What Is A "safe" Amount Of Gluten In Food?

[sparkles]

I thought when I was diagnosed with celiac disease I needed to be 100% gluten-free. I was reading the Delphi gluten-free product list and under coca cola, the company said that it could not guarantee that their products were 100% gluten-free but that the amount of gluten in their products (if gluten was present) was below the amount of gluten that the FDA considers safe and symptom free for celiacs. This is overwelmingly confusing! Does anyone know what is the TRUTH? Can we consume under a certain amount of gluten and not suffer damage to the villa???? I know that gluten can be consumed with no sympoms presenting themselves but just having no symptoms does not make gluten safe...so what is the answer? I thought that this disease was fairly well under control but sypmtoms have been returning slowly for the past few years as I have tried adding gluten-free foods. Obviously, I am getting hidden gluten. Is this because of how the FDA allows companies to define gluten-free and gluten-free is really NOT 100% gluten-free??? Please help!!!! Giving up real bread and real brownies was absolutely heartbreaking, but giving up REAL Coca Cola may push me over the edge!!!!!! Even tho I am diabetic, I save my carbs to be able to have a REAL Coke occasionally!!!!!

[Guest Robbin]

I am confused about this too. I would think that if you consume a teeny bit here and a teeny bit there, by the end of a day/week/month you are getting some damage. I read that a study showed that 1/50 of a slice of bread showed damage to villi, so it isn't much. I am not sure how much is really safe at all. Anyone else have any thing to offer??Take care,

Also, maybe you have another intolerance creeping in?

[psawyer]

This is a case of ask three experts, get four answers.

Companies will not "guarantee" anything for fear of lawsuits.

In the US, there is currently no offically (FDA) prescribed definition of "gluten-free".

You can't scientifically prove a negative. Thorough testing may not find detectable levels of "X" in a substance, place, or whatever. There could be some that is below the sensitivity level of the test. Or, it could be unevenly distributed, and none of the samples contain it. For example, I test 20 specific locations in my back yard and find no dog excrement. This does not prove that there is no doggie do-do in my yard at all. It just shows that I did not find any, this time.

Cross-contamination is possible in any product. Manufacturers buy from other sources, who in turn may buy from other sources. See "no guarantee," above.

There are carcinogens in diesel exhaust. I'm not going to stand behind a truck and inhale near the exhaust pipe. But buses run along my street. I don't live inside an oxygen tent, so I am certainly getting trace exposure.

Innocent people are killed on a regular basis for driving on roads where idiots drive. Nevertheless, I drive on a regular basis. I know there is a risk, but I can't stay at home all day, every day.

If you look carefully at everything, you may be able to find the source or sources of your symptoms. Keep in mind that things other than gluten can cause problems. Most of us with celiac disease have other sensitivities as well. I get very sick if I eat crustacean shellfish, but that does not mean that lobster contains gluten!

[tiredofdoctors]

Peter, If I knew how to do the "quote" thing, I would certainly do so! Excellent analogy -- I actually can use that -- thanks!!