Veterans

[JamesD]

Ok you veterans with years of experience being gluten-free. How important is cross-contamination? I have the disease that is mild if that is possible. I have been trying hard to be gluten-free but after reading about cross-contamination, I don't know where to start. I mean you can get sick off a grill if it had something with gluten in it? Or if something touches your plate? I think for the most part it is basically impossible to trace everything from products on the supermarket shelf to your local restaurant. All I do is look for the ingedients and use common sense for the most part. I believe you can't really be 100% gluten free. Is just a little bit going to hurt? I read that some of you cant even share a fork if it touched something with gluten in it. I had the impression you had to eat something in size like a piece of bread or a really small bowl of pasta to have any ill effects on you. So basically what I'am asking is this, if you use common sense and look at the indgredients in your products your most likely ok, right?

Thanks,

James

[Lisa]

James:

Let us know a little about yourself, your diognisis or your symtoms. This will help us help you. If you truely have Celiac Disease, you will have to be gluten free for the rest of your life. A little bit is a no-no. It is all or nothing.

We are glad that you joined the message board and all of us are here to answer any of your question. This is the best source of information that you can find. We are all here to help each other.

So ask away........

Lisa B.

[tarnalberry]

Ok you veterans with years of experience being gluten-free. How important is cross-contamination? I have the disease that is mild if that is possible. I have been trying hard to be gluten-free but after reading about cross-contamination, I don't know where to start. I mean you can get sick off a grill if it had something with gluten in it? Or if something touches your plate? I think for the most part it is basically impossible to trace everything from products on the supermarket shelf to your local restaurant. All I do is look for the ingedients and use common sense for the most part. I believe you can't really be 100% gluten free. Is just a little bit going to hurt? I read that some of you cant even share a fork if it touched something with gluten in it. I had the impression you had to eat something in size like a piece of bread or a really small bowl of pasta to have any ill effects on you. So basically what I'am asking is this, if you use common sense and look at the indgredients in your products your most likely ok, right?

Thanks,

James

Estimates are that it takes, at most, the equivalent of 1/48th of a slice of regular white bread to cause intestinal damage. And don't forget that symptoms are not indicative of level of intestinal damage.

1) yes, you can get sick off of a grill that's had gluten if something is left behind that will get on your food

2) yes, you can get sick off from gluten that's just touched your plate if any is left behind

3) yes, you can get sick from just a little bit

4) yes, you can get sick from sharing a fork if it's got any residue left on it that contains gluten

5) yes, you can be 100% gluten free - but not if you're not 100% in control of the production of all of your food (so, in practicality, that means that you can't be 100% gluten free for 100% of your life)

the key here is to get as close to it as possible. we all have to make compromises, and the trick is determining the compromises that are acceptable to you. whole, naturally gluten-free foods won't get you sick, but reduce your options. processed, specialty gluten-free foods could get you sick, but increase your options. it's up to each individual to learn about the risks/rewards and strike their own balance. it's tough, but with the information on this board, and available by calling companies, you can inform yourself well and make intelligent decisions.

[Guest Viola]

Well put Tiffany!

Basically, you need to do as much as possible to control your diet. But then common sense means that you don't share a fork with a person eating gluten, salad bars are a problem because people take the spoon out of a gluten product and put it in an otherwise safe product. All we can do is to be as careful as possible and get on with life.