomi Baumslag, clinical professor of pediatrics at Georgetown University Medical College and president of the Woman's Public Health Network, tells Insight, "Only 50 percent of newborns today suckle at the mother's breast even once. After six months, the number has fallen to only one mother in five. Often mothers for the sake of convenience plunk soy bottles into the infant's mouth. Why do so many mothers in the United States imagine they have given birth to a baby soybean instead of a human child?"

Baumslag goes further: "There is a great deal of scientific evidence that soy formula can be damaging to newborns, quite aside from the manganese." She says a tablespoon of soy formula can be dangerous both for what it does not have and for what it has.

That spoonful may be deficient in linoleic and oleic essential fatty acids, DHA-brain-growth factor, epidermal growth factor, lactoferrin, casomorphin and immune factors such as IgA, neutrophils, macrophages, T-cells, B-cells and interferon - all provided by the mother in breast milk to defend her baby.

On the other hand, Baumslag says, that spoonful does contain phytates, protease factors, soy lectins, enormous amounts of phytoproteins, and genistein and daidzen, both moderate estrogen mimics in humans.

"Why deprive the newborn infants of perfectly good breast milk - a nutritionally superior food in every way for the baby - and feed them soy beans?" Baumslag asks.

Insight Magazine

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

This is a new one for me with soy formula. I was not aware of its elevated manganese levels. I have known of the increased aluminum levels in soy.

The other significant issue are the estrogens in soy. A soy-fed baby receives the equivalent of five birth control pills' worth of estrogen every day. These babies' isoflavone levels were found to be from 13,000 to 22,000 times higher than in non-soy fed infants.

Open Original Shared Link (Link)

Environmental scientist and long-time campaigner against soy-based infant formulas, Dr Mike Fitzpatrick, has warned about the risk of thyroid disease in infants fed soy formulas, high soy consumers and users of isoflavone supplements:

"There is potential for certain individuals to consume levels of isoflavones in the range that could have goitrogenic effects. Most at risk appear to be infants fed soy formulas, followed by high soy users and those using isoflavone supplements".

The report noted that infants fed soy formulas are exposed to high levels of isoflavones, which are potent anti-thyroid agents, and that the risks to normal growth and development were significant.

Fitzpatrick stated that thyroid problems due to soy might not be recognised "due to difficulties in establishing a cause and effect relationship" and noted that even experienced soy researchers may be ignorant of the connection between isoflavones and goitre.

Fitzpatrick also rejected claims that there was no evidence that isoflavones in soy formulas harmed infants citing the reported cases of goitre that have occurred in infants fed iodine sufficient soy formulas.

Fitzpatrick stated his support to the position of the New Zealand Ministry of Health:

"The Ministry of Health has found that infants with a history of thyroid dysfunction should avoid soy formulas and soy milks. Additionally, there is potential for isoflavone exposure to cause chronic thyroid damage in all infants fed soy formulas" Fitzpatrick stated that exposing infants to isoflavones was unnecessary and that the risk of harm could be avoided if manufacturers removed isoflavones from soy formulas. "In the interim" he stated "it is appropriate for medical practitioners to monitor the thyroid status of infants fed soy formulas"

Fitzpatrick also claimed that high soy consumers and users of isoflavone supplements were also at risk of thyroid disorders. He stated that the subtle effects of anti-thyroid agents on thyroid function would most likely be evidenced as subclinical, or even overt hypothyroidism.

Fitzpatrick also noted that a sporadic pattern of soy use may also not be without risk since the resulting thyroid stimulation parallels the classic method for inducing thyroid tumours in laboratory animals. He recommended "a more cautionary approach to the use of soy and isoflavone supplements".

New Zealand Medical Journal (Volume 113, Feb 11, 2000)

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

Folks, soy formula is one of the worst foods that you could feed your child. Not only does it have profoundly adverse hormonal effects as discussed above, but it also has over 1000% more aluminum than conventional milk based formulas.

I don't recommend either, but if one, for whatever reason, cannot breast feed, then Carnation Good Start until six months and Carnation FollowUp after that seem to be the best commercial formula currently available. The milk protein is hydrolyzed 80% which tends to significantly decrease its allergenicity.

It is also important to note that when breast feeding it is wise to avoid drinking milk as it has been shown for several decades that the milk will pass directly into the breast milk which can cause potential problems in the infant.

Now, I don't believe everything Dr. Mercola says, as he can be over the top on a few things. But I have checked a lot of his links to the original sources and beyond when they still worked (they don't always after a couple of years, as the newspapers or magazines won't keep them forever), and have done research on soy independently, and believe what he says on soy to be true.

Robbin, I am sorry that this might get you to worry about your son, that wasn't my intention, of course. But unfortunately, the truth is the truth. And the soy industry has misled and brainwashed nearly everybody. The only safe soy products are the ones that have been fermented (which is what the Japanese people eat, they don't eat any unfermented soy at all, and even the fermented soy products sparingly, as condiments).

[ms-sillyak-screwed]

Wow... I know SOY is bad but now I understand why it's so bad. We really need to get the word out to all over other Celiac friends because they don't know the damage they are doing to their thyroid like I did.

About 5years ago when celiac disease grabbed a hold of me and the Celiac seizure were more frequent. I stopped all gluten and dairy. I replaced dairy with soy. Soy everything. I have been through several hurricanes in the last 2 years and I ate soy based everything. All of a sudden, or so I thought, I developed a hot nodule on my thyroid had the radioactive iodine treatment. What a nightmare! I have been eating soy up until I started to put a connection with my thyroid and my hair falling out in big gobs.

And reading --- Ursula -- and some others profiles over the last year I've realized what I did to myself.

So many Celiac's are setting them selves up for major thyroid problems if they aren't alerted.