[Lynxear]

Prior to stopping eating wheat 3 weeks ago, I used to drink a lot of diet Coke. I guess I always felt a bit bloated then but dismissed it as due to the carbonation of the drink.

After 3 weeks I am now sensitive to feelings of being bloated. I rarely feel this way now after means where it was constant before. I find now that Diet Coke now has an increased bloating effect (probably since that is a rare feeling now) on me. Now my favourite drink in a bar is simply soda water with a twist of lime. No bloating here and lots of carbonation...so is the bloating in the Diet Coke due to gluten in the drink...cannot see a source in the list of ingredients...but the feeling is the same as though I have eaten a slice of bread......

Anyone know??

[VydorScope]

All Coke and pepis are gluten-free

[penguin]

Coke and Pepsi products are all gluten-free, thankfully.

It might be the sweetener in diet coke that gets you, my mom is sensitive to them and it gives her all kinds of stomach upset, and she's not even Celiac.

[VydorScope]

Some ppl react to splenda, and it has GI symptons much like celiac, but does no damage.

[Lynxear]

Viola, on Apr 7 2006, 06:16 PM, said:

Some people are sensitive to the Caremel colour in coke and pepsi.
I have problems with them, but have no problems with the clear drinks such as Sprite or 7-Up

Perhaps that is it....Carbonation as such is not a problem. I find club soda with a twist of lime to be a very refreshing drink on ice. I often mix Sprite with orange juice to create a nice drink ..... again with no problems.

But there is a slight gassy bloat when I drink Diet Coke that is more noticable now that I don't have other sources. Aspartame as a sugar substitute in my coffee is no problem either.

It is not dibilitating (sp?) but I kinda like this feeling of eating a meal and feeling comfortable afterward^^

[Lynxear]

Well I did further research on Caramel which is of course part of cola drinks...my thanks to mommida for encouraging me to do this.

It seems that Caramel may contain Gluten and be one of those "hidden Gluten" sources....depending on how it is manufactured

here is what I found

Quote

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 1999;96:11482-11485.

(Celiac.com 04/10/2000) Spanish researchers, including Dr. Alicia Armentia Medina from the Hospital Rio Hortega in Valladolid, Spain, warn that people who have cereal allergies should exercise caution when drinking cola or cocoa products as these beverages may contain cereal proteins. These proteins could cause a severe asthmatic reaction in rare instances. Cereal allergies are very common throughout the world, and it is difficult to know the formulation of cola drinks. According to Dr. Medina: "It is possible that they contain cereals." In their study, which was presented to the 16th World Congress of Asthma in Spain, Medina's team analyzed the allergic reactions of nine people who suffered severe asthmatic reactions after drinking cola. The researchers linked their allergic reactions to specific alpha-amylase inhibitor molecules that originate from wheat, rye and barley, and were found in their drink.

The researchers conclude: "My personal opinion is that persons who know that they have a cereal allergy should be careful about consuming foods such as (colas) and cocoa that could contain cereal in their composition."

Quote

http://www.consciouschoice.com/2001/cc1410...isease1410.html

Some sources of gluten are easy to detect: breads, pastas, cookies, crackers, cakes, breaded foods, etc. But gluten is often hidden in the most innocent of foods. Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (found in broth, soup, and bouillon); caramel coloring (in candy, cola, and snack food); malt, malt flavor, and malt syrup (made from barley); and most marinades, gravies, and cream sauces are out of the question. Some companies dust their products with wheat flour to keep them from sticking, and they are not required to report it on the label.

Quote

http://www.celiac.co...ml?p_prodid=185

The problem with caramel color is it may or may not contain gluten depending on how it is manufactured. In the USA caramel color must conform with the FDA standard of identity from 21CFR CH.1. This statute says: "the color additive caramel is the dark-brown liquid or solid material resulting from the carefully controlled heat treatment of the following food-grade carbohydrates: Dextrose (corn sugar), invert sugar, lactose (milk sugar), malt syrup (usually from barley malt), molasses (from cane), starch hydrolysates and fractions thereof (can include wheat), sucrose (cane or beet)." Also, acids, alkalis and salts are listed as additives which may be employed to assist the caramelization process.

Hmmmmm....well based on my experience of slight bloating....my vote is that it is the caramel in the Diet coke that is my problem. It is not serious in my case....I love the drink and drank a lot of it in my time....but now armed with this knowledge I will drink less of it.