Beware of Post's Fruity Pebbles Cereal, It is Not Free of Gluten!

[Mistikl9]

Hi, I recently bought a fruity pebbles cereal to my 11 y/o daughter, who is celiac, and I was a little worried about it having any cross contamination as it's not a certified gluten free product. Nevertheless, I decided to let her have some (since non of the ingredients listed contain gluten) and waited for her body to respond. She usually gets a headace and starts getting nauseous if she accidentally eats someting with gluten (which is what always happened before we knew she was celiac). So she ate her bowl of fruity pebbles and after a few minutes, she was fine, no discomfort at all. She was very happy she actually could have it since she really likes it. She continued eating it either as a snack or as breakfast during the same week we bought it, but it wasn't until the fourth day after having it as a snack when she started having a headache. The headache got stronger each hour. It lasted the whole afternoon and stayed through the night. I gave her ibuprofen to help ease the pain, but nothing. She couldn't sleep, and then at around 3:30 am, she started getting nauseous and started to vomit the fruity pebbles. The headache started getting better and she finally could fall asleep almost at 5am. 

I read in a celiac specialized website that some food colorings, depending on where they are made, can contain gluten ingredients.  Maybe that is what makes fruity pebbles unsafe for celiacs. I know parents should be aware of the risk of cross contamination and not trust the plain gluten free labels if the product is not Certified gluten-free, but these products should not be labeled as gluten free or listed in gluten free foods lists anywhere, especially when it is not for certain the amount of gluten it may be contaminated with, or cross-contaminated with.

I hope this message can help anyone who may not know much about how even a small amount of gluten can, and will, affect a person with celiac desease, not because of the vomit or the headache, but in the long run as consuming gluten can cause a person with celiac disease to develop other health issues including developing another auto immune disease such as Lupus or MS (multiple sclerosis). 

Be careful, don't trust companies' misleading labels! 

[Scott Adams]

Of course it's possible that there could have been a problem with a batch, but it's unlikely. Large companies tend to do a better, and not a worse job, of making sure that their products are gluten-free, once they decide to add "gluten-free" to their label, and this is due to their larger liability. 

However, her reaction could also could be related to the tons of other unhealthy things in that cereal, including but not limited to the high sugar content, food colorings, flavorings, etc. Really, it's more or less junk food so probably nobody should be eating it. 

So, if you quit eating it because you think it might not be gluten-free then you've likely made a healthier choice, whether or not it's true.

[knitty kitty]

Mistikl9,

I am sorry to hear about what happened with your daughter.  

I've had something similar happen.  I was on the AutoImmune Paleo Protocol diet (which promotes intestinal healing) and decided to expand my diet to include basmati rice and quinoa.  I got sick with headaches and upset tummy.  So, I'd go back to the AIP diet and after a few days, I'd feel a bit better. 

I did some investigation to find out why this was happening.  I learned about "high calorie malnutrition" which is eating too many carbohydrates without enough Thiamine, vitamin B1, at the same time.  Thiamine is needed to turn carbohydrates into energy.  

I learned that the AIP diet can be deficient in thiamine.  I was not getting enough thiamine from the food choices I made that were allowed on the AIP diet.  

I am also a type two diabetic who controls blood sugar levels through diet.  I recognized that the headaches after eating more carbs was due to high blood sugar levels.  My blood glucose meter confirmed this.  High blood sugar levels can happen even if you are not diabetic.  

I believe when I tried to eat lots of carbohydrates, I suffered from this high calorie malnutrition.  I did not have enough thiamine to process the sudden increase in carbohydrates.  I began supplementing with thiamine and have corrected that deficiency.  I can now eat additional carbohydrates like rice chex and quinoa and basmati rice without a problem.  

Be aware that while gluten containing products are required by law to be fortified with vitamins and minerals, no such requirements are made on their gluten free counterparts.

Checking for and correcting vitamin and mineral deficiencies in newly diagnosed Celiacs is part of follow up care.  The damage to the intestines caused by celiac disease causes an inability to absorb the proper amounts of vitamins and minerals.  You may want to discuss vitamin and mineral deficiencies with your doctor.  

This is not medical advice.  I am relating what happened with me.  

Here's some studies about high calorie malnutrition that I found helpful.

The Malnutrition of Obesity: Micronutrient Deficiencies That Promote Diabetes

"Thiamine is virtually absent in food products containing refined carbohydrates such as milled rice and simple sugars, yet the metabolism of these foods requires relatively high amounts of thiamine and may lead to depletion [74]. In subjects on thiamine deficient diets, total body thiamine stores can be depleted within 2-3 weeks [74]."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3313629/#!po=28.4314

 

Thiamin(e): The Spark of Life

"High calorie malnutrition, due to excessive ingestion of simple carbohydrates, is widely encountered in the U.S.A. today. Thiamin deficiency is commonly associated with this, largely because of its cofactor status in the metabolism of glucose."

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22116701/

 

Neurological, Psychiatric, and Biochemical Aspects of Thiamine Deficiency in Children and Adults

"Despite the availability of dietary thiamine in wealthy countries, thiamine deficiency represents an important and usually overlooked issue. In developed countries, the predominant use of industrial food processing often depletes thiamine content along with other vitamins and nutrients. An increased consumption of processed food in the form of simple carbohydrates, not supplemented with adequate levels of thiamine, has been named “high calorie malnutrition” (7, 8). Thus, despite the caloric density, the diet is often of poor nutrition quality and does not meet recommended dietary guidelines for micronutrient intake, making this an at-risk population for micronutrient malnutrition (8). ...This condition highlights the fine balance between adequate caloric intake and balanced nutritional diet. As thiamine is a key factor in the metabolism of glucose, an increased carbohydrate intake will proportionally increase thiamine’s dietary demand (a minimum of 0.33 mg per 1,000 kcal) (1). Thus, rather than focusing on thiamine’s RDA, it is critical to match its intake with carbohydrate consumption as well as total caloric intake."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6459027/#!po=2.35849

 

I hope this helps. 

Eat more Liver -a good source of thiamine!

Knitty Kitty

[GFinDC]

It looks like Fruity Pebbles has 35% of the daily thiamine RDA.  But it also has canola oil which can be hard to digest for some people.

https://www.postconsumerbrands.com/pebbles/

It is simpler and better to avoid all processed foods for 6 months or longer after going gluten-free.  You spend less time reading ingredient labels and worrying about cross contamination etc if you stick with whole foods instead.  Another gotcha for some people is oats and dairy.  Bacon and eggs is a safer and healthier breakfast IMHO.  If you have an Aldi near by they do sell some gluten-free wraps that are good.  Mission corn tortillas are also a sub for bread.

[Mistikl9]

2 hours ago, knitty kitty said:

Mistikl9,

I am sorry to hear about what happened with your daughter.  

I've had something similar happen.  I was on the AutoImmune Paleo Protocol diet (which promotes intestinal healing) and decided to expand my diet to include basmati rice and quinoa.  I got sick with headaches and upset tummy.  So, I'd go back to the AIP diet and after a few days, I'd feel a bit better. 

I did some investigation to find out why this was happening.  I learned about "high calorie malnutrition" which is eating too many carbohydrates without enough Thiamine, vitamin B1, at the same time.  Thiamine is needed to turn carbohydrates into energy.  

I learned that the AIP diet can be deficient in thiamine.  I was not getting enough thiamine from the food choices I made that were allowed on the AIP diet.  

I am also a type two diabetic who controls blood sugar levels through diet.  I recognized that the headaches after eating more carbs was due to high blood sugar levels.  My blood glucose meter confirmed this.  High blood sugar levels can happen even if you are not diabetic.  

I believe when I tried to eat lots of carbohydrates, I suffered from this high calorie malnutrition.  I did not have enough thiamine to process the sudden increase in carbohydrates.  I began supplementing with thiamine and have corrected that deficiency.  I can now eat additional carbohydrates like rice chex and quinoa and basmati rice without a problem.  

Be aware that while gluten containing products are required by law to be fortified with vitamins and minerals, no such requirements are made on their gluten free counterparts.

Checking for and correcting vitamin and mineral deficiencies in newly diagnosed Celiacs is part of follow up care.  The damage to the intestines caused by celiac disease causes an inability to absorb the proper amounts of vitamins and minerals.  You may want to discuss vitamin and mineral deficiencies with your doctor.  

This is not medical advice.  I am relating what happened with me.  

Here's some studies about high calorie malnutrition that I found helpful.

The Malnutrition of Obesity: Micronutrient Deficiencies That Promote Diabetes

"Thiamine is virtually absent in food products containing refined carbohydrates such as milled rice and simple sugars, yet the metabolism of these foods requires relatively high amounts of thiamine and may lead to depletion [74]. In subjects on thiamine deficient diets, total body thiamine stores can be depleted within 2-3 weeks [74]."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3313629/#!po=28.4314

 

Thiamin(e): The Spark of Life

"High calorie malnutrition, due to excessive ingestion of simple carbohydrates, is widely encountered in the U.S.A. today. Thiamin deficiency is commonly associated with this, largely because of its cofactor status in the metabolism of glucose."

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22116701/

 

Neurological, Psychiatric, and Biochemical Aspects of Thiamine Deficiency in Children and Adults

"Despite the availability of dietary thiamine in wealthy countries, thiamine deficiency represents an important and usually overlooked issue. In developed countries, the predominant use of industrial food processing often depletes thiamine content along with other vitamins and nutrients. An increased consumption of processed food in the form of simple carbohydrates, not supplemented with adequate levels of thiamine, has been named “high calorie malnutrition” (7, 8). Thus, despite the caloric density, the diet is often of poor nutrition quality and does not meet recommended dietary guidelines for micronutrient intake, making this an at-risk population for micronutrient malnutrition (8). ...This condition highlights the fine balance between adequate caloric intake and balanced nutritional diet. As thiamine is a key factor in the metabolism of glucose, an increased carbohydrate intake will proportionally increase thiamine’s dietary demand (a minimum of 0.33 mg per 1,000 kcal) (1). Thus, rather than focusing on thiamine’s RDA, it is critical to match its intake with carbohydrate consumption as well as total caloric intake."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6459027/#!po=2.35849

 

I hope this helps. 

Eat more Liver -a good source of thiamine!

Knitty Kitty

Knitty Kitty, thank you so much for your advice and all the helpful info. I will definitely discuss this with her nutritionist, maybe she is missing some important vitamins since her diet is limited and, as you said, most gluten free foods don't have the same fortified nutrition requirements as the other foods do. Take care ?

[Mistikl9]

27 minutes ago, GFinDC said:

It looks like Fruity Pebbles has 35% of the daily thiamine RDA.  But it also has canola oil which can be hard to digest for some people.

https://www.postconsumerbrands.com/pebbles/

It is simpler and better to avoid all processed foods for 6 months or longer after going gluten-free.  You spend less time reading ingredient labels and worrying about cross contamination etc if you stick with whole foods instead.  Another gotcha for some people is oats and dairy.  Bacon and eggs is a safer and healthier breakfast IMHO.  If you have an Aldi near by they do sell some gluten-free wraps that are good.  Mission corn tortillas are also a sub for bread.

GFinDC, yes you're right, It's better to stick with whole foods, bacon n eggs for breakfast, etc. I never even buy those sugar loaded cereals, but this time I gave in to her petition and decided to satisfy her craving. The good thing is she won't want to eat it again, which is the best way to go.

Thanks for the advice ?

[cyclinglady]

Consider subscribing to the Gluten Free Watchdog.  They test products.  It is kind of a mini “Consumer Reports” for those who need to be gluten free.  They have tested many products and out of those about 98 or 99% are labeled correctly and are safe for celiacs.  I love it!  

Of course, each celiac has some uniquely individualized intolerances and new celiacs have  guts often so damaged, eating anything can irritate it.  Consider keeping a food and symptom journal.  Know too, that some celiacs are super sensitive, so you are both going to have to figure that one out.  

Finally, do not forget that we can pick up a virus or get food poisoning just like everyone else.  

[Scott Adams]

The problem with Gluten-Free Watchdog is that you have to pay to get the information, and any test they run may show that the product is Gluten-Free at the moment they test it. However, they cannot test a large enough samples of any product to ensure year around safety. They give you a false sense of security. Maybe the box on the shelf right next to the one they picked to test contains gluten, but the one they picked does not. 

You can get free results from the Nima Sensor app, and the thousands of people who have this device run tests over and over and over on the same items, so you get many more results on the same items. 

[Subinfeudate]

That is why I also don't recommend the Fruity Pebbles.