Garden Of Life Brand "perfect Food Powder"

[kactuskandee]

How can Garden of Life get away with this on their label for "Perfect Food" powder????

One serving (2 level tbsp or 10g) contains:

Perfect Green Food Blend (5200mg): 33:1 pure juice concentrates of Certified Organic Kamut, Barley, Oat, Alfalfa and Dandelion Grasses (Gluten Free); Spirulina, Chlorella, Dunalialla, Sea Kelp, Sea Dulse and Sea Vegetables.

All their products from what I can tell, says they are gluten-free, and their Primal Defense has barley grass in it. It's one of their best sellers.

Has anyone tried this "Perfect Food"?

The company has a good rep. but I'm suspicious!!!

[Karina]

Hey there! I have been struggling with the same ? I have emailed them but have not gotten a response--the health food pharmacist lady called them once and she "thinks" they told her the barley grasses are cut when they are very young, thus not producing gluten? There are several products I would like to try, but I am not going to pay that kind of $$ to poison myself! I am still waiting for them to reply to my email....

Let me know if you have any luck finding out more about this!

[kactuskandee]

Hi Karina,

Well, if you want to try a product of theirs, snail mail or call them and ask for a sample. I got a 15 caplet sample bottle of Primal Defense at a show, so I know they have samples to give out. I've tried it a couple times, and it didn't make me sick, but there are sure a lot of other cheaper probiotics out on the market, they just don't have the added nutrients this one has. (right now, homemade kefir made with almond or rice milk has made me feel the best of all the probiotics I've tried)

In talking with my health food store owner she said they are so fussy about their ingredients that if a supplier is out of something, they shut down operations until they can get the "right stuff" for their blends. Who knows if this is really true or not.

When we are told to stay away from all barley, wheat and oat grasses it scares me to have to take the risk especially when, like you said they charge big $$$ for their products. I wish they could/would use less risky ingredients for CDers...

If I find out any more I'll post it..........and please do too if you find out anything.

Kandee

[Karina]

Kandee,

Can you tell me how you make homemade kefir? I had not even heard of it until I read The Makers Diet--by the Garden of Life Guy....then I met some ladies online who are doing Nourishing Traditions--which they say is like TMD and they drink Kefir too.

Anyway, I don't know many people and none IRL who drink this stuff--do you follow a special diet? I mean other than gluten-free of course. I have been trying to find someone who is naturally minded to discuss the nutrtional needs of a celiac--which I think must be pretty different from the general population. I don't feel really great a lot of the time, and lately I have felt worse than usual. I suspect that my body (as well as a lot of celiacs) must be extremely dependent on a VERY healthy diet. I think that a lot of people can get away with eating crap and feel just fine....but not true for me....this actually is a fairly new revelation for me, it probably sounds like...."duh, yeah you need to eat right to feel good...", but honestly, I am just now getting it.

[Karina]

Ok, I did a google on gluten free green super food. I got a lot of links, and they all said (different super food brands) that the wheat and barley grasses are gluten free that they are cut before the berries are produced by the plant and that it is the berries that have the gluten--not the plant itself. Basically, these grasses are vegetables. Now I am going to keep searching this out--but I think this is exciting and another site that was selling Garden of Life "perfect food" had a big write-up on it and it said very clearly that it was gluten free.

[celiac3270]

I've heard stuff about this and though it can be safe, there is a chance that some seeds are in it. I think there may have been a post on this some time in the distant past. The safe and forbidden lists at celiac.com also say that the ingredient might contain gluten:

https://www.celiac.com/st_prod.html?p_prodid=185

Forbidden List - Foods and Ingredients Not Safe for a Gluten-Free Diet 

Copyright

[mellondar]

I've heard stuff about this and though it can be safe, there is a chance that some seeds are in it. I think there may have been a post on this some time in the distant past. The safe and forbidden lists at celiac.com also say that the ingredient might contain gluten:

http://www.celiac.co...ml?p_prodid=185

Here we go--I just ran a search. View this post...I wouldn't eat anything that contains it: http://www.glutenfre...st=0

-celiac3270

I just wrote to them and they told me this:

Janell,

Thank you for your email and interest in Garden of Life's products. Gluten containing grains such as wheat, barley and rye, (the so-called “prohibited grains”) are not included in any of our dietary supplements; in the case of cereal grasses, they utilize the grasses (not the grain), which are cut early before gluten is formed. Our products that are exposed to or derived from a “prohibited grain” have specifically been tested for gluten content and results have confirmed that they meet the FDA’s proposed criteria for such labeling. We only feel comfortable labeling a product as gluten free after verifying these test results and receiving proper documentation for such a claim and of course if there are no gluten containing ingredients in the formula.

As part of our ongoing quality control program we are pleased to confirm that Primal Defense meets current guidelines for gluten free labeling. Our formulas and labels are reviewed and updated regularly. We are committed to our customer's health and wellbeing, and we actively monitor the quality of our products in addition to the accuracy of our labels.

Our labels may change based on batch testing and consumers need to read the actual label on the bottle they purchase to verify whether a product of ours is gluten free. For those with Celiac Disease or a serious gluten allergy it is always best for them to get the approval from their doctors before trying any new supplements even when they are tested as being gluten free.

Please also read about Immune Balance Gluten Freeze:Open Original Shared Link

For information on Garden of Life's New and Innovative products, please visit our websites at Open Original Shared Link, www.thevitamincode.com andwww.gardenoflife.com!

May you be blessed with Extraordinary Health,

Jenna

GOL, Product Support

1-866-465-0051

www.gardenoflife.com

Thank you for your email and interest in Garden of Life's products. The Product Support Team is pleased to assist you with information about our products, but we are not licensed medical professionals and therefore can not provide you with any medical advice or information. If you require medical advice or information please contact a medical professional. Please remember the information contained in this email message is for informational purposes only. The statements in this email have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Garden of Life, LLC. | 5500 N. Village Blvd., Suite 202 | West Palm Beach, FL 33407 | www.gardenoflife.com

[ravenwoodglass]

There is no way I would touch this product. I also always have to wonder about people that have only posted one time and revived a thread that is years old to tell us that yes this product is gluten free despite the fact that it contains items that could be dangerous for us to consume.

[Glutoniac]

This is my one time post on a new account reviving this thread that is years old.

I actually called the company. They confirmed that they test Raw Meal at less than 20ppm thus complying with federal regulations for the Gluten Free label. Thus also confirmed as above that they have their grass cut early while the grass is young. And added that it is done by one family farm supplier with exclusive rights. The focus during production is more on obtaining nutrients than on strict gluten free standards. 

If you get sick at 5ppm then this might cause a reaction, I guess. Many other posts on other sites show that most people are drinking this without a reaction. Do we discount all those people as well. 

Seriously, if you have a concern about the integrity of posts here then please have Raw Meal tested in a secure independent facility and show the results. Also please visit their plants, fields, and farms for a visual inspection of the process. Because I guess the only guarantee is if it doesn't make you sick. Which is a little late to find out. 

[cyclinglady]

31 minutes ago, Glutoniac said:

This is my one time post on a new account reviving this thread that is years old.

I actually called the company. They confirmed that they test Raw Meal at less than 20ppm thus complying with federal regulations for the Gluten Free label. Thus also confirmed as above that they have their grass cut early while the grass is young. And added that it is done by one family farm supplier with exclusive rights. The focus during production is more on obtaining nutrients than on strict gluten free standards. 

If you get sick at 5ppm then this might cause a reaction, I guess. Many other posts on other sites show that most people are drinking this without a reaction. Do we discount all those people as well. 

Seriously, if you have a concern about the integrity of posts here then please have Raw Meal tested in a secure independent facility and show the results. Also please visit their plants, fields, and farms for a visual inspection of the process. Because I guess the only guarantee is if it doesn't make you sick. Which is a little late to find out. 

I do not know why you would bring up an ancient posting unless you had a connection to Garden of Life.  As a celiac, I personally would not touch their products.  I pulled up their Gluten Support product on Amazon and found this product.  There is no product that will help a celiac safely digest gluten without triggering an autoimmune response per leading celiac experts.  Drug manufacturers are working on something, but it is a long way off!  This product is not safe for a celiac.  Has it been tested?  I don't think Trish at Gluten Free Watchdog would even waste time testing this product.  That's just my opinion for the record.  

Here's what the University of Chicago Celiac Site (leading researcher) says about such supplements:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

What about Garden of Life's other products?  If they make outrageous claims about their products like this I would think all their products would be suspect.  Just another company trying to profit off sick people.  Sadly, it's all about the money......

Garden of Life RAW Gluten Free Support, 90 Capsule

About the Product

• Supports Healthy Digestion of Gluten and Dairy Containing Foods
• Helps Digest Hidden Gluten and Dairy
• Provides Essential Nutrients Typically Deficient in Those on a Gluten-Free Diet
• Supports Gut-Related Immune System Function
• RAW, Uncooked, untreated, unadulterated, No binders or fillers, No chemical isolates or synthetic nutrients, Whole Food, Living nutrients as nature intended, Live probiotics and enzymes