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Corn Gluten - Is it Safe for a People with Celiac Disease Who are on a Gluten-Free Diet?
- By Scott Adams
- Published 07/26/1996
- Gluten-Free Grains and Flours
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Scott Adams
In 1994 I was diagnosed with celiac disease, which led me to create Celiac.com in 1995. I created this site for a single purpose: To help as many people as possible with celiac disease get diagnosed so they can begin to live happy, healthy gluten-free lives. Celiac.com was the first site on the Internet dedicated solely to celiac disease, and since then it has become an invaluable resource to people worldwide who seek information about celiac disease and the gluten-free diet.
In 1998 I created The Gluten-Free Mall, Your Special Diet Superstore! which was also another Internet first—it was the first gluten-free food site to offer a shopping cart-style interface, and the ability for people to order gluten-free products manufactured by many different companies at a single Web site.
I am also co-author of the book Cereal Killers, and founder and publisher of Journal of Gluten Sensitivity.
The term gluten in reference to the cohesive, elastic protein mass remaining after starch is washed from a dough goes back to Beccari in 1745. Strictly speaking, gluten is found only in wheat because it is difficult to wash a cohesive protein mass even from rye, the closest relative to wheat, let alone from barley or oats or anything else. Unfortunately, a misuse of the term by the corn industry has become common in recent years. It has become fairly common to call corn storage proteins corn gluten. Personally, I think there is no justification for such usage. Corn may contain prolamins, as does wheat, but not gluten.
When it comes to celiac disease, a similar corruption of the term has become very common. There are certain related proteins in wheat, rye, and barley that give rise to particular peptides during digestion that are capable of triggering the responses typical of celiac disease. Only in the case of wheat can these be strictly considered to be derived from the gluten proteins. But for lack of a suitable term, patients and their physicians began speaking of gluten-free or gluten-containing foods. People ask me, How much gluten is there in Quinoa? I have to translate this into, Are there any harmful peptide sequences in the proteins of quinoa? There is nothing in quinoa that is like gluten prepared from a wheat flour dough, which has an unusual, perhaps unique, viscoelastic character.
In any case, as far as we know, corn does not seem to cause harm to celiac patients. Corn has not been studied in the extensive way that wheat has in relation to celiac disease, but for 40+ years patients and their physicians have seemed to agree that corn is OK. The sequences in the corn zein (prolamin) fraction are suspicious, but they do differ in an apparently crucial way from the protein sequences of the wheat gliadin (prolamin) fraction. There have been no modern biopsy-based studies of the effects of purified corn proteins on the celiac intestine as there have been for wheat, but the mass of evidence still seems to point in the direction of corn being safe for celiac patients.
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60 Responses to "Corn Gluten - Is it Safe for a People with Celiac Disease Who are on a Gluten-Free Diet?"
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said this on 13 Nov 2007 3:47:11 PM PDT
Anyone else have problems with corn? I am aware that it is not gluten, but after my celiac disease diagnosis I slowly became more sensitive to other foods. Rice first. (ouch) Then corn. Soy. Tomato. Besides the yeast, dairy, eggs, acidic foods...
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said this on 05 Dec 2009 5:26:05 PM PDT
Response to Eileen Swanson who seems to think she is allergic to corn, rice, soy, tomato, yeast, dairy, eggs, acidic foods....Goodness, this sounds like a perfect reason to create food out of cardboard....
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said this on 27 May 2011 5:55:43 PM PDT
Sylvia, you obviously are not and do not have a loved one who is stricken with celiac disease. Otherwise you'd not makes such an insensitive comment. What an idiot! Do yourself a favor, read some book on the disease, try to cultivate some degree of compassion for others. Otherwise you're just an empty vessel and waste of life.
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said this on 27 Aug 2011 6:53:29 AM PDT
Juggernaut, I am celiac and I think that Sylvia's comment is hilarious. Especially before diagnosis I felt like that a few times. At one point I didn't want to eat anything cause I was sick all the time!! If only they made food from cardboard!!! But after diagnosis I have slowly started to love food again and appreciate a lot more fruit and veggies.
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said this on 24 Jan 2012 12:04:01 PM PDT
Sylvia, there's a difference between food sensitivity and an allergy. Food sensitivities can cause a wide variety of symptoms like dander, bloating, headaches, sore joints, poor mental clarity, exhaustion, malnutrition, weight gain, irritability, poor memory, gas, diarrhea, etc. If you have a sensitivity, that doesn't mean you can never eat that food again, it just means you have to stop eating it for a period of 6 months to a year, to let your body heal. Then you can eat it again.
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said this on 26 Jul 2010 3:18:33 PM PDT
Get checked for Mastocytosis. This is how mine started. First Wheat, then rice, then soy, then corn, beef, pork, milk, eggs, chocolate, tomato and finally onions. I ended up enteral feed until I got it under control. I still have flares.
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said this on 07 Jan 2012 10:01:28 PM PDT
I have had celiac for several years, but the gluten-free diet was only slightly helpful. Over the years I "scientifically" identified dozens of foods that don't work for me, but the list makes no sense. Recently I got and additional diagnosis of Fructose Malabsorption. This helps explain many of the things I can't eat, and also suggests many things that I eat lots of (Fruit, onions, garlic, vegetables, honey...)that I should not have been eating. Now, when I stick to the GF and MF diets, I really can eat most of the things I thought were bothering me. Most of my list was bad science from making too many assumptions. I am in the process of retesting everything. I still might have a problem with cornstarch and yeast, but almost everything not on the GF or FM list now seems to work.
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said this on 12 Feb 2011 1:43:39 PM PDT
I have had extreme problems to the point of just eating white rice and a potato. I started drinking 6 oz Kefir a day and 2 to 3 oz potato juice in 2 to 3 oz hot water a day. After a month I am now eating a much bigger and varied diet.
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said this on 26 Jun 2011 4:36:08 AM PDT
I'm really intolerant to corn - it makes me really ill. I'm struggling to find food I can eat as I plan to go gluten free very soon. It seems that the only alternative to wheat is corn - I despair!!
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said this on 05 Jul 2011 8:22:06 PM PDT
There are many prepared foods that are gluten free, yet they contain corn starch (watch baking powder) or corn syrup. Be careful! I'm learning to read labels VERY carefully, and I'm starting to prepare all my food from scratch again and things are much better. Take care and best wishes!
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said this on 12 Aug 2011 8:12:01 AM PDT
I feel ya, Glynis. Corn seems to be in everything. Even if I go to a restaurant that has allergy protocols, I still get corned.
Have you searched for Grain free alternatives? These cookbook authors also have blogs: Elena Amsterdam has an almond flour cookbook, Spunky Coconut (I think she is Christian). I also find some ideas on Grain Free Mom (don't know her name) and Cooking Traditional Foods (the mom and a few kids have been diagnosed as Celiacs) I went gluten free and about 2-3 months later got really sick. The corn was just too much. It's a fairly common occurrence to go GF, feel better for a few months, than consider grain free for better healing. I recently got Pascalite clay and take it before eating out. It helps minimize (not eliminate) any discomfort from being corned. |
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said this on 25 Mar 2012 1:49:19 PM PDT
You can eat rice! I find that it's an awesome alternative. There are rice noodles, and crackers, and so so many things. It's been really awesome and super helpful on my gluten free journey!
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said this on 03 Apr 2012 9:28:48 AM PDT
Rice and soy are also alternatives.
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said this on 26 Jun 2011 5:26:07 AM PDT
I just stumbled upon this post. There are reasons to issues with other non gluten foods. Dairy, eggs and meats all have a protein that over shoot the autoimmune system, soy is horrible for the thyroid and also taxes the autoimmune system, yeast grow in the gut and can in TCM be known to cause all kinds of other problems. Candida (yeast) can take 6 months through dietary changes to get under control. Tomatoes, potatoes and shades in general can be issues for people with food sensitivities. Also keep in mind that citrus, bananas and lechtins in legumes are problems for many with over all autoimmune issues. Once removing allergen and problematic foods it is easier to detect where other allergies to foods are. I don't usually eat corn because of cross contamination issues. I have all these issues above and celiac is the least of my concerns. Sometimes it does feel like diet is a bit cardboard - having a sense of humor is important when dealing with huge dietary changes. Add in the importance of changing to reverse osmosis water and you have an MS diet.
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said this on 05 Feb 2008 2:01:22 AM PDT
I was really glad to find this article because I have seen food with 'corn gluten' in the ingredients and since my diet is boring enough already, I thought 'Oh no, that's one more thing I can't have!' I said, 'Corn is great, and I can have it. Why ruin it? What idiot decided to start putting GLUTEN into corn?'
Thanx very much for clearing that up for me! |
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said this on 10 Feb 2008 10:11:23 AM PDT
Anything that improves on my understanding of gluten is beneficial. In our household we have become almost paranoid in our obsession with 'analyzing ' the content of foodstuff and corn gluten had given rise to another ominous ingredient.
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said this on 25 May 2008 4:02:11 PM PDT
Very helpful. I'm going through the tests for Celiac right now and am rather worried. My GI doctor seems pretty sure that I have Celiac.
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said this on 22 Nov 2011 12:17:48 PM PDT
Irene stern don't be worried about celiac. I'm 15 and have had it for 6 years...it's a huge adjustment but it's kind of fun to go an adventure for new and interesting foods.
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said this on 11 Jan 2012 1:23:05 PM PDT
Irene:
Have the tests been conclusive for your celiac suspicion? Are you on a gluten/wheat free diet and how is that working. Personally I have been undiagnosed but am always having 'flares'. |
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said this on 14 Aug 2008 10:49:56 AM PDT
I'm glad this was explained (and explained well) because I couldn't find anything on the internet other than using this as a herbicide!?
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said this on 02 Sep 2008 11:56:15 AM PDT
I have a similar reaction to corn so I do wheat and other grains as most celiacs do although it is a very mild reaction in comparison. I know a man that has a medical license and has celiac. Also has the same reaction to corn. It seems to me that this is misinformation to say that celiacs are not sensitive to corn. I have never had problems with rice or central American grains, nor soy, the only problems I have had with tomatoes is when they are canned and have calcium lactate added, in that it is made from corn.
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said this on 14 Nov 2008 11:33:46 AM PDT
It seems that when we remove certain foods from our diets which have been harmful to us, our bodies have, or sometimes have, a knee jerk reaction. Maybe some celiacs are allergic to corn, or develop an allergy to corn, soy, dairy, eggs, etc. It is good to know, as this article states clearly, that there is not an automatic total ban on corn for all celiacs. Thank you for your research and hard work in this area! It is very much appreciated.
Sheri |
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said this on 24 Nov 2008 7:55:21 AM PDT
Thanks so much for this article. My friend's daughter has celiac and I am trying to learn to prepare food so that she is able to eat at our house. We are doing Thanksgiving here! I will double check with my friend to make sure her daughter has no outside problems with corn, but this has definitely helped clear up the question of 'corn gluten' for me. Thanks again!
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said this on 02 Dec 2008 1:15:51 AM PDT
Thanks for the info. More than half the frozen veges I have had have corn gluten in them. Thanks again.
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said this on 11 Jan 2009 11:58:27 AM PDT
I hate corn, and the whole corn industry that forces it into EVERYTHING. So I'm like commenter #1 in that corn gives me the same reaction as gluten, namely: making my 'acne' flare up (dermatitis herpetiformis). I'm getting another round of scratch testing done to check for allergies to things like corn. I am also looking into metal poisoning (I have a number of metals I'm actually allergic to from my dermatological testing: nickel, chromium, aluminum, etc). Then I'm looking at candida and/or parasite issues. But I still have to eat. Does anyone have anything I can actually eat? I'm really hungry.
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said this on 21 Jul 2009 1:40:35 AM PDT
Buckwheat - I mix up equal quantities of flour and water and leave over night then make pancakes, you can put banana, sultanas or whatever in or have as savory, nut butter on them is great many possibilities.
Quinoa, chickpea flour - can replace wheat flour in pancakes or baking chickpeas. |
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said this on 19 Apr 2010 8:59:38 AM PDT
You may have more than gluten sensitivity. I would do candida test. Then go on a candida diet. Having a candida problem can have some of the same symptoms. Unfortunately the diet is not easy. The candida die off causes flu like symptoms.
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said this on 09 May 2009 9:48:53 PM PDT
I've just figured out, myself, in the last week, that I have celiac disease. My doctor insists it's IBS. Well, I've been reading and following strictly, a Gluten Free Diet. It's only been a week, and I am starting to feel a significant change in my body.Earlier today, after reading an article that Corn was 'okay' to eat, I cooked corn on the cob for dinner. Almost instantly, I started feeling my legs getting heavy, my hands and legs going numb, and felt just as I did prior to figuring out that it was Gluten affecting me. The corn (for me) does not agree with whatever My body is trying to fight against. I have been very ill for 3 yrs, and saw several doctors. All misdiagnosed and wanted to pump drugs into me. I am glad I followed my own instincts and hope I am going to feel better with each day.
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said this on 04 Aug 2011 5:15:24 PM PDT
There have been several case reports of people with IBS being very sensitive to "grain" this is not celiac, it is a sensitivity that affects people in a very negative way. Options for "flour" are chick peas, nuts, other legumes etc. Diet profoundly affects many people, but celiac is a very specific disease not just "gluten sensitivity."
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said this on 29 May 2009 4:44:41 AM PDT
Great article! Yes, some celiacs are also allergic to corn. Some non-celiacs are allergic to corn too. Thanks for showing that it's a separate issue, and that it's not an automatic matter of concern for celiacs. I think we need to be careful sometimes about attributing every problem we have to our celiac disease. I'm allergic to caraway seeds, for example, but that has nothing to do with my celiac disease!
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said this on 05 Jun 2009 7:50:37 PM PDT
Your site is fantastic!! I would like say that Eastern medicine is aimed at fixing the ailment and Western medicine aims at the symptoms, so conventional western doctors will be more than happy to give you a so called quick fix (drug) for the symptoms that you may, to their financial benefit require for a long long time all the while still holding the original ailment. Trust your instincts and seek the advice of a QUALIFIED alternative practitioner and be patient with altering your diet and bodies physiology as these things will take some time and most importantly dedication.
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said this on 28 Jul 2009 5:09:43 AM PDT
Thank you, I am not celiac, but my son I believe is. we decided to move as a family gluten and casein free as I have other issues with fog and sleep. We started compensating with rice, corn, peanut butter and soy products. Now I am reading where some or all can still cause issues. I am struggling with the hit and miss methods as there are so many combinations to consider. for instance how you would ever determine a spice to be a reaction issue? I'm just tired of feeling bad and we don't have money to go get testing done. Thanks everyone for your input.
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said this on 22 Jan 2012 10:46:27 AM PDT
I have heard from several people and read that although small amounts of soy may be good--beware, do not intake too much soy because it can have negative effects.
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said this on 07 Nov 2009 2:19:58 AM PDT
I have a similar reaction with corn as I do with wheat. My research has taught me that it may be due to the pesticide being the same used for both effecting the gluten somehow.
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said this on 25 Jan 2010 7:18:36 AM PDT
Thank you for that.
I also am alot more sensitive to food, I get so sick.... from nearly anything... |
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said this on 20 Feb 2010 7:59:25 AM PDT
Thanks for the article. Like others, I have more recently become sensitive to corn. To respond to Jerry, I do not believe that common pesticides would be responsible at least in my case, since I got a reaction from eating organic corn flakes (three ingredients: corn, grape juice, salt). Oh well, I guess cereal is off the list for me.
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said this on 05 Apr 2010 10:34:35 AM PDT
Hi Scott,
You have a great site. In reference to corn, glutensociety.org is saying that corn does have gluten along with all grains. Although, I always felt better on a "gluten-free" diet, as soon as I took myself off of all grains I felt an immediate difference. I went from about 80% better to 100% and no more muscle fatigue! I think more research needs to be done in this area. Physically, I am in agreement with there being gluten in all grains. |
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said this on 19 May 2010 5:23:19 AM PDT
I faint sometimes and the doctors keep on saying it is epilepsy, but since I'm on a fruit and vegetable diet, which is gluten-free it is something of the past. This is only the case if I don't eat grain products. As soon as I'm eating oats or corn, I'm feeling bad! Therefore, this article was very interesting, by hearing that corn also affects other people the same way as gluten containing foods.
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said this on 22 May 2010 10:02:02 PM PDT
This article might be a little out dated because people with celiacs should definitely avoid corn!! I know it sucks for the gluten-free community because what the heck are we going to eat now?! But corn along with rice, contain gluten which makes perfect sense considering all the comments above who had reactions to corn. And being allergic to corn is totally different than being intolerant to it. Like Kristen said above some groups totally advise against all grains for people with celiac and gluten intolerance's.
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said this on 31 Oct 2010 12:28:56 PM PDT
The more we learn, the less we realize what we know.
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said this on 30 Jan 2011 10:50:32 AM PDT
You hit the nail on the head. Plus the fact that we are individuals who will react in our own individual way.
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said this on 15 Nov 2010 9:06:04 AM PDT
My doctor advised me that all grain has gluten in it and that I should stay away from traditional gluten free foods. As soon as I removed corn and rice (my favorites) from my diet, I enjoyed a huge improvement in health. My higher energy level was an unexpected surprise. I wish I would have known that corn was not good for me years ago!
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said this on 21 Nov 2010 12:25:55 PM PDT
I react to corn the same way as gluten. I have celiac disease and I've been on a gluten free diet for 3 years and continually getting worse. Finally, my doctor actually told me she would feel she was at risk for "malpractice" if she didn't insist I stop eating corn. Apart from food being a challenge to find, my biggest problem is medications. They ALL have corn starch or lactose in them.
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said this on 23 Nov 2010 3:48:42 AM PDT
I also react to corn the same way as gluten. Dr Peter Osborne's research tells me that we should be avoiding ALL grains. Healthy, genuinely gluten-free alternatives are buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth and wild rice (not white or brown rice).
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said this on 10 Dec 2010 6:36:14 AM PDT
Corn gluten is NOT safe for all celiacs, I have a severe reaction to it and I wish I had known this months ago. I wish you would revise your article because it was truly misleading for me and can be harmful to other celiacs who are struggling to feel better.
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said this on 19 Dec 2010 10:35:04 AM PDT
I don't completely agree with this. I've eaten corn based products and have had reactions before. Fritos corn chips, for example, I can't eat those without a reaction of some kind.
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said this on 19 Jan 2011 1:17:15 PM PDT
I was interested in the bit about mastocytosis because I have multiple food intolerances- my hubby has watched my abdomen expand several inches simply from eating onions (caramelized). Corn and soy are especially bad (for me) also tomatoes and I think something else. I too am tired of eating this way- cardboard sucks!! Plus - I work at a restaurant and it is very frustrating to see and smell everything all the time...
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said this on 02 Feb 2011 10:15:40 PM PDT
I AGREE CHRIS, IT'S HARD AND SUCKS. I AM HUNGRY A LOT AND IT'S A LONELY WORLD WITH NOTHING TO EAT. THE SUPERMARKET IS CRAZY FOR ME....I NEVER REALIZED I COULD FEEL LIKE THIS. IT IS FRUSTRATING.
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said this on 09 Jun 2011 3:43:09 AM PDT
Great article. I do not have celiac, but am a restaurant operator looking for clarification on the corn for our gluten sensitive guests. I also follow a no grain diet in general for my health. Corn is insidious in so many foods and once all grains are removed you will see and feel a closer connection to your body and foods in general. Good luck to you all in your quest for good health.
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said this on 02 Jul 2011 9:40:22 AM PDT
I was recently diagnosed with celiac and am pre-diabetic. It helps to have a good doc finally after so many not listening. I have to add so it may help some of you out there. My doctor does integrative and functional medicine. So he is helping with that and got me on Bioidentical hormones. So here is the news I got this week: he works with neuroscience which has testing I have heard some of you mention before in other postings here called IGg. They tested my blood serum through Pharmasan lab their sister company and low and behold out of 154 foods and 22 spices. I have serious problems with sensitivity in my gut. I have been poisoning myself for years. I think with all that it revealed I most definitely dealing with candida. So the best advice I can give anyone is that is you have pain whether right away or in the morning you have a problem with certain foods and better get it out of your system. The person who said you are hungry, right now I am only able to eating beef and chicken. I use coconut oil since I am sensitive to olives so no more olive oil until I can kill whatever candida is there plus nothing containing sugar or fermentation products. It is difficult and I do have to take probiotics--anything to help with elimination. I actually scored low for gluten but moderate for barley, wheat and millet and quinoa. So all grain for me is out. I have to determine what foods will help me heal and what aggravates. So I hope this helps some of you in your wellness journey. We must listen to our bodies.
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said this on 04 Jul 2011 3:45:51 PM PDT
I'm new to all this. I have experienced stomach issues for years and am just beginning to realize I need to make changes to my diet so I can begin to feel better
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said this on 29 Jul 2011 12:54:43 PM PDT
If you are celiac, stay away from grains. I react to corn and so called safe oats. Grain free for me baby! Also watch out for Candida!
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said this on 09 Sep 2011 3:23:12 AM PDT
Once your small intestine is inflamed for whatever reason, it cannot properly release the enzymes necessary to digest some foods. Dr. Mercola's site has articles stating that even potato, tomato and rice has a component similar to gluten.
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said this on 29 Sep 2011 6:53:33 AM PDT
Thank you! Just what I needed to know.
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said this on 19 Dec 2011 3:24:19 AM PDT
I totally agree with avoiding corn. First, most of it is GMO and second grains are not for humans!
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said this on 09 Jan 2012 1:23:42 PM PDT
Many celiacs have co-morbid conditions --like leaky gut syndrome-- and they need to avoid difficult to digest foods in order to heal the damage in the intestine. But I have found that certain foods and grains remain difficult for celiacs even after the gut has healed. Corn and sorghum are two such grains. That is why we are doing a low carb gluten free diet for our family now.
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said this on 22 Feb 2012 7:49:13 PM PDT
Unfortunately I have to disagree with you Scott simply because there has been research that proves certain group of celiacs, maybe as much as 36% of celiacs are challenged by corn. Whether the corn contains gluten or not isn't the issue. The issue is whether or not corn and it derivatives can challenge celiacs. You may want to update your knowledge with more research. Here is one study publish on pubmed and there are more saying the same thing which is corn can be an intestinal challenge is a certain percentage of celiacs: Well darn this site doesn't allow me to publish the study - do a pubmed search.
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said this on 23 Feb 2012 9:58:06 AM PDT
I've not seen any research that indicates corn gluten is toxic for celiacs....I seriously doubt I could have missed that, since I do get notified of all studies published concerning celiac disease, and have looked at each of them since 1995.
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said this on 16 Apr 2012 10:19:41 AM PDT
Good explanation. I had wondered if I was missing something when I saw references to corn gluten. My thoughts are that GM foods are no good for us, and there is research out there to back it up. Maybe it is the pesticides, maybe the GM, but I do my best to stay away from both. Corn is on our "naughty list" along with soy and other common GM foods.
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