You need to look into the chemicals that are in non organic wheat and other grains. They are generally sprayed with roundup about a week before harvesting. Roundup is the same thing as agent orange. The roundup is absorbed into the immature kernels of wheat and then fed to us. The increases in gastrointestinal diseases is directly related to the increased use of roundup. In Europe roundup is banned. funny how people who have gastrointestinal problems can eat pasta in Europe and not in the USA. The same problem with roundup occurs with corn. That is just the herbicides, the pesticides that are sprayed on our fruits and vegetables are not any better.
Nice info and thank you. I would like to request that some of this information get updated (the part that says: "An individual with a wheat allergy or gluten sensitivity experiences almost the same symptoms as Celiac Disease").
A wheat allergy is a very different condition than a gluten sensitivity or intolerance. A wheat allergy can cause immediate life threatening reactions (airway, cardiac, etc.) and epinephrine may be needed within minutes. Please look at FARE's website and update (https://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/wheat-allergy). When people don't understand allergies, it can be dangerous.
I've experimented with my diet in many ways. I have Sjogrens and Hashimotos. Chances one begot the other. They're autoimmue diseases. I believe people are becoming more sensitive to gluten because it's being put in everything and out of balance in our diets. Sjogrens attacks the mucosal systems throughout the body and can have ravaging affects. Anything from dry eyes, mouth, skin, and even affect organs, develop dry coughs, etc... when I keep gluten out of my diet, my skin gets better.. not normal, but better. My hands are like sandpaper, mouth always dry that my tongue sticks to it like velcroe in the mornings upon waking. Once I woke up and my eyelid ripped off my eye the same way and was burning, red and irritated all day. Modern processed foods and fast foods are sending our bodies to turn against itself. Not only do I have to watch gluten, but dairy, sugars and yeast. Balance is key.. to not developing the sensitivity. Once you pass over that bridge to autoimmune disease.. theres really no cure except for finding out what sent you there and avoiding it like the plague, and eating the foods our bodies were intended to eat..
You are so correct about anything actually healthy for us is way too expensive. I would suggest looking into Nerium's Newest Health&Wellness Products called Youth Factor. One is a daily Vitality Complex in a tablet form and the other a Superfood Antioxidant Boost Powder. All the necessary daily fruits and vegetables combined to provide a comprehensive approach and simple solution to achieving Health&Wellness from the inside to the outside! These 2 all-natural products developed by Princeton Signum Bio-Sciences are far more affordable than my monthly grocery bill! Please feel free to message or email me for more information!
I am wondering as I have seen it more than once, about harvesting wheat with Round Up? The article I saw said round up is sprayed on wheat a few days before harvest and it makes harvesting the wheat easier. Then it said many people may be reacting to the Round Up more so than the wheat. I have been buying organic flour and wonder if it is ok if it is organic for it to be GMo or sprayed with Round Up for Harvest.
If it's ours, you can trust it. We can't speak to the practices of other flour manufacturers.
Hi, we use your thick rolled oats exclusively, in an effort to reduce our RoundUp/glyphosate consumption, which other, major brands of oats are known to be contaminated with.
While I'm sure many people do have a gluten issue, I firmly believe the vast majority of the digestive issues being blamed on gluten is in fact the body reacting to the toxic effects of glyphosate consumption via crops dessicated with Monsanto RoundUp, a very common practice which began in earnest in the 80s. I've seen graphs illustrating the rise in gluten sensitivity/issues in conjunction with the increased use of RoundUp herbicide for dessicating crops, a despicable practice. To wit:
Why Is Glyphosate Sprayed on Crops Right Before Harvest?
http://www.ecowatch.com/why-is-glyphosate-sprayed-on-crops-right-before-harvest-1882187755.html.
And - Why the Use of Glyphosate in Wheat Has Radically Increased Celiac Disease: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/09/14/glyphosate-celiac-disease-connection.aspx
Great article! Thank you for taking the time to clear up the myths.
I absolutely love your products. They are the only ones I use for baking and the only ones I recommend to my clients. You mske GF living deliciously simple.
Thank you for your kind words and for trusting us with your health.
Good article, but in my experience, gluten-free foods ARE generally more expensive and packages are smaller. I chalk some of that up to price gouging by companies that know a 'craze' when they see one (I'm not saying it's a craze) and probably have got data showing those foods are bought more often by affluent folks. Really sucks for low-income folks like me.
I'm a professional home economist and I know when I finally went GF my food bill went up by at least 1/3 if not more. $6 for a 12 oz. loaf of bread versus $2 for regular 1 lb. wheat bread is real expense. And most of us don't have the time or energy to bake from scratch, so when we buy a cake mix we want it to feed everyone who comes to the party. Most mixes only make one layer or an 8 x 8 pan, while most regular mixes make 2 layers or a 9 x 13 pan. It is very difficult for folks on a fixed budget to find the extra money. One thing that can help is to learn which foods are naturally GF and skip te rest unless it is a special treat day. You are right that their are some companies that label GF just for the advertising, but unless they add starch to it, all fruit, garden veggies, milk, and raw unprocessed meat is GF. I skip pre-packaged food and eat like a kid that needs a separated plate, but at least I am healthy. BTW, there is no reason except for filler to add flour to soup, but even at WHole Foods or health food stores they use it to thicken the broth. I feel your pain!
[…] Organic food doesn’t contain synthetic preservatives or additives, meaning you get naturally fresh food when you choose to go organic. Many people with allergies or conditions like Celiac disease opt for organic options because it’s better for their health. […]
I have to comment about Myth#3. You DO lose weight if you are Celiac on the diet, if you have the issues that I had. I mean, it's not fat but it is WEIGHT. The doctor's kept weighing me about 250lbs, and I had no fluffy softness around my middle, just a deep, painful, full gut full of the stuff of nightmares. Once I managed to get completely gluten free and on the right stuff to help me eliminate, my swollen and extremely full gut disgorged a nightmare of 40+lbs of indescribable effluvium. I will spare you all the details, but once it was all gone my Blood Pressure medication had to be more than halved and I had to stop 2 of them because I was fainting, even went to the ER and nearly passed out.
The point being some people will lose weight, but how much is fat and how much is the excretia I poured out is immaterial to the number the scale tells you.
Not one word about the pesticides and herbicides sprayed on wheat and other grains then sent to market for customers to unknowingly eat. Guess you are also in the group that just doesn't care about consumer health after eating that garbage. Money after all drives your decision, Well, keep counting, it won't be much longer before the public gets wise and stops buying food that is slowly killing their children.
I am not wheat allergic nor do I have Celiac . What I am is someone who is a 7 year survivor of pancreatic & bile duct cancer. As such my entire gut has been redone. I have 1/2 of my intestines left and they are being used creatively to help with other areas. I can't tolerate gluten as it tears my gut up. I have awful days if I eat gluten. These products benefit so many of us that cancer , chemo & radiation have torn up. Thanks to gluten free,I am able to et out, and more importantly, able to leave home after eating without pain or worry. So happy to find out these product make a difference. My best friend who has diverticulitis was the person who suggested it. She has been gluten free for 4 years and it has helped her immensely.
Does Bob's Red Mill have gluten free flours that are organic. I didn't think you guys were organic and that's why I have never bought your products. Thank you
We have quinoa flour, as well as brown rice and white rice flours as organic. We offer quite a variety of organic items, but most of them are not gluten free.
If you think for one second that the.
" average " American ca afford your products or any other of this ilk, you are lying to your self. In fact, your own companies products are among the most expensive.
If you live close enough to go to their store & buy bulk- not the pre packaged items you will find that they are affordable. I mostly cook from scratch, not processed food like items, and it is affordable. I always comparison shop & shop what is in season. You can do it but it does take effort
Please explain to me why you are specifically promoting organic foods for those with celiac disease. USDA certified organic products represent agricultural certification and have NOTHING to do with gluten or nutrition.
The only place in the article we discuss organic items is in the myth that organic and gluten free items are more expensive. We have removed the sentence about them being healthier than processed alternatives, which we sincerely believe, but I can see how that would be confusing. Organic items are not healthier than their *conventional* counterparts, though some people would debate that the chemicals used in conventional farming could pose a health risk. What we were trying to say here was that organic and gluten free whole food options are better choices than heavily processed foods. We're not comparing apples to apples.
I am allergic to gluten. I do not have any recognizable abdominal issues from it, but about 4-6 hours after ingesting something containing gluten the bottoms of my feet and my hands start itching from the inside out...it's terribly uncomfortable, often feels like my hands and feet are burning. I immediately take benadryl and drink several glasses of water to flush my system and quell my body's reaction. I haven't really come across anyone else who this happens to....its like my body is reacting to it and trying to push it out my extremities. Since eliminating gluten, I am much more comfortable, but now when I do accidentally ingest it (cross contamination in restaurants?) my reactions are becoming more and more severe.
I get that routinely. Celiac Disease of the skin is a very real thing. My palms actually look like they have excema and take a few days to heal becasue they are so dry. Vit. D. hand cream seems to help. This is also why it is important to use gluten-free shampoo and make-up products.
I have the exact same issue
I think we are missing a huge elephant. Since most of our grains are doused with glyphosate just before harvest as an off label means of drying more evenly, and upon reviewing the newest data on foods recently tested for glyphosate residues, it appears most of our gut issues may well be Round-up or glyphosate poisoning!!
I think this is the main culprit. I can eat breads from Australia, Germany, (yum) and most European places but from here they make me miserable. Buy my flour from Amazon, it's from Italy. works well.
Thanks for bring that up Evelyn. I am one who has the wheat allergy. A lot of people tried to tell me that it was all in my head. but when I was served wheat mixed in to eggs with out my knowledge, within 20 minutes I would be sick to my stomach and would have to head off to the bathroom. I try to read up on this subject as much as possible, and I found that the Europeans don't seem to have the allergy problem. What is the difference? The Europeans don't spray their wheat with Round-up prior to harvest. So I have been slowly adding European pasta in to my diet. and to date no bad reactions. I really do think that your point of glyphosate poisoning has some merit.
Amy said:
"The symptoms of an allergic reaction to wheat proteins can vary widely. This has proved to be very true with me. Three more thoughts: 1. Many people are suffering from problems and seeing doctors for problems that would relieve itself if he/she would stop eating gluten. 2. Grains other than wheat contain gluten. 3. An allergy to zein corn protein may sometimes be the cause of a problem blamed on gluten
I tried gluten free diet but it actually back fired on my gut system. I have to make everything from scratch, to avoid all the guar gums, xanthum gums, and gums totally. Carregeean, and Annetto. I love Red Mill flours, and 7 grain, 10 grain cereals. While I can't use much of it in my biscuits and pancakes. I do sprinkle it in to get the nutrients. People with high food sensitivities have to work very hard at finding the right 'mix' of grains to eat. I can't eat any store bought bread or carb type product. I have to research all products to get away from 'dough conditioners' the 'gums', additives,etc.etc. Your plain straight up flours are appreciated.
I would add that a wheat allergy will likely have more immediate symptoms that can be more severe in the short term. "Allergy" implies IgE antibodies are involved and that antihistamines, like benadryl, can help with symptoms. Symptoms can range from upset stomach to anaphylaxis. In Celiac disease, responses to gluten are more delayed and usually start about 10 hours after ingestion and last for several days. For Celiac sufferers, gluten ingestion is not life threatening like a severe allergic response can be, but it can have serious long term side effects including nutrient absorption problems and infertility. Both conditions are serious but for different reasons and may present very differently.
Thanks for sharing that. I have a wheat allergy and my reactions can be life-threatening. My body attacks itself and I go into anaphylaxis. I know Celiac disease is also serious, but it is different than an allergic reaction.
Recently, I went gluten free for a month to see if it would help the problems I have with IBS, and a gallbladder issue. I knew I could find many gluten free foods from Bob's Red Mill, what I didn't know was that they tasted amazing! I made gluten free bread, and made French toast with it, and it was so moist, and flavorful. Well... I made a batch of Bob's gluten free chocolate chip cookies, by forgot to tell the hubby they were gluten free! He LOVED them!! When I told him they were gluten free, he thought I was joking so I could have ALL the cookies!! Now, we eat more gluten free meals, and he is always amazed at how good it tastes.
Back to me....in that month that I went gluten free, I slowly started to feel better, as time went by, I had more pain free days, and I actually was sleeping better! (who knew?) Well...we went on vacation, and eat at my favorite restaurant, not thinking I had my favorite meal there (it was a pasta dish), and I was sick that evening, and spent hours in the bathroom of our cute little cottage. Guess I'll order the salad next time! With all this being said, I'm so very glad that Bob's Red Mill makes so many gluten free products, it's so much easier to buy from a trusted company like Bob's, than to buy prepare gluten free products that have a ton of ingredients I can't even pronounce. I do not have celiac disease, but my doctor has said I have some gluten intolerance, and recommended I read Dr. David Perlmutter's book Grain Brain, after reading it, I was so surprised to see many of the things I suffer from, could be from gluten, as gluten has inflammatory properties. What a relief to finally sleep at night, and wake up without pain!!
I do had digestive issues that I struggle with, have been tested but do not have celiac's. Doctor has had me change to almond milk but thou I've tried gluten free before I'm wondering if I need to again to see if it's a benefit. Have a lot of medical issues; Lupus, RA and more. Some suggest gluten free helps with inflammation. Any ideas?
Going gluten free helped my RA immensely... It's the #1 diet change I tell people who have inflammation and RA..I started going gluten free in 2005 and now play tennis and golf and I had been bedridden from RA..
Deborah,
It's possible that cutting out gluten could help with your inflammation issues. I'd speak with your doctor about this. If you want to try it, I'd suggest a 30 day period with no gluten and see if you notice a difference. I have heard that it can help with lupus management. I am not a doctor, though, so you probably should check with your doctor first.
I appreciate this thoughtful article, however I'm tired of reading that celiac disease simply causes damage to the lining is the gut. That's simply not true! That is only one symptom of many! A person with celiac disease who eats gluten will, yes, first experience intestinal distress, but that is just the first symptom! A lot of people used to be misdiagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis because of the joint inflammation caused by gluten. And that is just the second of many.
Some people with Celiac also have Gluten Ataxia. I have neurological damage and issues from consuming gluten! I even get seizures if I consume it! I didn't lose a lot of weight from Celiac disease; on the contrary, I gained a lot of weight, have multiple auto-immune issues like arthritis, hypothyroidism, etc. on top of the typical gastrointestinal issues many people experience with Celiac Disease. I MUST follow a very strict G Free diet. THANK YOU Bob's Red Mill, for making products that are G-Free that I can trust! It's because of companies like yours that I, and many others like me, have a bit more variety in our diets and can make healthy, safe choices when considering our dietary needs!
Thank you so much for your kind words, Michelle. We are so happy to be there for you. Thank you for trusting us with your health.
I have never looked into a celiac diagnosis. I don't necessarily think I have celiac. I do have a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis and Lyme disease. I was so sick for 8 years and nothing was helping. I gave up gluten and all grains and recovered. I now use some gluten free grains but not many. I have watched so many people do better on gluten free diets.
Do you mean symptoms of celiac disease and gluten intolerance? Check out this resource to learn more about these conditions: http://www.beyondceliac.org/celiac-disease/
It would be wonderful if you would produce Organic Gluten Free mixes with Guar Gum and not Xanthan Guam. The Xanthan Gum is grown on wheat and is also an item my mother with Celiac disease can't consume. Please consider this. There is so much we would like to purchase and can't because of Xanthan Gum being an ingedient.
Are the grains in Mighty Tasty GF Hot Cereal organic. I bought some, and now am afraid to eat it because I don't see the organic label on the package. I don't want to accidentally eat GMO corn, etc. Thanks.
No, that product is not organic.
I found out I have celiac disease in June of 2010, I was devistated, they say you get diarrea I didn't. What I did have was migraines that would last for days. So I stay on a very strict diet. As soon as I reached the age of 40 I started adding on weight. I feel terrable because I was so skinny till I turned forty, I am now 61, I am more discussed more than ever! I don't enjoy life at all. I have a husband who is on dialysis he is on a special diet, he gets sick a lot.
Thank you,
Gail Ferraiolo
Oats do not contain gluten. Why label it gluten free when it can't contain gluten? That's like cholesterol free peanut butter or sugar free water.
We label them gluten free so people who have issues with eating gluten can eat them knowing there is no cross contamination. You are right, oats to do contain gluten, however, they are high risk for cross contamination.
We are adding more organic gluten free items all the time. We just launched organic gluten free oats.
"An individual with a wheat allergy or gluten sensitivity experiences almost the same symptoms as Celiac Disease." This is incorrect, I'm afraid. The symptoms of an allegic reaction to wheat proteins can vary widely, and depending on the person's sensitivity level and the severity of their reaction exposure to wheat can prove fatal within minutes to hours. While Celiac Disease is very serious and can be extremely debilitating, wheat allergy is an entirely different phenomenon. It's like comparing apples and oranges - all fruit, but not quite as similar as your statement seems to claim.
My allergy to wheat causes anaphylaxis--just like people who have an anaphylactic reaction to tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, dairy and other foods. An anaphylactic reaction is immediately life threatening. I eat gluten free foods, especially Bob's Red Mill brand because I can trust there is no cross-contamination in their products.
Thank you for posting this... I have a wheat allergy. The symptoms that caused me to give up wheat were digestive in nature, however it had escalated to severe vomiting. This was /is not the only negative impact of this,allergen... my incidents of asthma issues is also related to this...by eliminating gluten I've gone from an average of 5 breathing episodes per week to almost none! :)
Thank you for the explanation about wheat allergy vs Celiac disease. I tested allergic to wheat 40 years ago but never understood the how it differed from Celiac disease. I just knew I needed to avoid wheat due to my allergy. I was not even told about Celiac disease when I learned of my wheat allergy.
@ George Arnold, I think you are grossly mistaken. Roundup is used extensively, and nearly everywhere in the USA where it is not organic, so much so that even organic farmers are having difficulty producing without contamination of glypohsate. It is now in 100% of every wine tested produced in the US, and Monsanto just keeps pumping it into our system. You need to read this. http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/real-reason-for-toxic-wheat-its-not-gluten/