Fyi... Benefiber NOT gf anymore

[MySuicidalTurtle]

My Mom uses Benefiber and on the new one she bought it says:

Ingredients: Wheat dextrin

Gluten Free (less than 10ppm gluten)

What is this about?!?!? I told her not to take it but what should she do? I thought dextrin from corn was okay but dextrin from wheat is not.

[Guhlia]

I wouldn't take it. Even if she doesn't get a reaction from it, the low levels of gluten may add up and cause damage (if they don't just cause the damage immediately). I would definitely steer clear.

[debmidge]

We ran into this situation last week and didn't know what to make of it. We used to buy it before this "re-formulation".

My understanding is this is how they classify foods as gluten-free in Europe - so many parts gluten per million or something like that.

Despite this, we are not purchasing the new Benefiber. Does anyone know of a substitute (other than Metamucil)?

[MySuicidalTurtle]

What I don't get is how the ONLY ingredient is wheat dextrin and how that would be too little to cause a reaction.

[Judyin Philly]

HI all

This freaked me out so i went and got my old bottle of the power..it said ingred...partially (?) such tiny print can't read that word but after that word is --hydolyzed guar gum (100% natural fiber) and it expired 6/06 so there must me a new formulation as was stated above.

I'd love to hear if anyone called the company. i know the pills were not gluten-free when i started back in june of 05.

judy in philly

[debmidge]

I wrote to Novartis today about this topic (their website did not have an email address - only mail address & phone number) and stated that I understand that to them that 1 part of gluten to 1,000,000 parts of the whole is considered gluten free, but to us it's still unacceptable. I told them to visit our message board and view what people with celiac disease say about products which have wheat/gluten as ingredients.

Advised them that some people with celiac rely on these type of products for most of their fiber. And that we will not buy a product which states GLUTEN FREE when wheat is a component.

So I suppose they'll respond shortly with a form letter.

Now we are looking for substitute products.

[Judyin Philly]

dEB, THANKS FOR WRITING THE COMPANY!

JUDY

[AmandaD]

I just got my most recent newsletter from local celiac group. I guess Benefiber will no longer be gluten-free.

[Budew]

Thanks for the heads up. I guess I wil be looking for Guar Gum at the health food store from now on.

[AmandaD]

Yeah, I guess they're going to start putting "wheat dextrin" in it from now on...

[debmidge]

Benefiber now uses wheat starch in their formula. They claim it's gluten free as it's so many small parts per million. We reject this and no longer will buy Benefiber as we feel that the old formula served its purpose and no changes were needed.

We have been calling Novartis Home Health (manufacturer) and writing to them to state our decision and feelings on this.

Has anyone else been affected by this change and have you contacted Novartis as well?

For us this is a serious change as my husband cannot eat fruits and vegetables and relies almost solely on fiber supplements for his fiber.

[Hdugas]

I was diagnosed three years ago as an asymptomatic celiac patient. My father has celiac and so the whole family was tested, but I have never had bad symptoms; maybe one or two times in my life. Even so, I've been gluten free since my diagnonsense, as I call it, and honestly feel fine.

I started a weight loss regime this year and included Benefiber to ensure that I got enough fiber. I have not had any reactions, but then again, I didn't have any after defiantly driving through Arby's and wolfing down a Beef and Cheddar with curly friends either.

Further, my dad has typical symptoms and he takes Benefiber as well. As in all things related to a gluten free diet, I say test it out for yourself.