Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

How Long?


Lovey25

Recommended Posts

Lovey25 Rookie

How long can gluten be out of your system for you to still get a positive test result? I am convinced beyond a doubt that I have a gluten problem due to my family history and personal disease history and my "unexplainable" symptoms, and also my results once being off (two and a half months now). Also, I accidentally ingested gluten the other night and got severe intestinal distress and bad bad problems that have to be legit.

But I was never formally diagnosed because once I learned that my family history plus Hashimoto's was linked to Celiac, I went off it IMMEDIATELY -- like, the next day. So I never made it to the Doctor.

So I'm wondering if I would still test positive for the intolerance after being off it for 2 1/2 months, and also after my episode the other day with ingestion.

What do you all think?? :)


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



sbj Rookie

I would say that you would not be able to trust a false result. What's the point in testing anyway?

Some people test negative rather quickly and for others it takes longer. I believe intestinal damage would take longer to resolve than blood. I am scheduled for a followup blood test 6 months after going initiallly gluten free.

Lovey25 Rookie
I would say that you would not be able to trust a false result. What's the point in testing anyway?

Some people test negative rather quickly and for others it takes longer. I believe intestinal damage would take longer to resolve than blood. I am scheduled for a followup blood test 6 months after going initiallly gluten free.

Well, although I know my body (and health history, and family health history) well enough at this point, I would like to have something in paper for doctors and also for friends and family who are non-believers. Also, I'm active in other online discussions about Hashimoto's and I've told them about the link to Celiac, but having actual proof that they are related (firsthand) would be able to help other people too.

:)

sbj Rookie

I only ask because many (if not most) on this forum don't trust doctors and don't care about their opinion or even want their diagnosis. :blink:

I, OTOH, have have always urged those who suffer to get the blood panel and to get the endoscopy before going gluten free for precisely some of the reasons you mention. I'm really not qualified to answer your question about what your results might look like now that you have been gluten free. Many doctors don't like having to put their patients through the misery of a gluten challenge and this is why they urge a celiac diagnosis in the first place. I suggest you speak with a gastroenterologist about these questions. I wish you the best of luck and would also remind you to test for vitamin/mineral/nutritional deficiencies, get a complete bood count, and get a bone density scan. Salud!

Gemini Experienced
Well, although I know my body (and health history, and family health history) well enough at this point, I would like to have something in paper for doctors and also for friends and family who are non-believers. Also, I'm active in other online discussions about Hashimoto's and I've told them about the link to Celiac, but having actual proof that they are related (firsthand) would be able to help other people too.

:)

May I ask you if you yourself are comfortable with the knowledge that you have a problem with gluten? I ask because the ONLY person that matters in your decision making is you. Why would you care what doctors think about the way you were diagnosed or what others, whom you refer to as non-believers, think?

I was diagnosed through blood work and dietary response but declined the biopsy. I changed primary care doctors after diagnosis and, at first, she wanted to see a biopsy report before she would totally believe the Celiac diagnosis. Don't get me wrong, I like this doctor and she has been very kind about it but she still doubted me because there was no pretty picture of my trashed villi. I looked at her and very nicely said it didn't matter to me what the medical profession thought about it. I then showed her my blood work from the other doctor and told her my story. After seeing the test results and hearing what I had to say, she changed her mind and honors the diagnosis that I had. It just took me a few minutes of time to show her that a biopsy was not always necessary for diagnosis. She then wanted another one to "see" how I was healing and after some rapid blinking on my part, I again declined. My reasoning? I am now 113 pounds, which is the fattest I have ever been in my entire life. At time of Dx, I was down to 97 pounds and losing weight DAILY. In the 4 years since going gluten-free, every single one of my symptoms has resolved, my color is good, my blood work is all normal for the first time in my adult life and I feel great. If that isn't proof that I have healed nicely, I don't know what the heck is! I will add that if there were any lingering issues that wouldn't heal, I would submit to an endo but there is no need for me personally to have one.

Does it bother me that some may doubt my diagnosis? Absolutely not! If I went to ANY doctor that challenged the fact that I have celiac disease, I would not go back to them and would fear for anyone who did. For friends and family members, I have never had a problem with them believing that I have it but have had tons of trouble getting family to be tested. They are resistant and have been rude to me about it so I don't bother any more. They have every right to kill themselves slowly eating gluten and they won't get much sympathy from me about feeling badly either. Sometimes you have to cut the emotional cord for survival and not look back. Sad, but what can you do?

To answer your original question, I was gluten-free about 5 days before testing and I failed all blood tests by huge numbers. By the time I got the results from the doctor, I KNEW it was celiac disease because it took only 3 days being gluten-free for the Big D to stop and not come back. Never doubt yourself and do not bother with those who are doubters because what they think on this matter truly does NOT matter one bit. You can try for an official diagnosis but what if your testing comes back negative?

It could but it doesn't mean you do not have celiac disease/GS. Something to think about, along with being miserable on a long gluten challenge.

I also have Hashi's, which has improved dramatically since going gluten-free. For some reference material to show others, look at some of the links on the home page of this website. There are links which refer to all the autoimmune diseases out there that are linked to Celiac. I would also suggest reading Dr. Peter Green's book:

Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic. It also goes into Hashi's and other autoimmune diseases that are much more prevalent with Celiac.

Good luck with your decision making and your health!

Lovey25 Rookie
May I ask you if you yourself are comfortable with the knowledge that you have a problem with gluten? I ask because the ONLY person that matters in your decision making is you. Why would you care what doctors think about the way you were diagnosed or what others, whom you refer to as non-believers, think?

I was diagnosed through blood work and dietary response but declined the biopsy. I changed primary care doctors after diagnosis and, at first, she wanted to see a biopsy report before she would totally believe the Celiac diagnosis. Don't get me wrong, I like this doctor and she has been very kind about it but she still doubted me because there was no pretty picture of my trashed villi. I looked at her and very nicely said it didn't matter to me what the medical profession thought about it. I then showed her my blood work from the other doctor and told her my story. After seeing the test results and hearing what I had to say, she changed her mind and honors the diagnosis that I had. It just took me a few minutes of time to show her that a biopsy was not always necessary for diagnosis. She then wanted another one to "see" how I was healing and after some rapid blinking on my part, I again declined. My reasoning? I am now 113 pounds, which is the fattest I have ever been in my entire life. At time of Dx, I was down to 97 pounds and losing weight DAILY. In the 4 years since going gluten-free, every single one of my symptoms has resolved, my color is good, my blood work is all normal for the first time in my adult life and I feel great. If that isn't proof that I have healed nicely, I don't know what the heck is! I will add that if there were any lingering issues that wouldn't heal, I would submit to an endo but there is no need for me personally to have one.

Does it bother me that some may doubt my diagnosis? Absolutely not! If I went to ANY doctor that challenged the fact that I have celiac disease, I would not go back to them and would fear for anyone who did. For friends and family members, I have never had a problem with them believing that I have it but have had tons of trouble getting family to be tested. They are resistant and have been rude to me about it so I don't bother any more. They have every right to kill themselves slowly eating gluten and they won't get much sympathy from me about feeling badly either. Sometimes you have to cut the emotional cord for survival and not look back. Sad, but what can you do?

To answer your original question, I was gluten-free about 5 days before testing and I failed all blood tests by huge numbers. By the time I got the results from the doctor, I KNEW it was celiac disease because it took only 3 days being gluten-free for the Big D to stop and not come back. Never doubt yourself and do not bother with those who are doubters because what they think on this matter truly does NOT matter one bit. You can try for an official diagnosis but what if your testing comes back negative?

It could but it doesn't mean you do not have celiac disease/GS. Something to think about, along with being miserable on a long gluten challenge.

I also have Hashi's, which has improved dramatically since going gluten-free. For some reference material to show others, look at some of the links on the home page of this website. There are links which refer to all the autoimmune diseases out there that are linked to Celiac. I would also suggest reading Dr. Peter Green's book:

Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic. It also goes into Hashi's and other autoimmune diseases that are much more prevalent with Celiac.

Good luck with your decision making and your health!

Hi Gemini,

Thanks so much for the response!

The reason I would like an official diagnosis of sort is twofold. First, I'm an Aquarius ;) and therefore I have a messiah complex :( and if I see my friends and family struggling with their health, I'm going to do everything I can to show them "the truth". I know this is a character flaw on my part because people have to work out their own problems. I can give them the knowledge for a time, but they have to decide if their health is important enough to go through with a lifestyle change. And right now, it's pretty clear most people aren't willing to do that; they'd rather be miserable forever.

I have NO DOUBT that Celiac or some sort of gluten intolerance runs in my family, due to the autoimmune disease(s) that have been visible in recent generations. My great Uncle had a goiter, my Grandmother has Graves, I have Hashimoto's, my brother has Dyslexia (which has been linked to autoimmune complications), I have terrible problems with Candida, my Uncle and Grandmother both have Candida, and so many of my family exhibit gluten intolerance (and, if it means anything -- I've got the light/red/blonde hair and blue/green eyes on both sides of my family tree!). Having a legitimate piece of paper to show them would be evidence that food does influence health and theirs would certainly be better if only they stopped eating such and such.

Secondly, I believe strongly in the power of the body to heal itself through natural means, which includes eating things that help the body, instead of cause it to react negatively. I think when things like Celiac and Candida are taken seriously by the medical community, the overall incidence of disease in this country could be much much less. Again, I'm trying to save the world, but... it just seems too important to not try. (This is what makes me go crazy). Although, I completely understand and AGREE with you that most people with these "alternative" illnesses/issues are ignored by the mainstream medical establishment, and therefore, patients/people like us do not care for an official diagnosis from them. I believe in the power of my body to tell me things -- even if they are not acknowledged by an M.D., or even if they contradict popular medical information.

So, yeah, like I said... these are all just character flaws on my part and my need to save the world, one person at a time. Celiac/gluten-intolerance is just too real to have people and doctors ignore it. A piece of paper makes it more legitimate for other people, even though I know my body well enough to say it's 100% true.

Does all that make sense? :)

Jenny (AZ via TX) Enthusiast

For me personally, I'm glad I have an official diagnosis. I had no idea I had celiac or even what it was. I don't think I would have been able to stay gluten free without the diagnosis. I'm pretty sure I would have cheated. For me, I needed the paper that told me I have it. Sad, but true. If I didn't have the dx, I would always be doubting it which in my mind would let me cheat. I didn't realize how bad I felt until I started to feel good. I think I just got used to feeling subpar.

Since being dx'd, I have never cheated, not one teeny tiny bit. It's not worth it to me to go back to where I was.

It's a personal decision whether or not to get an official dx.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Gemini Experienced
Hi Gemini,

Thanks so much for the response!

The reason I would like an official diagnosis of sort is twofold. First, I'm an Aquarius ;) and therefore I have a messiah complex :( and if I see my friends and family struggling with their health, I'm going to do everything I can to show them "the truth". I know this is a character flaw on my part because people have to work out their own problems. I can give them the knowledge for a time, but they have to decide if their health is important enough to go through with a lifestyle change. And right now, it's pretty clear most people aren't willing to do that; they'd rather be miserable forever.

I have NO DOUBT that Celiac or some sort of gluten intolerance runs in my family, due to the autoimmune disease(s) that have been visible in recent generations. My great Uncle had a goiter, my Grandmother has Graves, I have Hashimoto's, my brother has Dyslexia (which has been linked to autoimmune complications), I have terrible problems with Candida, my Uncle and Grandmother both have Candida, and so many of my family exhibit gluten intolerance (and, if it means anything -- I've got the light/red/blonde hair and blue/green eyes on both sides of my family tree!). Having a legitimate piece of paper to show them would be evidence that food does influence health and theirs would certainly be better if only they stopped eating such and such.

Secondly, I believe strongly in the power of the body to heal itself through natural means, which includes eating things that help the body, instead of cause it to react negatively. I think when things like Celiac and Candida are taken seriously by the medical community, the overall incidence of disease in this country could be much much less. Again, I'm trying to save the world, but... it just seems too important to not try. (This is what makes me go crazy). Although, I completely understand and AGREE with you that most people with these "alternative" illnesses/issues are ignored by the mainstream medical establishment, and therefore, patients/people like us do not care for an official diagnosis from them. I believe in the power of my body to tell me things -- even if they are not acknowledged by an M.D., or even if they contradict popular medical information.

So, yeah, like I said... these are all just character flaws on my part and my need to save the world, one person at a time. Celiac/gluten-intolerance is just too real to have people and doctors ignore it. A piece of paper makes it more legitimate for other people, even though I know my body well enough to say it's 100% true.

Does all that make sense? :)

If it makes you feel better, I have the same complex that you do! :lol: Nothing irritates me more than family members who live in complete and absolute denial about having a gluten problem! My whole family has serious issues and we have more autoimmune problems than most populations of small towns put together but I am now the official pain in the butt of my family because of my endeavor to help them all see the light! ;) My father, at this moment, looks like he is dying of malnutrition and has serious neurological problems, along with spending half his day in the bathroom. His wife is taking him to a neurologist soon to have testing and to see why his memory is so bad. So, once again, I e-mailed the spiel about his symptoms and how I believe he has full blown Celiac and to be sure to tell the neurologist that his daughter (me) is a Celiac with an official diagnosis. And, once again, they never returned my e-mail....not a word. It's very hard to sit by and watch family slowly die of Celiac Disease and then have them NOT validate your attempts to help them. They have actually been extremely rude to me

or just pretend I don't exist anymore. My mother, who has active symptoms and been told she has IBS :rolleyes: , actually hung up the phone on me when I excitedly told her my diagnosis and how happy I was to finally have answers and now I knew what was wrong with her too! It is very damaging to the relationship

and is deeply hurtful to me that they reject my help but I have had to accept this, which is very hard. They will die from it eventually but their quality of life right now is pretty poor. BTW.....I had gene testing done also to see which side of the family it came from and I am the lucky recipient of a double DQ2....it's on both sides! Not surprising, as we are English, Irish and Scottish.

On the up side, Christmas of 2007 had me visiting relatives I had not seen for a couple of years and they looked at me and said I have never looked better in my life...that I was actually glowing. They could not believe the difference in me from just going gluten-free! It's too bad they aren't my parents! My mother was in earshot and I said it was the "no wheat glow" and she left the room when she heard that. It's just bizarre, if you ask me so I wish you luck with your family members but don't go crazy if they reject your help. It's been a long road for me to accept this and I haven't completely got there yet. I just cannot understand it and never will. It's just wheat and I truly do not miss it one bit but try to tell them that. So, remember, even with the official diagnosis, they still may not believe you. Denial is a very strange thing!

gfb1 Rookie
Denial is a very strange thing!

i had to laugh when i read your note! my wife's family as nearly 35 people among her first degree relatives and all but ONE have been tested for celiac (gliadin-ab, ttg-ab, endomyial-ab's, etc, etc AND upper gi series/biopsy). its a great pedigree; BUT her brother continues to refuse to be tested or try a gluten free diet -- even in the face of his wife and 2 children testing postive and now being gluten-free. he continues to have bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain, psoriasis, and lord knows what else -- but, he's not a celiac!! not HIM...

its a good thing my sister-in-law is a bit more rational...

:)

Lovey25 Rookie
If it makes you feel better, I have the same complex that you do! :lol: Nothing irritates me more than family members who live in complete and absolute denial about having a gluten problem! My whole family has serious issues and we have more autoimmune problems than most populations of small towns put together but I am now the official pain in the butt of my family because of my endeavor to help them all see the light! ;) My father, at this moment, looks like he is dying of malnutrition and has serious neurological problems, along with spending half his day in the bathroom. His wife is taking him to a neurologist soon to have testing and to see why his memory is so bad. So, once again, I e-mailed the spiel about his symptoms and how I believe he has full blown Celiac and to be sure to tell the neurologist that his daughter (me) is a Celiac with an official diagnosis. And, once again, they never returned my e-mail....not a word. It's very hard to sit by and watch family slowly die of Celiac Disease and then have them NOT validate your attempts to help them. They have actually been extremely rude to me

or just pretend I don't exist anymore. My mother, who has active symptoms and been told she has IBS :rolleyes: , actually hung up the phone on me when I excitedly told her my diagnosis and how happy I was to finally have answers and now I knew what was wrong with her too! It is very damaging to the relationship

and is deeply hurtful to me that they reject my help but I have had to accept this, which is very hard. They will die from it eventually but their quality of life right now is pretty poor. BTW.....I had gene testing done also to see which side of the family it came from and I am the lucky recipient of a double DQ2....it's on both sides! Not surprising, as we are English, Irish and Scottish.

On the up side, Christmas of 2007 had me visiting relatives I had not seen for a couple of years and they looked at me and said I have never looked better in my life...that I was actually glowing. They could not believe the difference in me from just going gluten-free! It's too bad they aren't my parents! My mother was in earshot and I said it was the "no wheat glow" and she left the room when she heard that. It's just bizarre, if you ask me so I wish you luck with your family members but don't go crazy if they reject your help. It's been a long road for me to accept this and I haven't completely got there yet. I just cannot understand it and never will. It's just wheat and I truly do not miss it one bit but try to tell them that. So, remember, even with the official diagnosis, they still may not believe you. Denial is a very strange thing!

Okay, your story makes me feel better. Thank you very much for the support and for sharing your story! I appreciate it!! :)

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - Clear2me replied to Clear2me's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      7

      Gluten free nuts

    2. - Mmoc replied to Mmoc's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      2

      Blood tests low iGA 4 years later digestive issues

    3. - Aretaeus Cappadocia replied to Clear2me's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      7

      Gluten free nuts


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,389
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Joyness60
    Newest Member
    Joyness60
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Clear2me
      Thanks for the info. I recently moved to CA from Wyoming and in that western region the Costco and Sam's /Walmart Brands have many nuts and more products that are labeled gluten free. I was told it's because those products are packaged and processed  in different  plants. Some plants can be labeled  gluten free because the plant does not also package gluten products and they know that for example the trucks, containers equipment are not used to handle wheat, barely or Rye. The Walmart butter in the western region says gluten free but not here. Most of The Kirkland and Members Mark brands in CA say they are from Vietnam. That's not the case in Wyoming and Colorado. I've spoken to customer service at the stores here in California. They were not helpful. I check labels every time I go to the store. The stores where I am are a Sh*tshow. The Magalopoly grocery chain Vons/Safeway/Albertsons, etc. are the same. Fishers and Planters brands no longer say gluten free. It could be regional. There are nuts with sugar coatings and fruit and nut mixes at the big chains that are labeled gluten free but I don't want the fruit or sugar.  It's so difficult I am considering moving again. I thought it would be easier to find safe food in a more populated area. It's actually worse.  I was undiagnosed for most of my life but not because I didn't try to figure it out. So I have had all the complications possible. I don't have any spare organs left.  No a little gluten will hurt you. The autoimmune process continues to destroy your organs though you may not feel it. If you are getting a little all the time and as much as we try we probably all are and so the damage is happening. Now the FDA has pretty much abandoned celiacs. There are no requirements for labeling for common allergens on medications. All the generic drugs made outside the US are not regulated for common allergens and the FDA is taking the last gluten free porcine Thyroid med, NP Thyroid, off the market in 2026. I was being glutened by a generic levothyroxin. The insurance wouldn't pay for the gluten free brand any longer because the FDA took them all off their approved formulary. So now I am paying $147 out of pocket for NP Thyroid but shortly I will have no safe choice. Other people with allergies should be aware that these foreign generic pharmaceutical producers are using ground shellfish shell as pill coatings and anti-desicants. The FDA knows this but  now just waits for consumers to complain or die. The take over of Wholefoods by Amazon destroyed a very reliable source of good high quality food for people with allergies and for people who wanted good reliably organic food. Bezos thought  he could make a fortune off people who were paying alot for organic and allergen free food by substituting cheap brands from Thailand. He didn't understand who the customers were who were willing to pay more for that food and why. I went from spending hundreds to nothing because Bezo removed every single trusted brand that I was buying. Now they are closing Whole foods stores across the country. In CA, Mill Valley store (closed July 2025) and the National Blvd. store in West Los Angeles (closed October 2025). The Cupertino store will close.  In recent years I have learned to be careful and trust no one. I have been deleberately glutened in a restaurant that was my favorite (a new employee). The Chef owner was not in the kitchen that night. I've had  a metal scouring pad cut up over my food.The chain offered gluten free dishes but it only takes one crazy who thinks you're a problem as a food fadist. Good thing I always look. Good thing they didn't do that to food going to a child with a busy mom.  I give big tips and apologize for having to ask in restaurants but mental illness seem to be rampant. I've learn the hard way.          I don't buy any processed food that doesn't say gluten free.  I am a life long Catholic. I worked for the Church while at college. I don't go to Church anymore because the men at the top decided Jesus is gluten. The special hosts are gluten less not gluten free. No I can't drink wine after people with gluten in their mouth and a variety of deadly germs. I have been abandoned and excluded by my Church/Family.  Having nearly died several times, safe food is paramount. If your immune system collapses as mine did, you get sepsis. It can kill you very quickly. I spent 5 days unconscious and had to have my appendix and gall bladder removed because they were necrotic. I was 25. They didn't figure out I had celiac till I was 53. No one will take the time to tell you what can happen when your immune system gets overwhelmed from its constant fighting the gluten and just stops. It is miserable that our food is processed so carelessly. Our food in many aspects is not safe. And the merging of all the grocery chains has made it far worse. Its a disaster. Krogers also recently purchased Vitacost where I was getting the products I could no longer get at Whole Foods. Kroger is eliminating those products from Vitacost just a Bezos did from WF. I am looking for reliable and certified sources for nuts. I have lived the worst consequences of the disease and being exposed unknowingly and maliciously. Once I was diagnosed I learned way more than anyone should have to about the food industry.  I don't do gray areas. And now I dont eat out except very rarely.  I have not eaten fast food for 30 years before the celiac diagnosis. Gluten aside..... It's not food and it's not safe.  No one has got our backs. Sharing safe food sources is one thing we can do to try to be safe.        
    • Mmoc
      Thank you kindly for your response. I have since gotten the other type of bloods done and am awaiting results. 
    • Aretaeus Cappadocia
      I wanted to respond to your post as much for other people who read this later on (I'm not trying to contradict your experience or decisions) > Kirkland Signature Super Extra-Large Peanuts, 2.5 lbs, are labeled "gluten free" in the Calif Costcos I've been in. If they are selling non-gluten-free in your store, I suggest talking to customer service to see if they can get you the gluten-free version (they are tasty) > This past week I bought "Sliced Raw Almonds, Baking Nuts, 5 lbs Item 1495072 Best if used by Jun-10-26 W-261-6-L1A 12:47" at Costco. The package has the standard warning that it was made on machinery that <may> have processed wheat. Based on that alone, I would not eat these. However, I contacted customer service and asked them "are Costco's Sliced Almonds gluten free?" Within a day I got this response:  "This is [xyz] with the Costco Member Service Resolutions Team. I am happy to let you know we got a reply back from our Kirkland Signature team. Here is their response:  This item does not have a risk of cross contamination with gluten, barley or rye." Based on this, I will eat them. Based on experience, I believe they will be fine. Sometimes, for other products, the answer has been "they really do have cross-contamination risk" (eg, Kirkland Signature Dry Roasted Macadamia Nuts, Salted, 1.5 lbs Item 1195303). When they give me that answer I return them for cash. You might reasonably ask, "Why would Costco use that label if they actually are safe?" I can't speak for Costco but I've worked in Corporate America and I've seen this kind of thing first hand and up close. (1) This kind of regulatory label represents risk/cost to the company. What if they are mistaken? In one direction, the cost is loss of maybe 1% of sales (if celiacs don't buy when they would have). In the other direction, the risk is reputational damage and open-ended litigation (bad reviews and celiacs suing them). Expect them to play it safe. (2) There is a team tasked with getting each product out to market quickly and cheaply, and there is also a committee tasked with reviewing the packaging before it is released. If the team chooses the simplest, safest, pre-approved label, this becomes a quick check box. On the other hand, if they choose something else, it has to be carefully scrutinized through a long process. It's more efficient for the team to say there <could> be risk. (3) There is probably some plug and play in production. Some lots of the very same product could be made in a safe facility while others are made in an unsafe facility. Uniform packaging (saying there is risk) for all packages regardless of gluten risk is easier, cheaper, and safer (for Costco). Everything I wrote here is about my Costco experience, but the principles will be true at other vendors, particularly if they have extensive quality control infrastructure. The first hurdle of gluten-free diet is to remove/replace all the labeled gluten ingredients. The second, more difficult hurdle is to remove/replace all the hidden gluten. Each of us have to assess gray zones and make judgement calls knowing there is a penalty for being wrong. One penalty would be getting glutened but the other penalty could be eating an unnecessarily boring or malnourishing diet.
    • trents
      Thanks for the thoughtful reply and links, Wheatwacked. Definitely some food for thought. However, I would point out that your linked articles refer to gliadin in human breast milk, not cow's milk. And although it might seem reasonable to conclude it would work the same way in cows, that is not necessarily the case. Studies seem to indicate otherwise. Studies also indicate the amount of gliadin in human breast milk is miniscule and unlikely to cause reactions:  https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/gluten-peptides-in-human-breast-milk-implications-for-cows-milk/ I would also point out that Dr. Peter Osborne's doctorate is in chiropractic medicine, though he also has studied and, I believe, holds some sort of certifications in nutritional science. To put it plainly, he is considered by many qualified medical and nutritional professionals to be on the fringe of quackery. But he has a dedicated and rabid following, nonetheless.
    • Scott Adams
      I'd be very cautious about accepting these claims without robust evidence. The hypothesis requires a chain of biologically unlikely events: Gluten/gliadin survives the cow's rumen and entire digestive system intact. It is then absorbed whole into the cow's bloodstream. It bypasses the cow's immune system and liver. It is then secreted, still intact and immunogenic, into the milk. The cow's digestive system is designed to break down proteins, not transfer them whole into milk. This is not a recognized pathway in veterinary science. The provided backup shifts from cow's milk to human breastmilk, which is a classic bait-and-switch. While the transfer of food proteins in human breastmilk is a valid area of study, it doesn't validate the initial claim about commercial dairy. The use of a Dr. Osborne video is a major red flag. His entire platform is based on the idea that all grains are toxic, a view that far exceeds the established science on Celiac Disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and a YouTube video from a known ideological source is not that evidence."  
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.