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New Chapter Vitamin With Barley Grass

pellegrino

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pellegrino Apprentice
pellegrino
Posted

A doctor I saw at an urgent care center (a newly converted vegan doctor, mind you - gotta love Oregon) recommended New Chapter vitamins. I had been taking Freeda vitamins (a multi, Vitamin D, and Calcium) but realized something in them was making me itch. I noticed I'd get itchy welts periodically, but couldn't seem to connect their occurrence to foods or personal products.

I stopped taking the vitamins when I went on vacation and just forgot to start taking them again. It wasn't until six weeks later that I realized I hadn't had one itchy welt incident since I'd stopped taking them. I started using the brand because a doctor I was seeing at the University of Chicago's Celiac Disease Center when I wasw first diagnosed recommended them, because they're gluten free. But no more Freeda vitamins for me.

The doctor I saw most recently explained to me that he'd done a lot of research about New Chapter and definitely recommended whole food vitamins over the artificial stuff, said that maybe something in them was making me itch. I agreed. I'm not too fond of the fact that all the New Chapter vitamins contain soy (I've been meaning to read The Whole Soy Story and educate myself more about soy), but I've been taking the women's daily multivitamin for a few weeks and haven't noticed any problems.

My skin has been super super dry lately, even while using Eucerin original lotion once daily, but I can't figure out why. This was going on before I started the New Chapter multi though, and seems to have gotten worse since I got a really bad sunburn back in August. I'm going to ditch the Eucerin and try coconut oil.

Anyhow, the last doctor I saw in Chicago measured my vitamin D levels, which were really low. I know I need to be taking both Vitamin D and Calcium, as my bone density is also below normal. New Chapter makes two bone health supplements: CalMag Bone Health and Bone Strength Take Care. The first contains no Vitamin D, but the second does. Problem is, Bone Strength Take Care lists "organic barley grass" in the "other ingredients" section. I'd really like to take this Vitamin D/Calcium combo, to kill two birds with one stone. Or at least take a Vitamin D supplement in whole food form as well, but New Chapter doesn't offer one.

The vitamin is listed as "naturally gluten free" on the company's website (Open Original Shared Link), but I'm suspicious. I'm not sure if barley grass is safe for someone with celiac. Common sense tells me no. I'm without insurance at the moment and just moved to Portland, so I don't have a doctor here yet. Otherwise I'd ask a doctor. But I thought I'd post this question here, surely someone has an answer or has had experience with New Chapter vitamins. I wrote New Chapter about this at least a month ago, asking why it was necessary to include barley grass in one bone health supplement, but not the other, but I never received an answer. Psht!

Thanks in advance for your help!

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darlindeb25 Collaborator
darlindeb25
Posted

Barley grass and wheat grass are questionable...some say it's ok, and some do not. I will not take a vitamin with either in it. Puritan Pride multi-vitamins are said to be gluten free, yet they contain barley grass. When I questioned the company about the barley grass, they told me in their opinion, there was not "enough" gluten in the vitamin to constitue calling it gluten. That statement was enough to make me realize, I was not trusting them.

Personally, I would not take New CHapter vitamins which contain barley grass.

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

Wouldn't touch those. There are other good vitamins out there that don't have questionable ingredients so for me those would definately not be worth the risk.

ArtGirl Enthusiast
ArtGirl
Posted

Grass blades of barley (or wheat, for that matter) do not contain gluten. It's only in the grain.

So, theoretically, barley grass, or wheat grass, wouldn't be a problem.

BUT - there is just no way the grass can be separated from the grain in harvesting, storage, shipping, and processing. There's going to be a bit of grain dust and even possibly grain particles in with the grass.

Early on I took actually drank barley grass powder mixed in water. It always made me sick. I know now that it was contaminated with gluten grains.

pellegrino Apprentice
pellegrino
Posted
  • Author

Thanks everyone, I'm glad I went with my gut and didn't get them. Do you have any other vitamin brand recommendations? Specifically a Vitamin D/Calcium combo? I really like the New Chapter idea of whole food vitamins, as the Freeda vitamins didn't seem to work for me. But I'm not sure if there are any other celiac-friendly, for-sure-gluten-free whole food vitamins out there.

I was curious about the proposed gluten free labeling standards and found this article.

https://www.celiac.com/articles/21617/1/-FD...ards/Page1.html

But I'm confused, under these standards, would these vitamins containing barley grass still be allowed to use the term gluten free? I'm thinking yes, as there is technically no gluten in the grass. But that just seems kind of ridiculous. I would bet most celiacs won't touch barley or wheat grass, it just doesn't make sense to risk it. Then again, they're made from ingredients that include barley, which might rule them out as gluten free, according to these standards.

darlindeb25 Collaborator
darlindeb25
Posted

When taking Vit D, to get the most benefit from it, you should take Vit D as cholecalciferol. I am taking Spring Valley High Potency D--2000 IU....the D is 2000 IU and the Calcium is 111mg. It has no gluten, no yeast, no wheat, no milk or milk dirivatives, no lactose, no sugar, no soy, no preservatives, no artificial colors, no artificial flavors, and no sodium. Sounds perfectly safe!!!

I also take Natrol Easy-C...500 mg of C and 50mg of Calcium.

Along with my NatureMade Woman+50 multi and my 3000mcg of B12.

There are a lot of gluten free vitamins out there, it's harder to find the ones free of other things, but they are out there.

  • 2 years later...
gojojo Newbie
gojojo
Posted

I contacted New Chapter to question the 'naturally gluten free' claim they make on their Bone Strength Take Care because it contains barley grass. Barley grass in and of itself doesn't have gluten, but as has been pointed out if any of the seed gets in the harvest that would introduce gluten. This is their response to me:

"Thank you for your inquiry and for your kind support of New Chapter. Third party testing assures that all of New Chapter products are "naturally gluten-free" according to the standards set by the FDA. Although the FDA standards require products to contain less than 20 parts per million for gluten allergen, all New Chapter products contains less than 10 ppm. ELISA testing for Bone Strength Take Care confirms gluten allergen to be below 3ppm."

I'm not saying you should take it, just that they state that it is indeed gluten-free.

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kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

The info from these posts, except the recent one, is several years old. Please check for updated info on any product mentioned.

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

Although the FDA standards require products to contain less than 20 parts per million for gluten allergen, all New Chapter products contains less than 10 ppm. ELISA testing for Bone Strength Take Care confirms gluten allergen to be below 3ppm."

I'm not saying you should take it, just that they state that it is indeed gluten-free.

It is my understanding that they can't test for that low of a level of gluten. I always wonder about folks that join to revive a very old thread and make one post about the safety of a product that contains wheat or barley grass. Personally I wouldn't touch this product.

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