Larabars - Reacting?

[raisin]

Larabars have great reviews, claim to be free of dairy soy & gluten, come in many flavors, all kosher & vegan approved with no sugar added.. But I could swear every time, immediately after I eat one, I get a little sick!

Has anyone else reacted to them?

_{* Note : I am not allergic to dates nuts or any other ingredient in the bars. They do claim to be "made in a gluten-free facility" but I have had issues with "gluten-free facilities" not being 100% gluten-free before.}

[msmini14]

I had a reaction to the Larabars and havent had one since. I was also eating the Mrs Mays bars and had problems as well. I wrote Mrs Mays because they use rice malt and they said it is gluten free but I still have reactions.

I like Borabora bars, they are very good. Costco sells them, not sure where else to buy them except for a 7-11 store.

[raisin]

I'm so glad to hear something other than "You're crazy, the bars are totally gluten-free."

I can't eat the Borabora snack bars because they contain oats, but thank you very much for your reassuring post.

[celiac-mommy]

We eat both and the kids have never had a reaction. DD is very sensitive....

We don't eat the Borabora bars either. They say gluten-free on the box, but still contain oats. I don't trust anything with oats unless I make it myself.

[Amyleigh0007]

I eat Larabars a lot and have never felt sick afterwards.

[curlyfries]

I can't tolerate them because I can't handle ANY sugars....including fruit.

[lorka150]

Are you sure it is the gluten you are reacting to, and maybe not just, say, something else that day, or too much sugar, or too much fat, or maybe you weren't feeling well?

Sometimes we use gluten as a scapegoat, and it might not be that (I am not saying you are wrong... Just not to lead others astray, as it might have not been the larabar.)

I'm very sensitive and have never reacted to them, and eat one daily.

[home-based-mom]

I have problems with Larabars but I think it is because everything in them is raw rather than cooked and I still have issues with some raw foods that are OK if they are cooked (carrots and bananas, for example.) The reaction I get from Larabars is different than what happens if I've been glutened.

[raisin]

I actually eat a lot of raw food (though, mainly vegetable) and many fruits, so no sugar issues, either.

I definitely always feel bad right after having a Larabar, so it does something bad to me, but maybe via coincidence I'm just also getting glutened by obscure things; For example, I ate a Fruitabu product in the same time frame last time, maybe that brad has CC?

[Takala]

I've reacted a few times, and I know it was the larabar because I had not eaten anything else processed that day. It has happened a few times with the newer, more interesting flavors. I know I react to anything with the cashews in them, so I give them to my spouse. I also reacted once to a flavor containing peanut butter, and I know I'm actually okay with clean peanuts and gluten free peanut butter because I eat it all the time with no problems. That was disappointing because it was very yummy.

I eat the individual ingredients all the time for breakfast with no reaction: dates, nuts, fruits.

I still eat larabars but much more cautiously, sticking to a few tried and true flavors, and avoiding anything with cashews.

[raisin]

Cashews! I also only reacted to the ones with cashews (didn't try peanut butter) - Larabars are not organic so it is possible for some "nut contamination," from the suppliers.

[jerseyangel]

Cashews! I also only reacted to the ones with cashews (didn't try peanut butter) - Larabars are not organic so it is possible for some "nut contamination," from the suppliers.

I tolerate Lara bars well even though I'm very sensitive, however I have to avoid the ones with coconut and cashews.

[neesee]

I just plain don't like Lara Bars! I don't understand the hype about them. They taste bad to me. I don't waste calories on food that isn't really good.

neesee

[NJKen]

Larabars are not organic so it is possible for some "nut contamination," from the suppliers.

I'm confused by this comment. What does the use of organic vs. conventional crop management methods have to do with the potential for nut contamination in the nut-free varieties of Larabar?

[home-based-mom]

I'm confused by this comment. What does the use of organic vs. conventional crop management methods have to do with the potential for nut contamination in the nut-free varieties of Larabar?

The use of organic vs. conventional crop management has nothing to do with the potential for nut contamination in the nut-free varieties of Larabar or any other product. Any nut contamination that might occur would be during processing.

[MaryJones2]

I don't do well with them either (nuts and coconut aren't really my friends). Larabars are certified by the GFCO and they require that a product test at 10ppm or less.

From the Larabar FAQ:

What are the quality standards for L

[bklynceliac]

the problem I have with Larabars is they're crammed with insoluble fiber. I believe they're gluten-free, but if you have a delicate digestive tract, you may have trouble with large amounts of dates, nuts, and raisins regardless of allergens.

[ang1e0251]

I also have no problem with Larabars but I agree the flavor is borderline. But...in a pinch especially when traveling and my blood sugar is getting low, they do the trick. And with some hot tea, they are tolerable. I think I'm just addicted to my sugar. I grew up in a candy making family and it's a tough one to kick.

[homeboy212]

just found this. i eat paleo and i cook all of my meals, so i know when i have a gluten reaction. i also eat fruits, vegetables and nuts all day and everyday with no reaction. so, it has nothing to do with insoluble fiber or raw ingredients. i eat raw nuts, vegetables and fruit with every meal. with that said, i have had two moderate reactions from eating larabars.

this is very disappointing because i thought i had found a dependable gluten free/grain free snack bar. once again, i have obviously been proven wrong. as mentioned in a previous response, it is not with all of the flavors and i cannot be for sure if both reactions came from bars with cashews, although, one did. a lemon flavored bar. however, i think the second reaction was from eating the pecan pie bar. as i said, this is extremely disappointing. the packaging even certifies gluten free status. downright scary!

i think this validates independent testing. there are several labs that would do this at a fee, but it would be well worth it in order to find out the truth. it could be that some of the nuts are roasted, not dry roasted or not properly cleaned before production. i always wash dry nuts before eating and have never had a problem. of course i always buy raw or dry roasted only as i have been glutened on roasted nuts and raw nuts packaged in a facility with wheat in the past.

anyway, i think as a society, we are getting close to a wave of law suits, which sadly might be needed to introduce proper legislation. this is insanity and obvious negligence on behalf of the manufacturer, if found guilty. is larabar claiming they are below the minimum parts per million level to be legally gluten free? because from my experience, zero parts per million is the only gluten free status that i care about. i will contact larabar for answers asap on this. once again, truly sad, considering they seem to care enough about making a healthy and safe gluten-free product.

[CeliacMom2008]

I personally don't think it's gluten. I have suspected that they cause intestinal symptoms in my son, but I don't think it's gluten. He used to eat the lemon ones quite frequently. In fact, in the first 6 months after diagnosis they were one of his mainstays for the lunchbox and car snacks. His gluten test at the 6th month mark shocked the doctor and us for how low it was. I can't believe that if he was injesting gluten daily from a Larabar that his numbers could have been so low, especially when only 6 months before they were so high. I think there's just something about Larabars that some people don't do well with.

As for the taste, everyone is different. I didn't like a few of the flavors we tried. Then I found cherry...they are my absolute favorites and for awhile I was literally having to limit myself to two a day (because even on Amazon they're not cheap). But obviously they're not for everyone - for taste and tummy reasons.

[CeliacAndCfsCrusader]

FYI for those of you that have other food sensitivities. I'm a Celiac with allergies to certain fresh fruit ingredients, but I'm not allergic to the FRUIT...I'm allergic to a PROTEIN associated with the fruit.

In other words, you may not react to cooked bananas, but you may react to a raw one. Larabars use a raw date base, that's a problem for me.

I'm told that this is a pretty rare condition, but if you feel your tongue tingling or throat closing up (hoarseness), you may have a similar condition.

Hope this info helps some of you, especially due to the confusing nature of our bodies.

[brigala]

FYI for those of you that have other food sensitivities. I'm a Celiac with allergies to certain fresh fruit ingredients, but I'm not allergic to the FRUIT...I'm allergic to a PROTEIN associated with the fruit.

In other words, you may not react to cooked bananas, but you may react to a raw one. Larabars use a raw date base, that's a problem for me.

I'm told that this is a pretty rare condition, but if you feel your tongue tingling or throat closing up (hoarseness), you may have a similar condition.

Hope this info helps some of you, especially due to the confusing nature of our bodies.

For more information on this, check out Open Original Shared Link

It can result in gastrointestinal distress and skin rashes as well as localized oral reactions.

I, too, have trouble with several raw foods which I can eat just fine after cooking. Dates happen to be one of the rare foods I can't eat even when they're cooked (imagine my dismay after eating the "allergen free" Enjoy Life cookies only to suffer an allergic reaction to them). So Lara Bars have always been out of the question for me.

-Elizabeth

[oceangirl]

I love Larabars. I am hugely sensitive to gluten; I think it's something else. Reading about raw cashews can be illuminating. I think Larabars can cause an IBSish reaction and I think it's the dates. They are a natural laxative, for one thing. However, all that said, I eat only the banana, cherry and now lemon Larabars and never more than 1/2 a bar at a time. (IBS) They are a "little treat".

Just a thought...

lisa