Noob - But Not Uninformed!

[Gonbad]

Ok here is the story. My father was diagnosed with Tropical Sprue while in is mid to late 30's. He was very sick when diagnosed and had severe damage to his intestines/villi. He was gluten-free for about 15 years and had improved greatly. He then began introducing some foods back into his diet without complications. Unfortunately was unable to determine if this was a more permanent outcome as he died of lung cancer in '97 in his early 50's. So I am aware of most of the issues of Celiac but am not aware of what has been found out in the last 10+ years.

I have been having stomach trouble for the last 5-6 years nothing major just constipation, diarrhea, oil stool and cramps a couple of times a year. I had recently learned of the blood testing available and knew about the genetic link to Celiac. I had a physical in Feb and had the blood testing done and was positive. I had an EGD done yesterday and my Gastro showed me some pictures and stated my intestines looked like a classic case of Celiac.

1. I have been gluten-free for a couple of weeks. I am now having more problems than I was having when I didn't know i had this disease. Can you suddenly become sensitive to other things or to gluten in things I have missed?

2. What is the deal with Oats? I have read some conflicting information as to whether they are a problem or not. I used to eat oatmeal every morning.

3. When I have eaten something I know had gluten in it or wheat or whatever I don't react to it quickly. It takes several hours to up to the next day. Is this normal or am I less sensitive than others? It also appears that small amounts don't bother me as much or not at all.

Overall I kind of wish I had not bothered to find out. I was not having major complications and only occasional issues. I am having a much harder time with my digestive tract now that I am trying to go gluten-free.

[Susanna]

Hey, Gonbad--sorry you've got so many frustrations with this celiac deal. Here's the thing: no one WANTS to have this disease, but IF you have it, it's important to know it, and get on the gluten free diet, and live it for the rest of your life, because whether or not you have noticeable symptoms, your gut is being damaged, and is constantly inflammed, and this taxes your immune system, setting you up for cancers and other bad-actor major diseases later in life, any of which could cut your life short.

Good for you for switching to the gluten-free diet--you really have to be patient with this diet in the beginning--for most of us, it takes months for our guts to heal and for us to feel better or for our gastrointestinal tracts to function normally--stick with it--I think you'll EVENTUALLY (key word) be glad you did.

Oats: Newer research has determined that the protein in oats, originally thought to trigger the same allergic reaction in celiacs that wheat/barley/rye trigger, have now been found to have a genetically different makeup, and so by rights, celiacs should be able to tolerate oats. However, usually, oats are grown in fields that are rotated with wheat crops, so oats can be contaminated with wheat while growing, or while processing, if processed in a factory that also processes wheat. But, good news: there are now a couple of companies that have certified gluten free oats: grown in dedicated fields and processed in dedicated factories. type in "certified gluten free oats" in your browser and you should be able to find what companies these are on the Web. Now, I buy the Irish, steel cut oats, and I've never had a problem with them, but many celiacs do have problems with oats--so it's kinda a personal decision for a celiac person as to whether or not to eat oats.

you might want to consider subscribing to "Living Without" magazine--great gluten-free mag.

Here are my gluten-free newbie tips--now you can eat to treat, and soon feel better. Here are some key coping strategies to get you started.

1. Know that you will grieve your old favorite gluten-filled foods. I actually tear up when I see a brioche sometimes. Grieving is normal, BUT IT IS NOT EASY OR COMFORTABLE. People around you will eat treats you can't have and you will feel sad and isolated. Strategy: stock your car, office, purse, backpack, secret drawer at home with gluten-free treats you can reach for any time you are feeling deprived. This really helped me. I recommend Baby Ruth Bars, Snicker Bars, Lara Bars, Dove Dark Chocolate, meringue cookies, macaroon cookies (read labels), Butterfinger, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. You get the idea.

2. Know that it will take time (months, probably) to figure out what to eat (it took me 6 mos.) and during this time, it'll be kind of a daily challenge to plan meals. Every time you go to the store it'll be a challenge to choose groceries. Strategy: plan on an hour--don't bring kids or friends. Go the bathroom before you start grocery shopping. Bring your reading glasses--read every label. The good news is, THIS GETS MUCH BETTER OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS AS YOU GET USED TO THE DIET.

3. It may take a while for your gut to heal, depending on how damaged it was at the time you went gluten free. So, you are going to have to be patient with your body--some people feel better immediately after going gluten-free, but most of us take longer than that. Don't give up if you don't see instant results. Strategy: Maximize your general health by getting enough rest, water, exercise, and limiting stress. Maximize your digestive health by limiting foods that are hard on the gastrointestinal tract until you're feeling better: limit irritants like dairy, caffeine, alcohol, and fried foods--these are all hard to digest--go back to them when you feel your gut is recovering.

4. Accept right now that it will be YOUR job to teach those around you about your diet

[Nancym]

Overall I kind of wish I had not bothered to find out. I was not having major complications and only occasional issues. I am having a much harder time with my digestive tract now that I am trying to go gluten-free.

You know, it's a bit like smoking. You might be lucky and never have lung cancer or heart disease or the many other diseases associated with it, but then again, you might be one of the unlucky ones.

Celiac disease is connected to at least a whopping 200 other diseases. You could end up with a crippling autoimmune disease, colon cancer, brain lesions, dementia or blood cancer. Or you might end up being really miserable the last 20 years of your life.

In my signature is a link to "The Gluten File" which has a lot of information about the disease and how it can affect you. I think if you get yourself as educated as possible you can convince yourself to stay away from the big "G" even if your symptoms aren't terribly severe. Mine aren't severe either yet I take it very seriously. But having had 2 autoimmune diseases clues me in that there are some long term issues and I don't want to face any more.

Open Original Shared Link

[Phyllis28]

I, personally, have not been brave enough to try the "certified gluten free oats". You might consider eliminating oats now and reintroduce certified gluten free oats later.

[ArtGirl]

3. When I have eaten something I know had gluten in it or wheat or whatever I don't react to it quickly. It takes several hours to up to the next day. Is this normal or am I less sensitive than others? It also appears that small amounts don't bother me as much or not at all.

I, too, have a several-hour delay before symptoms appear. From 15 to 24 hours later. I'm not less sensitive, because once the symptoms kicked in, I would be sick for a day or two and tired and depressed for a week or more. Now that I'm approaching the one-year mark of being gluten-free, although there is still the same delay when glutened, the reaction is less severe and doesn't last as long - for which I am very thankful, as some people become more sensitive over time.

1. I have been gluten-free for a couple of weeks. I am now having more problems than I was having when I didn't know i had this disease. Can you suddenly become sensitive to other things or to gluten in things I have missed?

It can certainly be true that some people become senstitive to other things and their progress is slowed by this. Possibly it is because the symptoms related other food sensitivities/allergies were masked by the gluten and the body was not able to respond to them fully. Now it is. For myself, I found that a corn sensitivity was just as devistating to my digestion as gluten, and it wasn't until I eliminated it that the D cleared up. But until I discovered this, I was really confused as to what was causing it, and thinking that I was gtetting glutened when I really wasn't.

I would repeat what others have told you. The risk of more severe autoimmune diseases and cancer is a very good reason for going 100% gluten-free and staying that way the rest of your life. I was nearly 60 when finally understood about being gluten-free - after over 40 years of deteriorating health and feeling not only physically bad but depressed and irritable. What a waste!

[AkBravo34]

I can't eat Amy's foods....I've gotten sick off of them and I thought I read somewhere on this site that they don't claim gluten-free anymore due to cross-contamination reasons.

[Gonbad]

Snacks:

Fritos

Cheetos

Tortilla chips

Most potato chips

popcorn

mixed nuts

trail mix (read labels)

gluten-free candies I mentioned above

Lara Bars

Some flavors of Zone Bars (Fudge graham, chocolate coconut crunch, chocolate almond raisin)

Good luck!

Susanna

Thanks Susanna! One thing I noticed is that Cheetos (Crunchy) have MSG in them. I have the Organic Cheeto's Puffs and they seem fine but I really miss the crunchy ones.

The night before I had my EGD I said screw it and ate an entire Chicago Deep Dish Pizza with beer. Boy I felt like crap the next evening. Not sure if it was the after effects of the EGD or the pizza or both.

I am going to reduce my milk intake and stay off the oats until my gut heals. I drink gallons of milk a week. I have my whole life so that is going to be hard. I really enjoy very spicy food so laying off that sucks too. However I am very interested to see how I feel once I have healed. I don't feel bad but have sore joints some times and lack energy sometimes. I have a 20 month old daughter and I bet anyone would be tired after chasing her all evening long.

I will be looking for that Mushroom Soup. I love smothered pork chops or chicken over rice. I eat rice by the ton. I actually prefer it to pasta but I will miss good spinach spaghetti. I buy Thai Jasmine Rice in 25lb bags thatl last about 3 mos.

As a result of this my loving and understanding wife has agreed to build an out door kitchen/grill. I grill a lot now but use charcoal. I will now be grilling even more and don't want to wait on coals when trying to feed the kids. My love of grilled food is probably what will keep me on this diet.

I deer hunt and have tons of sausage and jerky. I have a message into the company that processes my meat for me about MSG or grain fillers. I am confident that it is all fine but need to make sure.

What about the ingrediant MALTODEXTRIN ----- is this OK for us?

[Lisa]

Thanks Susanna! One thing I noticed is that Cheetos (Crunchy) have MSG in them. I have the Organic Cheeto's Puffs and they seem fine but I really miss the crunchy ones.

The night before I had my EGD I said screw it and ate an entire Chicago Deep Dish Pizza with beer. Boy I felt like crap the next evening. Not sure if it was the after effects of the EGD or the pizza or both.

I am going to reduce my milk intake and stay off the oats until my gut heals. I drink gallons of milk a week. I have my whole life so that is going to be hard. I really enjoy very spicy food so laying off that sucks too. However I am very interested to see how I feel once I have healed. I don't feel bad but have sore joints some times and lack energy sometimes. I have a 20 month old daughter and I bet anyone would be tired after chasing her all evening long.

I will be looking for that Mushroom Soup. I love smothered pork chops or chicken over rice. I eat rice by the ton. I actually prefer it to pasta but I will miss good spinach spaghetti. I buy Thai Jasmine Rice in 25lb bags thatl last about 3 mos.

As a result of this my loving and understanding wife has agreed to build an out door kitchen/grill. I grill a lot now but use charcoal. I will now be grilling even more and don't want to wait on coals when trying to feed the kids. My love of grilled food is probably what will keep me on this diet.

I deer hunt and have tons of sausage and jerky. I have a message into the company that processes my meat for me about MSG or grain fillers. I am confident that it is all fine but need to make sure.

What about the ingrediant MALTODEXTRIN ----- is this OK for us?

Maltodextrin is gluten free although Malt is not. Confusing? Progresso's Creamy Mushroom Soup is gluten free and much better than Campbells.

Charcoal briquettes contains gluten so I would suggest Natural Wood Charcoal (Cowboy Brand). Happy Grilling

[Gonbad]

Thanks Momma Goose!

When I read the label on Campbell's soup it had Monosodium Glutimate on the label. I always thought that MSG was a big NO - NO!

[Lisa]

Thanks Momma Goose!

When I read the label on Campbell's soup it had Monosodium Glutimate on the label. I always thought that MSG was a big NO - NO!

Gonbad:

Although a few people react to MSG, it is not gluten related. I have not issues with MSG. But I would clean you grill well and use natural wood charcoal. (or get a new grate)

[Gonbad]

Gonbad:

Although a few people react to MSG, it is not gluten related. I have not issues with MSG. But I would clean you grill well and use natural wood charcoal. (or get a new grate)

WOW my Dad would be pissed about that. I remember that as being one of the major obstacles to some of his favorite snacks.

I am buying a new grill so that is good. I wouldn't think that any gluten or wheat chaf used as a binder in charcoal would survive the burning process but who am I to say. I usually use lump charcoal anyways since it burns hotter.

[mftnchn]

Can anyone refer me to information on MSG? I am in China and avoiding because I am told it is wheat based. Even my housekeeper here knew that so it seems to be general knowledge. It would be great to not have to worry about that here!

[UR Groovy]

Can anyone refer me to information on MSG? I am in China and avoiding because I am told it is wheat based. Even my housekeeper here knew that so it seems to be general knowledge. It would be great to not have to worry about that here!

My 2 cents on MSG:

MSG is just another thing that some people choose to exclude from their diets for various reasons. MSG isn't typically a gluten problem. That is not to say that it isn't a problem. It very well may be. It's a whole different bag of tricks. Some people have reactions, some don't. I'll post a couple links, but I'd like to say a couple basic things about MSG. First of all, there are differing opinions of what it does to people. There are plenty of supporters of MSG out there. I'm not one of those people. My opinion of MSG (hydrolyzed protein that goes by many other names that hide it in the ingredients list) is that it's killing people - very slowly - kind of like gluten to a non-symptomatic celiac who keeps eating it. It is said to be a neurotoxin. Herein lies my problem with it. Having eliminated it from my diet, and then re-introduced, I realized that it was clearly causing running nightmares and headaches.

Here's something that bothers me about supporters of MSG: They will say that it only lasts a few hours in the body. The problem with this (in my opinion) is that while the actual "hydrolyzed protein" doesn't stick around, the domino effect does. My husband experiences headaches that last nearly 3 days, among other things. If it's causing these sorts of things, doesn't it stand to reason that it's not doing some people any favors? It's made (sometimes in a lab, sometimes through processing). It's not natural. Just like High Fructose Corn Syrup and Hydrogenated Fats, it's an experiment gone bad (again, in my opinion). One of the pitfalls of MSG is that it can also occur naturally in processing. Processing some broths, for instance, can create a hydrolyzed protein>

Edited: Excuse me - it doesn't create hydrolyzed protein - it creates free glutamic acid - it all gets a little wacky when you start looking into it.

Wikipedia on hydrolyzed protein:

Open Original Shared Link

Personally, I no longer ever have MSG knowingly, but will occasionally have HFCS or Hydrogenated Fats if I'm in a spot - just like I'll never have GLUTEN, but will occasionally have dairy, knowing that my immediate reactions are much less severe with dairy.

If you just want to eliminate wheat gluten because your doctor says to, then that's one thing. Don't fret about the MSG. If you're overwhelmed with the gluten-free diet and suddenly, it seems that you've fallen into the rabbit hole of mysteriousness, you'll drive yourself mad. All of this takes time to adjust to. Another Edit: More accurately, the rabbit hole of insanity.

If I were asked to, I would recommend that one takes MSG out of their diet completely for a couple weeks (this isn't easy - most everything that you'll find with a complicated ingredient list will have it - whole, organic foods is the easiest way to do this). Then, re-introduce it. See what happens - how you sleep, how your brain functions, if your heartrate increases, or heart pounds, if you get headaches.

MSG goes by a bunch of different names:

______________________________________________________________________

According to Open Original Shared Link , here's what you'll find it in, and potentially find it in:

(do searches yourself to find your credible sources - this is just one of hundreds, but I like the list)

"These ALWAYS contain MSG:

Glutamate, Monosodium glutamate, Monopotassium glutamate, Glutamic acid, Calcium caseinate, Gelatin, Textured protein, Hydrolyzed protein (any protein that is hydrolyzed), Yeast extract, Yeast food, Autolyzed yeast, Yeast nutrient

These OFTEN contain MSG or create MSG during processing:

Flavor(s) & Flavoring(s), Natural flavor(s) & flavoring(s), Natural pork flavoring, Bouillon, Natural beef flavoring, Stock, Natural chicken flavoring, Broth, Malt flavoring, Barley malt, Malt extract, Seasonings (the word "seasonings"), Carrageenan, Soy sauce, Soy sauce extract, Soy protein, Soy protein concentrate, Soy protein isolate, Pectin, Maltodextrin, Whey protein, Whey protein isolate, Whey protein concentrate, anything Protein fortified, Protease, Protease enzymes, anything Enzyme modified, Enzymes, anything Ultra-pasteurized, anything Fermented "

_________________________________________________________________________

There's an interesting thread on this board about MSG. It's long, but it's interesting:

Open Original Shared Link

I guess it depends on how far you want to fall down the rabbit hole.

[Gonbad]

I didn't intend for this to become a debate on the good, the bad and the ugly on MSG. I remember my father being told to avoid it because of his sprue/celiac. I was suprised when other posts here mentioned snacks and soups that I knew had MSG in them as being OK.

I will listen to experiences, if they seem logical and non-dangerous I will try them for my own experience then make a decision. I have decided that for the time being I will cut oats and limit dairy in my diet until my gut has healed. I have not decided yet how to determine when that has occured. I am meeting with my Gastro in a little over a week to go over the results of my Endo. I pretty much know already but I should get the details on how bad things look. I don't feel malnourished and weigh a healthy 220lbs at 6'2". I expect to loose some weight on the Gluten-Free diet. I expect they will recommend having another Endo in 6 to 8 months. I will probably agree to that as I had no ill affects from the one I had earlier this week.

I am not willing to make decisions just because people have an agenda of their own. As most forums I have belonged to, the active members are the most activist minded which is good and bad. It seems to me that a lot of members on this board have other auto-imune issues, allergies, and food intolerances. They have very strong opinions about what others should do based on their experiences and have no problem promoting them. I don't mind that but it can be intimidating to someone first coming on here to be told if they don't go gluten-free, No Dairy, No Nuts etc.... They won't know what is really wrong with them and all these other things can kill them.

I am a firm believer in moderation when it comes to doing many things. I also believe that each person's illness with Celiac is unique. Yes it may be masking other issues but its no reason to just jump off the cliff and eat nothing but organic vegetables and drink green tea. One step at a time people is a good way to go. Oats to me sound like an iffy area and I understand the issue of damaged intestines having a harder time with Lactose. I am not Casien (sp?) intolerant. I have been drinking gallons of milk my whole life if I was allergic to the protien in milk it would have showed itself by now. So while my digestive tract is healing I will wait to try out oats and probably use lactaid pills for the times when I really need a big bowl of ice-cream.

In the end it comes down to a quality of life issue. Food is very important me. I love fine dining and will continue to do so. I will be deligent about it but if I get glutened then its my fault and I will take responsibility for it. It's not going to kill me either. Getting glutened a few times a year is not the end of the world. It happens because that is life and not everyone can be perfect all the time. Hell I will probably do it deliberately a times. Take a couple of Imodiums and go with it. I even smoke on occasion. My father died of lung cancer and had celiac. He smoked 4 packs a day for 40 years and it killed him. I am not suprised by that. However I enjoy a good cigar and an old scotch sitting with my friends playing poker and don't give a damn about getting lung cancer. If there are consequences from my actions I am an adult and can live with that. Will there be regrets - yeah probably but those are part of life too. Either way I will have lived my life as I saw fit and will always do so.

Sorry for the rant!

[UR Groovy]

I didn't intend for this to become a debate on the good, the bad and the ugly on MSG. I remember my father being told to avoid it because of his sprue/celiac. I was suprised when other posts here mentioned snacks and soups that I knew had MSG in them as being OK.

I will listen to experiences, if they seem logical and non-dangerous I will try them for my own experience then make a decision. I have decided that for the time being I will cut oats and limit dairy in my diet until my gut has healed. I have not decided yet how to determine when that has occured. I am meeting with my Gastro in a little over a week to go over the results of my Endo. I pretty much know already but I should get the details on how bad things look. I don't feel malnourished and weigh a healthy 220lbs at 6'2". I expect to loose some weight on the Gluten-Free diet. I expect they will recommend having another Endo in 6 to 8 months. I will probably agree to that as I had no ill affects from the one I had earlier this week.

I am not willing to make decisions just because people have an agenda of their own. As most forums I have belonged to, the active members are the most activist minded which is good and bad. It seems to me that a lot of members on this board have other auto-imune issues, allergies, and food intolerances. They have very strong opinions about what others should do based on their experiences and have no problem promoting them. I don't mind that but it can be intimidating to someone first coming on here to be told if they don't go gluten-free, No Dairy, No Nuts etc.... They won't know what is really wrong with them and all these other things can kill them.

I am a firm believer in moderation when it comes to doing many things. I also believe that each person's illness with Celiac is unique. Yes it may be masking other issues but its no reason to just jump off the cliff and eat nothing but organic vegetables and drink green tea. One step at a time people is a good way to go. Oats to me sound like an iffy area and I understand the issue of damaged intestines having a harder time with Lactose. I am not Casien (sp?) intolerant. I have been drinking gallons of milk my whole life if I was allergic to the protien in milk it would have showed itself by now. So while my digestive tract is healing I will wait to try out oats and probably use lactaid pills for the times when I really need a big bowl of ice-cream.

In the end it comes down to a quality of life issue. Food is very important me. I love fine dining and will continue to do so. I will be deligent about it but if I get glutened then its my fault and I will take responsibility for it. It's not going to kill me either. Getting glutened a few times a year is not the end of the world. It happens because that is life and not everyone can be perfect all the time. Hell I will probably do it deliberately a times. Take a couple of Imodiums and go with it. I even smoke on occasion. My father died of lung cancer and had celiac. He smoked 4 packs a day for 40 years and it killed him. I am not suprised by that. However I enjoy a good cigar and an old scotch sitting with my friends playing poker and don't give a damn about getting lung cancer. If there are consequences from my actions I am an adult and can live with that. Will there be regrets - yeah probably but those are part of life too. Either way I will have lived my life as I saw fit and will always do so.

Sorry for the rant!

Apologies - I didn't intend to hiijack - was just answering another post within this thread. My intention was to say that there are many sides to it. My perspective was just one. We all continue to do all the things that bring us to exactly where we are.

[Lisa]

Gonbad:

I like you attitude. After all, we all seek information and then we make the best choice for ourselves.

Granted, we have many here with side issues and their situation may be very intense which bores out their advocacy. I believe it to be informative with information to be accepted or not.

We all come from a varied places. My situation may not fit others, but the information presented here give you that option to "choose wisely". (my most favorite quote and use it often)

[ArtGirl]

When you ask questions on a forum like this, you will get a variety of answers based on others' experiences. Of course, this is not a diagnosis of your particular case. No one can do this for you - all they can do is tell you what happened to them and what they have learned from the experiences of others.

A forum is like a group conversation. Take from it what is pertenant to yourself, and leave the rest. It is always possible that a member's response, while not helping you particularly, will help someone else reading the thread.

I wish you good speed in resolving your issues.

[NoGluGirl]

Ok here is the story. My father was diagnosed with Tropical Sprue while in is mid to late 30's. He was very sick when diagnosed and had severe damage to his intestines/villi. He was gluten-free for about 15 years and had improved greatly. He then began introducing some foods back into his diet without complications. Unfortunately was unable to determine if this was a more permanent outcome as he died of lung cancer in '97 in his early 50's. So I am aware of most of the issues of Celiac but am not aware of what has been found out in the last 10+ years.

I have been having stomach trouble for the last 5-6 years nothing major just constipation, diarrhea, oil stool and cramps a couple of times a year. I had recently learned of the blood testing available and knew about the genetic link to Celiac. I had a physical in Feb and had the blood testing done and was positive. I had an EGD done yesterday and my Gastro showed me some pictures and stated my intestines looked like a classic case of Celiac.

1. I have been gluten-free for a couple of weeks. I am now having more problems than I was having when I didn't know i had this disease. Can you suddenly become sensitive to other things or to gluten in things I have missed?

2. What is the deal with Oats? I have read some conflicting information as to whether they are a problem or not. I used to eat oatmeal every morning.

3. When I have eaten something I know had gluten in it or wheat or whatever I don't react to it quickly. It takes several hours to up to the next day. Is this normal or am I less sensitive than others? It also appears that small amounts don't bother me as much or not at all.

Overall I kind of wish I had not bothered to find out. I was not having major complications and only occasional issues. I am having a much harder time with my digestive tract now that I am trying to go gluten-free.

Dear Gonbad,

I got you a present! I have a list that should really help. This is overwhelming. I went through this with myself six months ago. You spend most of your day cooking and cleaning obsessively. The rest you are on the phone with reps from companies trying to find out what is safe. I decided to save you the trouble!

1. There are a number of things in the regular grocery that are safe. Some things are labeled already. Wal-Mart's Great Value brand has numerous things you can eat.

2. For the love of God use Coupons on items you are allowed to eat. People can get them and print them out online even. Call some of the local stores and ask if they accept online coupons.

3. Check the ads online and in the newspaper. You would be surprised how many people do not do this.

4. Some items like rice flour and rice noodles are safe to buy at the Chinese or oriental market. The merchants are more than happy to help you if you cannot read the label.

Now, here is my list of great things to get you started:

Condiments:

Smart Balance Margerine*

Crisco Shortening

Crisco Oil

Pompeiian Olive Oil

Great Value soy sauce

Heinz Ketchup

Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce (all Lea & Perrins Products are safe)

Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce

Kraft French Fat-Free Salad Dressing

Kraft Thousand Island Fat-Free Salad Dressing

Pace Picante Sauce

Ortega Salsa

All Classico Red and *White sauces

All Jif Peanut Butters including Smooth Sensations

Welch's Grape Jelly

Cool Whip*

Philadelphia Cream Cheese*

Miracle Whip

Daisy Sour Cream (fat-free, low-fat, regular)*

Snack Foods:

Utz Potato Chips (Found at Sam

[gfp]

Can anyone refer me to information on MSG? I am in China and avoiding because I am told it is wheat based. Even my housekeeper here knew that so it seems to be general knowledge. It would be great to not have to worry about that here!

The problem here is people make statements in good faith ... but they presume you live in America.

Firstly maltodextrin is not safe.... neither is a very long list of things which peple here say are safe... unless its manufactured in America.

There are also a couple of people who who post it out of spite.... in order to make you sick because they are well aware that non-US maltodextrin and other derivatives often come from wheat elsewhere since I pm'd them but they still keep saying all maltodextrin/dextrine etc. etc. is SAFE...

The same people repeat the same old lies that all liquor is gluten-free as well. They know who they are and they are just nasty spiteful people. So just beware of anyomne making sweeping statements....

That said....

Common knowledge isn't always correct it cewrtainly can be wheat based BUT there is a lot of association due to the name "glutamate"..... which sounds similar but isn't...

One way to look at this is that dextrin, maltodextrine ... and a very long list of other products are not REALLY products but byproducts... that is they are made from the waste from processing food items ... they are just used as cheap organic starting points to make products that alter flavor/texture etc. etc. and they are bulk items... something bough5t by the ton or hundred tons by big commerical food companies...

The dextrin example is a good one.. in the US the big companies that processed corn had this as a byproduct hence they became the biggest suppliers.. its a limited market and it costs investment to make the processing plants so its something appeals to bigger companies but not smaller... the alternative for smaller companies is just to throw away the byproducts... and they are not a high value item ...

An simple example of this is sand... you can buy a ton in the UK for a few pounds which is basically the delivery fee... however because the UK is so small and over populated the hole the sand comes out of is more valuable as landfill than the actual sand...

Lots of byproducts of processed food are the same... they are almost valueless, their production is actually based on increasing the value of the main product like white flour and white bread...

So in answer to MSG... in China.. they will use whatever is convenient...

HOWEVER...

I am of the opinion MSG isn't particualrly good for anyone.... (we have all threads on this)...

Personally I tend to stay away... but not like I do gluten... I'll eat it when its presented but avoid buying products containing it.

[Gonbad]

Thanks, NoGluGirl

Fortunately I had a pretty idea of what is good and not good. I will gladly add your list to the others that I have compiled. I put them all in Excel then sort them and eliminate the duplicates.

[Gonbad]

When you ask questions on a forum like this, you will get a variety of answers based on others' experiences. Of course, this is not a diagnosis of your particular case. No one can do this for you - all they can do is tell you what happened to them and what they have learned from the experiences of others.

A forum is like a group conversation. Take from it what is pertenant to yourself, and leave the rest. It is always possible that a member's response, while not helping you particularly, will help someone else reading the thread.

I wish you good speed in resolving your issues.

Valda,

I was not speaking of necessarily this posting. I have seen many on here that would be very intimidating to someone completely new to this. I have experience with this with my father and the struggles he went through. As mother goose said there are several people on this board that have other issues that slant what they say and how they say it.

[NoGluGirl]

Thanks, NoGluGirl

Fortunately I had a pretty idea of what is good and not good. I will gladly add your list to the others that I have compiled. I put them all in Excel then sort them and eliminate the duplicates.

Dear Gonbad,

You are so welcome! It sounds like you are very organized! That helps a lot. It is so stressful beginning this after not having to consider such things. Luckily, we have the forum! We can all help each other!

Dear gfp,

I was horrified to learn about people saying certain things are safe when they are not. We appreciate your warning. It makes no sense how someone could be so spiteful and post items as safe when they are not. As for MSG, I agree that it is not healthy. Consuming it is unwise. I was surprised to learn it could be derived from wheat. I thought it was derived from seaweed. One thing I would like to correct about it is many times, people call the reaction "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome". The Japanese actually were the ones to discover adding seaweed to food was good at enhancing flavor.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[Lisa]

Dear Gonbad,

You are so welcome! It sounds like you are very organized! That helps a lot. It is so stressful beginning this after not having to consider such things. Luckily, we have the forum! We can all help each other!

Dear gfp,

I was horrified to learn about people saying certain things are safe when they are not. We appreciate your warning. It makes no sense how someone could be so spiteful and post items as safe when they are not. As for MSG, I agree that it is not healthy. Consuming it is unwise. I was surprised to learn it could be derived from wheat. I thought it was derived from seaweed. One thing I would like to correct about it is many times, people call the reaction "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome". The Japanese actually were the ones to discover adding seaweed to food was good at enhancing flavor.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

Jin, I have no reason to assume that someone here would post product information that was unsafe for spite. I do not believe this to be true. As you know this is a very giving, compassionate forum. I cannot, nor will not speak for Steve, but, his comments regarding cross/country product information is accurate. Lea & Perrins is safe in the US, but not in Canada. Maltodextrin in the US is generally safe, but not always in other countries. M&M's (other than the crunchy) are safe in the US, but not in Austrailia.

We do have an international forum here and I for one, do admit to not clarifying product information by country at times, but will remember to do this in the future.