Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Reaction To Quinoa Flakes?


MartialArtist

Recommended Posts

MartialArtist Apprentice

I had discovered Quinoa Flakes on the breakfast cereal aisle of Whole Foods a little while back (like 2-3 months ago). When I followed the package directions, it was something like an oatmeal, though with a slightly different texture, so I was pretty pleased with it. I have made it with brown sugar every time (I like sweet oatmeal...) and sometimes mixed in small chunks of banana after cooking or small chunks of apple before cooking (so they get softer) with great tasting results!

But about a week and a half ago, I ate the banana version for breakfast with my cup coffee and about 20 minutes later felt like the coffee was burning a hole in my stomach-- it hurt like drinking a very strong cup on an empty stomach sometimes can. I was sick for about half a day, with gut cramps and general feelings of malaise. Never threw up and eventually it subsided and I went on with my day. At the time, I figured it was probably a sensitive stomach reaction to the coffee for some reason. Over the next week, I ate a variety of breakfasts, always with coffee (I like 2 cups over the course of the morning) with no problems. Then exactly one week after the first incident, I decided on quinoa flakes (banana version again) for breakfast again. Half an hour later, SAME symptoms and like before, it was over by about 1 pm. So either I'm reacting to the breakfast or to Friday mornings... :)

I can eat bananas alone, so I don't think it's that, and I can drink coffee every day with no regular problems (and I make it at home with the same proportions every day so it shouldn't vary in acidity or strength). It's a bummer that I have reacted this way to quinoa b/c even wheat didn't do that to be before (I'm a silent celiac except for anemia). Is it a good assumption that I would now react this way to regular quinoa (as opposed to flakes)? Not sure it's worth the painful hours to try it out, but... Anyone else had similar issues with quinoa ever?

Oh -- and it's the same original box (I've only ever bought the one box b/c it's just me eating it), so I don't think there's any issue with contamination since it didn't cause me problems earlier and no one else in my family even opens the box!


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



gary'sgirl Explorer

It could be CC that built up in your system over time. Is it the Ancient grains quinoa? If you look up their site you can verify this, but I was having trouble with all quinoa products and I decided to see if there was a risk of CC from that company. If I remember correctly all of their products were safe except the flake which could possibly be CC'd because they are made at another facility that also processes gluten grains (although they did seem to have good cleaning practices).

So, that could be it, but it could be that you have a problem with quinoa in general - I found out that I do - it always gives me stomach aches very similar to what you describe. The only thing about that is that it didn't do it to you at first, so my first thought was that the flakes may have a very low amount of CC that you started reacting to after having it several times - it could take your gut a little while to get damaged enough to have pain after not having gluten for a while.

Also, I have heard of people who were silent celiacs having reactions after going off of gluten. Which is actually not as bad as you would think, because then at least you know you are damaging your body.

Well, I don't know if any of that helped you, but I thought I would share just in case it could. B)

Sarah

mushroom Proficient

Quinoa is one of the high-lectin grains. Gliadin in wheat is a lectin. There are lectins in corn and soy and peanuts. If you happen to be lectin sensitive you can react to any or all of these things. For me it is all, plus some others. So you might just consider that you have sensitized yourself to the quinoa lectin. Or it might be something else entirely.... that is the devil in the details of food sensitivities.

  • 8 years later...
DG369 Newbie

Hi,

I noticed that these posts are almost a decade old. Nevertheless, I ate Quinoa flakes from whole foods and felt like vomiting immediately. However, I couldn't vomit so, eating this sent me to the bathroom. At the same time, I eat red quinoa and white quinoa all the time.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      130,550
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Bethann Sheridan
    Newest Member
    Bethann Sheridan
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.3k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      @LynnM, when you say, "today, his numbers were high", what numbers do you refer to? Are you speaking of celiac antibody scores? Can you be more specific and can you post the test names, the numbers and the reference ranges for the tests? So, I am understanding you to say that topical exposure to gluten doesn't cause him GI reactions but ingestion of gluten does but at the same time you are attributing the "high numbers" to the topical exposure?
    • Ginger38
      So I recently had blood work and my hemoglobin, hematocrit, protein and alkaline phosphatase were all low. They have never been low in the past but since august of last year I have been on the in and off gluten rollercoaster as I mentioned in previous posts. Should I be concerned with these new findings? I am worried I have made myself really sick and done damage or something this past year 
    • LynnM
      Thank you Scott. My son doesn't have a reaction topically, only when ingested. Interestingly though, the doc told us the face cream getting gluten into his bloodstream doesn't do the damage akin to when gluten is ingested. He had no reaction when using the face cream, it only presented in blood-work. I'm hopeful from all the comments today and will wait for the GI doc to reply. If he is cleared to use it, I will encourage SHIELD to get a gluten-free certification 
    • Scott Adams
      It’s great that you’re taking the time to research products carefully for your son with celiac disease—especially since accidental gluten exposure through skincare can be a real concern for sensitive individuals. Based on the ingredient lists you’ve shared, none of the products appear to contain obvious sources of gluten like wheat, barley, or rye derivatives. Ingredients like glycerin and tocopherols (not listed here but often a concern) can sometimes be derived from wheat, but many manufacturers use plant-based or synthetic sources. SHIELD’s transparency and willingness to share their full ingredient list is a good sign, and their note about not intentionally adding gluten is reassuring. Still, because ingredient sourcing can vary and sensitivities differ from person to person, it’s wise that you’ve reached out to your GI specialist to be sure these products are safe for your son’s specific needs. In the meantime, if you do try any of the products, consider patch-testing them first and watching closely for any signs of skin irritation or reactions. PS - Most people with celiac disease won't react to skin products that may contain gluten, but I still recommend finding gluten-free products.
    • LynnM
      Greetings Trents and Scott. This is the first time I'm posting here so I apologize in advance if I'm not replying properly. My 13 YO was diagnosed at age 5 and once gluten was removed from his diet, he grew 3" in a year, skin became much better and dark circles around his eyes disappeared. Today his numbers were very high and our new dietician discovered his face cream (Clinique dramatically different lotion) contained gluten. My fault for not checking.    His acne really has only just started and he's using OCT gluten-free products but the SHIELD is nothing short of miraculous for my 16 YO son and the 13 YO is eager to start. I will await his dietician's reply or google each ingredient.    I don't want to put him on that Rx as it's not that bad and isn't painful either. Just a boy starting 8th grade and doesn't want bad acne.    When I hear back I will circle back. 
×
×
  • Create New...