Eas Myoplex Beware

[Jeremiah]

I don't want anyone else to get burnt by EAS. For years now they have claimed their product is gluten-free, even though it is not, it contains oats. Is there any way to stop a company like this from making false claims?

[MySuicidalTurtle]

What makes oats not gluten-free is cross-contamination. So, technically they are not using gluten ingredients but unless manufactured in a dedicated facility, the oats do have gluten on them. It is a fine line and they should defiantly not say they are gluten-free if they have cross-contaminated oats.

[tarnalberry]

actually, it's not even quite true to say that it's only cross contamination that makes oats gluten free. oats are a more complicated question than just that.

gluten - *technically* - is the protein in a grain. period. celiacs have somewhat usurped the world to refer to only specific glutens, rather than all of them, but technically speaking, all grains have gluten - which is why you can see "corn gluten" on a package, and you don't have to worry that you're going to get sick, as a celiac, from it.

gliadin (the wheat gluten), horedin (the barley gluten), and secalin (the rye gluten) (and I may have switched the barley and rye gluten), are all known to cause the autoimmune response in celiacs. they all have the same 33-mer, the same section of 33 amino acids lines up and folded the same way that our body sees as badness.

avenin (the oat gluten), has a very similar segment of amino acids in it. approximately 10% of celiacs have an immune system that says "eh, close enough" and *also* has the exact same autoimmune response to oats. it's *not* cross contamination that they are reacting to, it's the protein itself. (there are a number of articles on pubmed from research on this where the researchers used oats grown in their own labs under very controlled conditions.)

imho, oats should be included in labeling considerations since *some* celiacs do react to them. but selling oats that are marketed as free of cross contamination is a good thing as well, for the majority of celiacs who do not.

either way, this issue - oats - is one reason why it is, also imho, VITAL to NEVER trust "gluten free" labels, and always read the ingredient list.

[Jeremiah]

What makes oats not gluten-free is cross-contamination. So, technically they are not using gluten ingredients but unless manufactured in a dedicated facility, the oats do have gluten on them. It is a fine line and they should defiantly not say they are gluten-free if they have cross-contaminated oats.

6 years ago when I played basketball in college EAS claimed their Myoplex was gluten free, yet I would get cramped up and my brain felt like cabbage and I couldn't explain why. After several months, I quit taking their shakes and both symptoms went away. I would warn all celiacs beware, their products are NOT gluten-free. There is little more frustrating than believing you are eating gluten free and still feeling terrible. If this is happening to you, I'd suggest an elimination diet, I've found out too many times you can not trust the company's statements. Since they're not getting sick and their selling product they really don't care. (or at least it feels that way sometimes)

[brigala]

Many of us do not react to oats. I appreciate it when products containing oats are marked "gluten free" if they're either dedicated or tested for the presence of gluten.

We always have to read the label. I have to check all gluten-free foods for the presence of dates and certain tree nuts. Some people have to check it for oats, or MSG, or corn -- all ingredients that many Celiacs seem to have difficulty with. It doesn't mean it shouldn't be labeled gluten-free.

-Elizabeth

[Jeremiah]

Many of us do not react to oats. I appreciate it when products containing oats are marked "gluten free" if they're either dedicated or tested for the presence of gluten.

We always have to read the label. I have to check all gluten-free foods for the presence of dates and certain tree nuts. Some people have to check it for oats, or MSG, or corn -- all ingredients that many Celiacs seem to have difficulty with. It doesn't mean it shouldn't be labeled gluten-free.

-Elizabeth

A great many celiacs, are not aware of all the possible pit-falls out there. (Especially new ones) They hear gluten-free and the instant assumption it is safe. (They don't have time to troll the boards looking for the absolute definition of gluten-free, which includes oats in most definitions) So they go on believing they are eating gluten-free, but don't understand why they are having problems. This post is for those people. I respect your opinion and you can say we respectfully agree to disagree.

[tarnalberry]

Many of us do not react to oats. I appreciate it when products containing oats are marked "gluten free" if they're either dedicated or tested for the presence of gluten.

We always have to read the label. I have to check all gluten-free foods for the presence of dates and certain tree nuts. Some people have to check it for oats, or MSG, or corn -- all ingredients that many Celiacs seem to have difficulty with. It doesn't mean it shouldn't be labeled gluten-free.

-Elizabeth

The reason I disagree with this - specifically putting oats in a product labeled gluten free - is because it is GLUTEN (of the variety that celiacs react to) that is potentially a problem in the food item. MSG, corn, and other intolerances are all different issues - issues that may be related, but are not THE SAME IMMUNE RESPONSE, on a chemical level.

I'm looking for a label that means "celiac safe" not "90% celiac safe".

[Jeremiah]

The reason I disagree with this - specifically putting oats in a product labeled gluten free - is because it is GLUTEN (of the variety that celiacs react to) that is potentially a problem in the food item. MSG, corn, and other intolerances are all different issues - issues that may be related, but are not THE SAME IMMUNE RESPONSE, on a chemical level.

I'm looking for a label that means "celiac safe" not "90% celiac safe".

I agree, most people with celiac disease, read gluten free and trust that it is. Unaware about the potential for oats to be harmful to them, in so called "gluten-free" declared foods.

[bakingbarb]

I agree, most people with celiac disease, read gluten free and trust that it is. Unaware about the potential for oats to be harmful to them, in so called "gluten-free" declared foods.

I am totally confused by you all...are you saying a product that says gluten free but contains oats isn't gluten free?

[brigala]

I am totally confused by you all...are you saying a product that says gluten free but contains oats isn't gluten free?

It sort of depends on how you look at it.

The gluten in oats is not the same as the gluten in rye, barley, and wheat. It's not unusual for a Celiac to react to oat gluten as if it were wheat gluten.

Rice, corn, and all other grains also contain gluten, but it is very different from wheat gluten. It is much more rare for Celiacs to have problem with rice gluten or corn gluten, so these aren't really considered "gluten" in the sense that relates to Celiacs.

For someone who has trouble with the gluten in oats, which is a substantial minority of Celiacs, anything with oats should not be considered gluten-free even if it says gluten-free on the package.

But, for those of us who have no problem with oats, there are many products out there that contain oats which come from dedicated sources (eliminating the possibility of contamination with wheat, rye, or barley gluten, which is the main problem with oats for most Celiacs).

Obviously from this thread, my opinion on this differs from that of some of the other people here. I eat oats and products containing oats if they are certified gluten-free; but I avoid oats that are not certified gluten-free because of the high degree of cross-contamination in oats. If there weren't oat-containing foods labeled gluten-free, I'd have to avoid all oats and oat-containing foods... and frankly that would be the pits. Some of my favorite gluten-free foods contain oats.

-Elizabeth

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[tarnalberry]

I am totally confused by you all...are you saying a product that says gluten free but contains oats isn't gluten free?

Oat gluten - avenin - is similar enough to wheat, rye, and barley gluten that 90% of celiacs do not react to it. 10% of celiacs do react to it, however. So, it's not exactly a black or white answer that can be had.