Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

These Ingredients Are So Hard To Understand

Aj63

Recommended Posts

Aj63 Newbie
Aj63
Posted

Hello Everyone,

I was diagnosed on Wednesday and am OK with it all. At have been sick for a long time and at least I know what is going on, can manage it and am not going to die and leave my little girls. I now dramatic, but it's literally the only thing I have been thinking about the past year.

Anyhoo, I am in the process of cleaning out my cupboards, trying to get the house pulled together, which I can only do a little at a time, because I have no energy. I was at the store today and I am so confused about the ingredients on cans. I have Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose, Monosodium Glutamate, Maltdextrin, etc., etc., etc. coming out of my ears. I mean Sucralose I am assuming is some type of sugar. Maltdetrin has malt in the word, so I am assuming it is bad. I was at the store for 2-hours yesterday and 2-hours today. Is there a detailed cheat sheet anywhere explaining the ingredients with the really big names?

BTW

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


JennyC Enthusiast
JennyC
Posted

Congratulations on the early success with gluten free food. The first two dinners after my little boy started the gluten free diet were absolutely horrible. I felt so bad I cried and gave him french fries for dinner--but he didn't mind! :lol:

The ingredients are tricky. There's a good list of ingredients to avoid on this site.

Acesulfame Potassium sounds very artificial so I personally would not worry about it. Sucralose is an artificial sweetener. My son reacted to it, but I think it was because it upset his tummy for other reasons. Monosodium Glutamate is MSG. It is not good for anyone and it can irritate your stomach. Maltdextrin is corn based in the US and Canada.

In my opinion, the most dangerous ingredient is natural flavoring, or other types of flavors. Modified food starch almost inevitably corn or wheat based. If it is wheat based, it must be disclosed on the label since wheat is one of the top eight allergens (barley, rye and oats are not).

I try to buy from manufacturers that will disclose all gluten (not just wheat) in the ingredient label. I will post a link to the list below. I recommend that you call the manufacturers yourself. A couple on the list are "iffy" in my mind. I like to stick with General Mills and Kraft as much as possible.

Open Original Shared Link

lorka150 Collaborator
lorka150
Posted

Acesulfame Potassium is an artificial sweetener. Often used in conjunction with Aspartame so it tastes less "aspartame-y". Safe if you are okay with artificial sweeteners, in the sense that it's gluten free.

Ridgewalker Contributor
Ridgewalker
Posted
Congratulations on the early success with gluten free food. The first two dinners after my little boy started the gluten free diet were absolutely horrible. I felt so bad I cried and gave him french fries for dinner--but he didn't mind! :lol:

Oh wow, me too! Lucas ate a lot of peanut butter on carrots and yogurt at the beginning... Sigh... a LOT! It took me quite a while to get the hang of gluten-free pasta.

In my opinion, the most dangerous ingredient is natural flavoring, or other types of flavors.

I agree completely. It's a very common ingredient, and it can actually be darn near anything. :angry: If I'm in the store and pick something up to check the ingredients, "natural flavors" will make me put it right back down. I'll look it up online when I get home. Luke and my Mom have both been glutened by "natural flavors" too many times. I never risk it anymore, EVER.

cruelshoes Enthusiast
cruelshoes
Posted

These lists are a life saver. When I was first diagnosed I printed them off and carried them everywhere with me.

Unsafe food ingredients

Safe food ingredients

psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

There are quite a number of companies/brands that have a policy of clearly disclosing gluten in their ingredients. If the maker of the food is one of these, then if you don't see a gluten grain listed, the product is safe. With these brands, you don't need to worry about things like "natural flavor" or "modified food starch." If it contains gluten, the gluten grain will be named.

The list I currently have is:

Arrowhead Mills, Aunt Nelly's, Balance, Baskin Robbins, Ben & Jerry, Bertoli, Betty Crocker, Blue Bunny, Breyers, Campbells, Cascadian Farms, Celestial Seasonings, ConAgra, Country Crock, Edy's, General Mills, Good Humor, Green Giant, Haagen Daz, Hellman's, Hershey, Hormel, Hungry Jack, Jiffy, Knorr, Kozy Shack, Kraft, Lawry's, Libby's, Lipton, Martha White, Maxwell House, McCormick, Nabisco, Nestle, Old El Paso, Ortega, Pillsbury, Popsicle, Post, Progresso, Ragu, Russell Stover, Seneca Foods, Skippy, Smucker, Stokely's, Sunny Delight, T Marzetti, Tyson, Unilever, Wishbone, Yoplait, Zatarain's.

happygirl Collaborator
happygirl
Posted

Using that list makes a world of difference!!! Always turn the product over and look on the back label---you'll often find that a brand is owned by one of the companies that Peter listed. Makes food label reading SOOO much easier---and its trustworthy.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


missnbagels Explorer
missnbagels
Posted

Welcome aboard to the gluten-free lifestyle. It does get better

don't worry.

Here is a link with things you can have

https://www.celiac.com/articles/181/1/Safe-...ents/Page1.html

This is a link for things you can't have

https://www.celiac.com/articles/182/1/Unsaf...ents/Page1.html

Aj63 Newbie
Aj63
Posted
  • Author

Gosh, thank you all so much. The company list will be very helpful as will the lists of safe and unsafe foods. I really appreciate them. Today was a bit rough. Had a slumber party last night with 12 5-year old screaming little girls and it just about killed me not having a bite of piping hot pizza. Ugh!!! Tomorrow's task is making gluten-free pizza. Cross your fingers for me. :P

Matilda Enthusiast
Matilda
Posted

...

MeJenn Newbie
MeJenn
Posted

Another helpful hint is to ask your natural grocer for a list of gluten-free foods available in their store. I live in Colorado and we have a chain out here called "Vitamin Cottage" which has a huge selection of gluten-free items as well as a handy product list. Good luck with everything...it only gets easier, frustrating, yes...but easier.

J

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,547
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    gizmo1jazz2
    Newest Member
    gizmo1jazz2
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Taken Seriously

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Your post demonstrates the profound frustration and isolation that so many in the Celiac community feel, and I want to thank you for channeling that experience into advocacy. The medical gaslighting you endured for decades is an unacceptable and, sadly, a common story, and the fact that you now have to "school" your own GI specialist speaks volumes about the critical lack of consistent and updated education. Your idea to make Celiac Disease a reportable condition to public health authorities is a compelling and strategic one. This single action would force the system to formally acknowledge the prevalence and seriousness of the disease, creating a concrete dataset that could drive better research funding, shape medical school curricula, and validate the patient experience in a way that individual stories alone often cannot. It is an uphill battle, but contacting representatives, as you have done with Adam Gray, is exactly how change begins. By framing it as a public health necessity—a matter of patient safety and protection from misdiagnosis and neglect—you are building a powerful case. Your voice and your perseverance, forged through thirty years of struggle, are exactly what this community needs to ensure that no one else has to fight so hard just to be believed and properly cared for.
    • Scott Adams
      Looking for a gluten-free roomie in Denver CO

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I had no idea there is a "Louisville" in Colorado!😉 I thought it was a typo because I always think of the Kentucky city--but good luck!
    • Scott Adams
      Allergy medication: cetirizine by the HealthA2Z is it gluten free?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Navigating medication safety with Celiac disease can be incredibly stressful, especially when dealing with asthma and severe allergies on top of it. While I don't have personal experience with the HealthA2Z brand of cetirizine, your caution is absolutely warranted. The inactive ingredients in pills, known as excipients, are often where gluten can be hidden, and since the FDA does not require gluten-free labeling for prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the manufacturer's word is essential. The fact that you cannot get a clear answer from Allegiant Health is a significant red flag; a company that is confident its product is gluten-free will typically have a customer service protocol to answer that exact question. In situations like this, the safest course of action is to consider this product "guilty until proven innocent" and avoid it. A better alternative would be to ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you identify a major national brand of cetirizine (like Zyrtec) whose manufacturer has a verified, publicly stated gluten-free policy for that specific medication. It's not worth the risk to your health when reliable, verifiable options are almost certainly available to you. You can search this site for USA prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      Protein or fat?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      What you're describing is indeed familiar to many in the Celiac community, especially in the early stages of healing. When the intestinal villi are damaged from Celiac disease, they struggle to properly digest and absorb fats, a condition known as bile acid malabsorption. This can cause exactly the kind of cramping and spasms you're seeing, as undigested fats can irritate the sensitive gut lining. It is highly plausible that her reactions to dairy and eggs are linked to their higher fat content rather than the proteins, especially since she tolerates lean chicken breast. The great news is that for many, this does improve with time. As her gut continues to heal on a strict gluten-free diet, her ability to produce the necessary enzymes and bile to break down fats should gradually return, allowing her to slowly tolerate a wider variety of foods. It's a slow process of healing, but your careful approach of focusing on low-fat, nutrient-dense foods like seeds and avocado is providing her system the best possible environment to recover. Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful: Thank you for sharing your story—it's a valuable insight for other parents navigating similar challenges.
    • Beverage
      Diagnosed celiac for 1-2 months ago and everything makes me bloated.

      By Beverage · Posted

      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.