8 replies to this topic

[missceliac2010]

Hello fellow Celiacs!

My name is Heather and I am newly diagnosed with Celiac Disease *it's been about a week*. My Dad has had the disease since I was a teenager, so when I was diagnosed, I was at least a little familiar with the diet in general. First I'll tell you a little about me, as an introduction. I am a 35 year old mother of 2 boys, ages 13 and 11. I am dating a wonderful man who is very supportive of me and tries to help in anyway he can. He has done lots of research (he's the cook of the family) and is already getting comfortable to adjusting his own recipes to adhere to our budget and lunch.

I have had a couple of struggles with being accidentally glutenized, and of course find it very frustrating. I have a two questions, one specific and one general:

1. Specifically, does Balsamic Vinegar have gluten in it? My bottle of "Eremo Benedetto" lists the following ingredients: Wine vinegar, concentrated grape must, caramel, contains natural sulfites. (In that order). Being fairly new, and despite have an IPhone "app" called "Is that gluten free", I still struggle! Any thoughts?

2. In general, I wondered what people's symptoms are when they get "glutenized"? Are they pretty specific and general across the board for Celiac Spru patients? My tell-tale signs that I have done something wrong begin with a bulging, swollen belly. I am by no means a thin model, but I don't normally have a tummy that could pass for 5 (or so) months pregnant! I'm not preggos btw...LOL). The symptoms then turn to a terrible pain right under my rib cage. The pain lasts about an hour, but my swollen belly can last for hours. Is this a common reaction? How do you react? I would love to hear about what happens to my fellow celiac.com peeps!

Thanks,

Heather
(Missceliac2010)

[skigirlchar]

im going to answer #2 first - everyone seems to have differing symptoms, however many state they suffer from the swollen belly. others get brain fog. others get massive cramping. others get headaches. the list goes on and on. some people find that adding/taking digestive enzymes and drinking tons of water as soon as symptoms show up help w/ nixing the symptoms quicker than just letting it pass.

as for balsamic vinegar -

• the grape must is freshly pressed fruit juice (usually grape juice) that contains the skins, seeds, and stems. basicly this means you are also getting any of the naturally occurring yeast that grows on the grapes. for me - this is a HUGE trigger. needless to say, balsamic vinegar was one of the 1st things i needed to eliminated from my diet.
• the caramel is made by heating any of a variety of sugars - many need to cut out sugars who are on this diet

i would suggest, if you like the taste of vinegar and don't want to totally give it up yet, try finding a straight rice vinegar (usually can be found w/ the Asian food products in the grocery store) and substituting it. no, it doesn't have the same warm & full taste of balsamic, but they seem to be a better option for me.


good luck & know you have support here!

[Olivegirl]

Balsamic vinegar does not have gluten in it. The only vinegar that is a problem is malt vinegar.

My 'glutened' symptoms are very similar to yours. I always get a massively swollen stomach and cramping.

[missceliac2010]

Thanks for your responses! Sounds like the Balsamic "jury" is still "out". I think I'll remove it from my diet regardless, as any risk is not worth it.

Thanks again!

Heather

[lovegrov]

Thanks for your responses! Sounds like the Balsamic "jury" is still "out". I think I'll remove it from my diet regardless, as any risk is not worth it.

Thanks again!

Heather

The balsamic jury is not out at all. Balsamic vinegar is absolutely gluten-free. The other poster has a host of other allergies that make balsamic bad for her, but not for you, unless you have the same allergies.

Which brings up a different point. In this case, all Heather asked about was gluten. Not yeast. Not sugar. But one of the posts went into a bunch of non-gluten problems, which ended up confusing the issue of gluten. Let's be aware.

richard

[jebby]

Hi Heather,
Balsamic vinegar does not contain gluten and is safe for celiacs. Many salad dressings do contain gluten though, so I stick with plain old olive oil and balsamic vinegar when I have salads at restaurants.
Your bloating and abdominal cramping are pretty tyical symptoms for getting glutened.
I am new on here too, like you.
J

[MIZGWEN]

Hello my name is Gwen. I am newly diagnosed Celiac, just found out. I also have lupus, high BP and had a recent bout with pancreatitis. I am coming to terms with my new lifestyle but I need help...FIRST is there a such thing as gluten free green tea or is green tea naturally gluten free. I have to be able to drink something hot...my day and evenings will be UGH!

Help!

[heatherjane]

If you like Bigelow, a lot of their teas are gluten free: http://www.bigelowte.../Green Tea.aspx

[Bubba's Mom]

Rooibos tea is very nice too. It's not a true tea..but is high in anti-oxidants. Very healthy.

I find that having tea is very calming. It's partly the warm drink..but it's also the holding of the warm cup that's soothing to the soul.