Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

What Does Gluten Free Mean?

discodiver

By discodiver
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

discodiver Rookie
discodiver
Posted

Does "Gluten Free" mean "Wheat Free" and does "Wheat Free" mean "Gluten Free." I'ver read a few articles stating just because a food item declares itself to be gluten free it may still contain wheat.

Last night I decided to try the "Gluten free Moo Goo Gai Pan" from PF Changs...2 hours later I was in horrible pain which lasted all night. That was the only thing I had to eat yesterday. Is this ever frustrating.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

Something that is gluten free is going to be wheat free but something that is wheat free may not be gluten free. Gluten is in wheat, rye, barley and some of us react to oats. Many 'wheat free' items still contain another gluten source. The PF Changs could have been CC'd or something in it may have just been too much for your system if you are still healing.

scarlett77 Apprentice
scarlett77
Posted

When I read "Gluten Free" I'm under the impression that a product with such a label is advertising that the product is free of wheat, barley, rye, and oats. Of course I still read the label because there really is no regulation set on labeling something as "Gluten Free". "Wheat free" means just that...there is no wheat but there could very well be barley, rye, and/or oats.

Like Raven said you may have been CC'd or maybe you are still healing and something else bothered you. Even if there is a gluten free menu, you still need to be careful and vigilant and express to your server and the manager about your special dietary needs. Some restaurants are better than others. We go to our local PF Chang's occasionally and they so far have been very helpful and accommodating. Not everyone has that experience I've heard.

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

In the US, there is still no regulated definition of gluten-free, despite FALCPA having set a time line to have at least a proposal in place by 2008.

As RWG said, gluten-free means wheat-free, but the reverse is not true. Wheat is not the only source of gluten, as it is also contained in rye and barley. Oats are subject to debate, but most commercial oats in North America are contaminated with wheat and thus unsafe for celiacs.

butterfl8 Rookie
butterfl8
Posted

Do you react to soy? I can only have "Philip's better Lemon Chicken" from PF Chang's because I can't tolerate soy. You may want to try eliminating soy and see if that helps your system at all. It did mine, but I can't really enjoy PF Changs anymore. . . Sorry! Or it could be CC, as other posters have suggested. <_<

-Daisy

sandsurfgirl Collaborator
sandsurfgirl
Posted

You probably got CC'd.

At restaurants with a gluten free menu I tell the waitress or manager that I'm very sensitive. I request that they speak personally to the chef and let him know I'm sensitive to cross contamination and can he please be extra careful with my order.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jordan Carlson's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      1

      Fruits & Veggies

      Hello, @Jordan Carlson, So glad you're feeling better. Tecta is a proton pump inhibitor. PPI's also interfere with the production of the intrinsic factor needed to absorb Vitamin B12. Increasing the amount of B12 you supplement has helped overcome the lack of intrinsic factor needed to absorb B12. Proton pump inhibitors also reduce the...
    2. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to pothosqueen's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      15

      Positive biopsy

      @pothosqueen, Welcome to the tribe! You'll want to get checked for nutritional deficiencies and start on supplementation of B vitamins, especially Thiamine Vitamin B 1. There's some scientific evidence that the fat pad that buffers the aorta which disappears in SMA is caused by deficiency in Thiamine. In Thiamine deficiency, the body...
    3. Scott Adams
      0

      Inmate with Celiac Disease Wins $630,000 After Jail Denies Gluten-Free Food

    4. trents
      - trents replied to pothosqueen's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      15

      Positive biopsy

      Wow! You're pretty young to have a diagnosis of SMA syndrome. But youth also has its advantages when it comes to healing, without a doubt. You might be surprised to find out how your health improves and how much better you feel once you eliminate gluten from your diet. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that, when gluten is consumed, triggers an...
    5. pothosqueen
      - pothosqueen replied to pothosqueen's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      15

      Positive biopsy

      26F!
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,012
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    jsslynjnes25
    Newest Member
    jsslynjnes25
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Fruits & Veggies

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jordan Carlson, So glad you're feeling better.   Tecta is a proton pump inhibitor.  PPI's also interfere with the production of the intrinsic factor needed to absorb Vitamin B12.  Increasing the amount of B12 you supplement has helped overcome the lack of intrinsic factor needed to absorb B12. Proton pump inhibitors also reduce the production of digestive juices (stomach acids).  This results in foods not being digested thoroughly.  If foods are not digested sufficiently, the vitamins and other nutrients aren't released from the food, and the body cannot absorb them.  This sets up a vicious cycle. Acid reflux and Gerd are actually symptoms of producing too little stomach acid.  Insufficient stomach acid production is seen with Thiamine and Niacin deficiencies.  PPI's like Tecta also block the transporters that pull Thiamine into cells, preventing absorption of thiamine.  One of the symptoms of Thiamine deficiency is difficulty swallowing, gagging, problems with food texture, dysphagia. Other symptoms of Thiamine deficiency are symptoms of ADHD and anxiety.  Vyvanse also blocks thiamine transporters contributing further to Thiamine deficiency.  Pristiq has been shown to work better if thiamine is supplemented at the same time because thiamine is needed to make serotonin.  Doctors don't recognize anxiety and depression and adult onset ADHD symptoms as early symptoms of Thiamine deficiency. Stomach acid is needed to digest Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in fruits and vegetables.  Ascorbic acid left undigested can cause intestinal upsets, anxiety, and heart palpitations.   Yes, a child can be born with nutritional deficiencies if the parents were deficient.  Parents who are thiamine deficient have offspring with fewer thiamine transporters on cell surfaces, making thiamine deficiency easier to develop in the children.  A person can struggle along for years with subclinical vitamin deficiencies.  Been here, done this.  Please consider supplementing with Thiamine in the form TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) which helps immensely with dysphagia and neurological symptoms like anxiety, depression, and ADHD symptoms.  Benfotiamine helps with improving intestinal health.  A B Complex and NeuroMag (a magnesium supplement), and Vitamin D are needed also.
    • knitty kitty
      Positive biopsy

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @pothosqueen, Welcome to the tribe! You'll want to get checked for nutritional deficiencies and start on supplementation of B vitamins, especially Thiamine Vitamin B 1.   There's some scientific evidence that the fat pad that buffers the aorta which disappears in SMA is caused by deficiency in Thiamine.   In Thiamine deficiency, the body burns its stored fat as a source of fuel.  That fat pad between the aorta and digestive system gets used as fuel, too. Ask for an Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test to look for thiamine deficiency.  Correction of thiamine deficiency can help restore that fat pad.   Best wishes for your recovery!  
    • trents
      Positive biopsy

      By trents · Posted

      Wow! You're pretty young to have a diagnosis of SMA syndrome. But youth also has its advantages when it comes to healing, without a doubt. You might be surprised to find out how your health improves and how much better you feel once you eliminate gluten from your diet. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that, when gluten is consumed, triggers an attack on the villous lining of the small bowel. This is the section of the intestines where all our nutrition is absorbed. It is made up of billions of tiny finger-like projections that create a tremendous surface area for absorbing nutrients. For the person with celiac disease, unchecked gluten consumption generates inflammation that wears down these fingers and, over time, greatly reduces the nutrient absorbing efficiency of the small bowel lining. This can generate a whole host of other nutrient deficiency related medical problems. We also now know that the autoimmune reaction to gluten is not necessarily limited to the lining of the small bowel such that celiac disease can damage other body systems and organs such as the liver and the joints and cause neurological problems.  It can take around two years for the villous lining to completely heal but most people start feeling better well before then. It's also important to realize that celiac disease can cause intolerance to some other foods whose protein structures are similar to gluten. Chief among them are dairy and oats but also eggs, corn and soy. Just keep that in mind.
    • pothosqueen
      Positive biopsy

      By pothosqueen · Posted

      26F!
    • pothosqueen
      Celiac for dummies

      By pothosqueen · Posted

      I was just diagnosed at 26 after accidental finding. Any simple tips for newbies? Things a non celiac would never think of? I already went through my prescriptions and identified some medications that have gluten. Is there a beginners guide? Celiac for dummies?
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.