Guar Gum

[Kaycee]

I've been gluten-free for a few months. The first few weeks i was feeling I was getting better. Then I introduced gluten free bread. It wasn't wonderful, but I needed something to put peanut butter on etc.

But it seems now a couple of months later, I seem to experiencing similar bowel patterns as to what I had before I went gluten free. My doctor told me when I expressed my concern about this, that it takes time for things to settle down. I feel I have given it a bit of time to settle, and think it could be the guar gum that is in my gluten free bread mix.

When I gluten myself, which happens naively, rarely and accidently, the initial reactions are different, so I am confident it is not that, as most of my meals are wholesome, and what goes in, is what I put in, with the least additives possible.

Looking up on the internet, it seems that guar gum can be put in medications such as ibuprofen, and after taking that the other day, I had a bad bout of diahrhea (how on earth do you spell that word). Maybe I am onto the answer, and yes guar gum doesn't agree with me.

I was just wondering if anybody else has this problem, or whether it is just me?

Cathy

[Rachel--24]

I react to guar gum. Just found out recently that I'm highly sensitive to msg which is uaually in guar gum and also most medications. I cant tolerate it at all.

[kabowman]

Guar Gum is/can be used as a laxative. I try to limit what I eat because I have enough problems in that area already!

[Guest Viola]

Kate is right, Guar Gum is used as a mild laxitive...unfortunately, to a Celiac, the laxitive may not be so mild.

[Kaycee]

Rachel, thanks for your reply, and it is interesting that it can contain msg. That is one thing I totally try to avoid.

Since it has laxative effects, why, or how can a manufacturer of a gluten free product, aimed at a celiac, feel justified in putting it in their product?

Very interesting.

So from now I will avoid it, from yesterday, actually, and you know what I had baked beans yesterday, and they had guar gum in them! Yes I know beans are bad for gas, but aren't you lucky you are in the US and I am in NZ.

[Guest Viola]

Yes I know beans are bad for gas, but aren't you lucky you are in the US and I am in NZ.