Guar Gum?

[HPDC]

I have been on an elimination diet for 7 days now. No caffeine, no sugar, no meat products of any kind, no gluten, and no alcohol.

Have had horrendous night sweats for over 20 years and tested for everything (except Celiac). All tests indicate I'm fine with borderline anemia. Since going on the diet, I stopped having nightsweats. It's wonderful. Then yesterday, I had a "gluten free, lactose free" muffin. I had nightsweats last night. Not nearly as bad as usual; but still present. Does anyone know if the ingredient guar gum can trigger a reaction to a gluten sensitive person? I will avoid the stuff if so!

Thank you!

HPDC

[MariaS]

reply:

I cannot tolerate guar gum, Xanthun gum, High Fructose Corn Syrup and carrageenan--most of the newer additives which are made from algae/seaweed. Don't know if I'm a gluten sensitive person. And I am allergic to shellfish.

[RiceGuy]

Guar gum is a soluble fiber derived from the guar bean. I'd have to guess it is most likely not the cause of your symptoms, but obviously I cannot rule it out. There are however, many gluten-free products which are subject to CC, not just with gluten, but nuts, dairy, etc. Check the label to see if it says "processed in a facility which also processes...".

Also, lactose-free may not necessarily mean dairy-free, and of course there's also the possibility of a sensitivity to egg, nightshades, artificial sweeteners, etc. Many baked items have flours and/or starches from corn and/or potato.

Hope you get it figured out!

[jmn]

I have been on an elimination diet for 7 days now. No caffeine, no sugar, no meat products of any kind, no gluten, and no alcohol.

Have had horrendous night sweats for over 20 years and tested for everything (except Celiac). All tests indicate I'm fine with borderline anemia. Since going on the diet, I stopped having nightsweats. It's wonderful. Then yesterday, I had a "gluten free, lactose free" muffin. I had nightsweats last night. Not nearly as bad as usual; but still present. Does anyone know if the ingredient guar gum can trigger a reaction to a gluten sensitive person? I will avoid the stuff if so!

Thank you!

HPDC

[jmn]

People who are intolerant to corn and corn-derived products cannot eat guar gum. Based on my 20 years of experience as a celiac who cannot tolerate corn, I'd say Corn products are much more difficult to eliminate from the diet than wheat gluten. Corn is everywhere, from toothpaste to practically every gluten-free packaged product.

[RiceGuy]

People who are intolerant to corn and corn-derived products cannot eat guar gum.

I think that statement is simply not true. There is no relation between corn and guar gum. There is however, a relation between corn and xanthan gum, since the microbes which produce xanthan are often (but not always) grown on corn. However, the purification process would presumably remove all but a very tiny fraction of the growth medium (and the microbes themselves), which is why most people don't have trouble with it.

On the other hand, guar gum being derived from a bean might not be well tolerated by someone who can't tolerate legumes, though the product is also purified, making it far less likely to cause trouble than whole legumes.

[Isellhouses]

I would be interested to know what you eat on an elimination diet. I was told I was celiac and it is so very hard to follow. I also think I have dairy and maybe corn concerns. I really have stomach problems and want to really put alot of effort into trying to figure it all out. Thank you for any help anyone can give.