Gluten free- Coeliac

GeoffW
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Gluten free- Coeliac

Post by GeoffW »

This was prompted by a remark from Claude.

Gluten free- Coeliac- how prevalent is this?

And how much food has gluten?

Obviously bread, rice, breakfast cereals...

But in beer? That surprised me.

And in other foods where it may not be obvious?

I'm thinking especially about my Subway, and whether there may be problems even in the salads and sauces. I really have very little knowledge in an area where I should be.

I do have requests for salads for Coeliacs, and I don't know what to look for in ingredients.

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HansV
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Re: Gluten free- Coeliac

Post by HansV »

Roughly 1 in 100 people have coeliac disease. It has a strong genetic component, so in some families it occurs frequently, in others not at all.

Safe ingredients for luten-free diet
Unsafe ingredients for gluten-free diet - basically everything containing/derived from wheat, barley, rye, spelt (hence beer!)
Best wishes,
Hans

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BobH
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Re: Gluten free- Coeliac

Post by BobH »

IIRC, my SIL was careful even about ice cream because so much of it is flavored or enhanced with things that are not gluten free. I think she would eat plain vanilla but not some other flavors.

Her attention to ice cream surprised me because milk is generally ok, I think.
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HansV
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Re: Gluten free- Coeliac

Post by HansV »

Edible starch is used in *lots* of products, but it is not safe for coeliac patients.
Best wishes,
Hans

JohnH
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Re: Gluten free- Coeliac

Post by JohnH »

I had a meeting with a Coeliac a few days ago, where she talked a bit about her experiences.

She said that if she mistakenly consumes gluten, she has about 10 minutes before suffering from violent vomiting and diarrhea.
Her most memorable experience was on a plane, where she was served her "gluten free" meal ahead of the other passengers. It contained pasta, but the packaging was clearly labelled gluten free, so she ate it, in her window seat.

Some minutes later, just as the passengers sitting next to her had been served, she got the warning signs. She apologized to them, and made it to the aisle, but the aisle was blocked by the process of serving. She did not make it to the toilets, instead made a projectile vomit over the serving trolleys.

Geoff - expecting our meeting to run over lunch, and guessing correctly that I might be a vegetarian, she went down the street the nearest Subway and bought a salad roll for my lunch.
Regards

John

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Hey Jude
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Re: Gluten free- Coeliac

Post by Hey Jude »

Both my kids when they were young were allergic to milk/wheat/eggs/gluten/chocolate. It was "easier" back then to prepare meals and snacks for them due to the fact that processed foods were kept to a minimum. At the height of it all we were traipsing across S.A. doing our missionary work. They thrived there because we raised soy beans and soaked, dried and cooked and made their soy milk and learned a variety of ways to enhance their dining pleasures. They were eating tofu when it wasn't chic but now refuse to touch the stuff. My son had celiac disease but outgrew it; My daughter has other autoimmune issues, but also outgrew the food allergies but now has severe reactions when anything adverse hits her tongue which creates huge welts and craters. My granddaughter has projectile vomiting if she gets the least bit of milk or egg in anything she eats. It is difficult to make her pre-school teacher understand because the woman repeatedly gives her "just a little taste" and that's all it takes to make the rest of the afternoon anything but pleasant. The teacher believes that she is going to be traumatized by not having the same things as the other kids. I might add that the 5 yr old is much smarter in this regard than the teacher. She knows what she can tolerate and knows when to say "no." My grandson has the same issue with anything with OJ in it. Living with these issues presents a myriad of challenges but it takes diligence to ensure that no untoward reactions will result. When my hubby and I ran on the local rescue/fire squad as firemen/EMTs we used these emesis bags for vomiting patients. They were far superior to the old basins etc. They fold flat and can be carried in any pocket, purse, briefcase etc. For many years these were in every vehicle and within easy access for our kids. Now, we religiously read ingredients and even if it appears there isn't any offensive ingredient, if the food was processed in a factory which processes any of these, it still goes on the "no no" list.
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