Quinoa

[Rachel--24]

I really dont care for quinoa (tried it a long time ago pre-gluten-free) but thought I'd give it another chance. I ate it for breakfast last Thursday and have been REALLY messed up ever since. I have every symptom of a glutening but I know it wasnt contaminated. My doctor told me to avoid both quinoa and amaranth because even though they are gluten-free they are too similar structurally to gluten and therefore some people react....same with soy protein isolate (whatever that is). I didnt really believe him since 9 out of 10 websites say they are safe...sooo I went ahead and ate quinoa. Now I am still sick.

I asked my doctor about this and he said this is why he told me not to eat it....because some people DO react to it. He said while some of his patients do fine with it...others have gluten reactions from it. I'm confused about this. I knew even the purest of oats could cause trouble for some but quinoa???

Did anyone else have a gluten reaction from quinoa?

P.S. I'm not at all sad about giving up quinoa...cuz its gross....but just wanna know if it could cause that reaction.

[Guest nini]

dunno, I think it's gross too.

[Rachel--24]

dunno, I think it's gross too.

LOL...I'm thinking noones gonna answer cuz probably everyone here feels the same. I'm the only one dumb enough to try it twice.

[angel-jd1]

I put it in meatloaf ,meatballs, cookies, and things sometimes. I have also used it ontop of apple crisp. I have also eaten it as a hot cereal with a little butter and sugar. I don't think it is bad and it hasn't made me sick at all. By the way, I used the flakes.

-Jessica

I really dont care for quinoa (tried it a long time ago pre-gluten-free) but thought I'd give it another chance. I ate it for breakfast last Thursday and have been REALLY messed up ever since. I have every symptom of a glutening but I know it wasnt contaminated. My doctor told me to avoid both quinoa and amaranth because even though they are gluten-free they are too similar structurally to gluten and therefore some people react....same with soy protein isolate (whatever that is). I didnt really believe him since 9 out of 10 websites say they are safe...sooo I went ahead and ate quinoa. Now I am still sick.

I asked my doctor about this and he said this is why he told me not to eat it....because some people DO react to it. He said while some of his patients do fine with it...others have gluten reactions from it. I'm confused about this. I knew even the purest of oats could cause trouble for some but quinoa???

Did anyone else have a gluten reaction from quinoa?

P.S. I'm not at all sad about giving up quinoa...cuz its gross....but just wanna know if it could cause that reaction.

[psawyer]

I eat it from time to time. It is a nice change of pace from all the rice and potatoes. I don't think it is gross at all. And it is gluten free and natural. However, I suppose you could be one of the people who react to it.

[ianm]

I never had any reaction from quinoa but it is gross so I don't eat it. I read on a quinoa package that the plant produces a soap like substance as a natural insect repellent and can have a bitter taste.

[Mango04]

Maybe I'm totally weird - b/c I think it's good! Did you rinse it really well before you cooked it? If not, it has this soapy coating that can make you really sick. It's some sort of natural pesticide that you have to entirely clean off before you cook it...and it tastes really bad if you don't get rid of it. A lot of the time when you buy quinoa that soapy stuff is already rinsed off though...so maybe that wasn't the problem. Hope you feel better.

[frenchiemama]

I thought that the quinoa flakes were completely gross, but I like whole quinoa. Especially since it cooks so much faster than rice. Never gotten sick from it though.

[hez]

I have never gotten sick from Quinoa. However, as a hot cereal and pasta I think it is gross. I do like quinoa as a substitute for couscous.

Feel better soon!

Hez

[psawyer]

You do have to make sure it is thoroughly rinsed to remove any saponin (the soaplike coating) before preparing it. This may have been done before you get it, but I always put it in a strainer and run plenty of cold water through it to ensure that it is clean. When the water runs clear the saponin has been eliminated.

[tarnalberry]

I eat it with no problems.

[Merika]

I like it but it makes me feel sort of bad, so I don't eat it anymore. When I did allergy tests one year post-gluten-free, I tested positive to every grain out there (except for wheat, rye, barley, oats, LOL - because I'd avoided them I suspect). I think if your insides are really messed up, any grain is hard to digest. In time, you may be ok eating them (like 3 years.....).

Merika

[jenvan]

I eat with no issues...ate it last night-yum! I always cook it in a broth or seasonings like saffron.

[marciab]

I don't have any problems with quinoa, but brown rice tears up me up some times. marcia

[Rachel--24]

Maybe I'm totally weird - b/c I think it's good!

Yeah...you're TOTALLY weird! j/k

apparantly there are a few of you weirdos on this thread.

I'm not a picky eater and I even like the dry amaranth snaps but I just dont go for quinoa at all.

Did you rinse it really well before you cooked it? If not, it has this soapy coating that can make you really sick. It's some sort of natural pesticide that you have to entirely clean off before you cook it...and it tastes really bad if you don't get rid of it. A lot of the time when you buy quinoa that soapy stuff is already rinsed off though...so maybe that wasn't the problem. Hope you feel better.

I did not know it came with a soapy chemical on it.

Great....if I was gonna get sick I'd rather it have been pizza...not some soapy quinoa. Gross.

How do I know if the chemical was washed off or not? It was hot cereal (Ancient Harvest) and it was flakes not those little round things. I don't think I could have washed off the flakes because they were real tiny...they probably would have disintegrated or something.

I wonder if residues could have gotten me sick since I am extremely sensitive to any chemicals? I think even a natural pesticide would definately make me sick.

[jenvan]

I was curious on the "soap" so looked it up here. It said:

Open Original Shared Link

Preparation

Quinoa's survival through the millennia may be attributed to the resinous, bitter coating that protects its seeds from birds and insects--and also shields them from the intense high-altitude sunlight. This coating, called saponin, is soapy and must be removed in a strong alkaline solution to make the grain palatable. Most quinoa sold in this country has already been cleansed of its saponin. But quinoa should be rinsed thoroughly before cooking to remove any powdery residue of saponin. Place the grain in a fine strainer and hold it under cold running water until the water runs clear; drain well.

[Sterndogg]

I like it as a substitute too for couscous and use chicken broth or beef stock instead of water for flavoring if having as a side dish with dinner.

[Rachel--24]

Quinoa's survival through the millennia may be attributed to the resinous, bitter coating that protects its seeds from birds and insects--and also shields them from the intense high-altitude sunlight. This coating, called saponin, is soapy and must be removed in a strong alkaline solution to make the grain palatable. Most quinoa sold in this country has already been cleansed of its saponin. But quinoa should be rinsed thoroughly before cooking to remove any powdery residue of saponin. Place the grain in a fine strainer and hold it under cold running water until the water runs clear; drain well.

Thanks Jen,

Maybe I should have washed the flakes...wonder if that would have helped. Well....now I know and I wont be eating them again....thats for sure. I bet it was residue that got me sick. I looked at the box and it says nothing about the saponin. I think if I was healthy it wouldnt have bothered me but my immune system is definately under some serious stress so it doesnt take a whole lot to make things worse.

[Mango04]

Yeah...you're TOTALLY weird! j/k

apparantly there are a few of you weirdos on this thread.

hahahahahahaha

The only thing I don't like about quinoa is it's really hard to wash. Maybe I just don't have the right kind of strainer. Hmmm. Go figure we have to worry about strange soapy stuff being in the foods that are supposedly safe and naturally gluten-free.

[Rachel--24]

Go figure we have to worry about strange soapy stuff being in the foods that are supposedly safe and naturally gluten-free.

Yeah...I never woulda thought there was insect repellent on my cereal! What the...

[jerseyangel]

I bought a box of quinoa several months ago. I didn't know of a good way to make it, so I just kind of forgot about it. After hearing what everyone is saying, I don't think I'll be trying it anytime soon!

[psawyer]

Everbody needs to keep this in perspective. Saponin is a natural part of the plant, just like the shell is a natural part of a walnut, or the stone is a natural part of an apricot. It is not a soap or chemical added by man. BTW, apricot stones are poisonous due to large quantities of naturally occuring cyanide, but that doesn't mean you should not eat the flesh.

If the quinoa has been processed into flakes or some other form besides whole grain, then the saponin would have been removed. The caution only applies to whole quinoa, where some residue may remain.

[Mango04]

Everbody needs to keep this in perspective. Saponin is a natural part of the plant, just like the shell is a natural part of a walnut, or the stone is a natural part of an apricot. It is not a soap or chemical added by man. BTW, apricot stones are poisonous due to large quantities of naturally occuring cyanide, but that doesn't mean you should not eat the flesh.

If the quinoa has been processed into flakes or some other form besides whole grain, then the saponin would have been removed. The caution only applies to whole quinoa, where some residue may remain.

Yeah definitely. It's just kind of a pain to wash when you buy the whole qunioa....but I still think it's really good. Actually thinking of making some tonight.

[Rachel--24]

Everbody needs to keep this in perspective. Saponin is a natural part of the plant, just like the shell is a natural part of a walnut, or the stone is a natural part of an apricot. It is not a soap or chemical added by man. BTW, apricot stones are poisonous due to large quantities of naturally occuring cyanide, but that doesn't mean you should not eat the flesh.

Yeah...I understood about it being a natural occuring chemical and not synthetic. I was just being silly about not wanting soapy insect repellent on my cereal.

Since I ate flakes I'm sure the saponin was washed out but can it really be 100% removed? All I know is I got really sick so its definately not worth it to me to eat it again...I mean, it's not like its chocolate or anything super yummy like that.

[psawyer]

Rachel, I'm cool with what you said. I just didn't want anybody to think there was anything about whole quinoa what was not natural or organic.

Your body may have a problem with quinoa even if the saponin is completely removed.

Peace.