Juice Plus/ Parts Per Million Testing Question!

[Ladycates]

I've been thinking of starting my 5 year old on Juice Plus to gear up for flu season -- any added fruits and veggies in his diet are a good thing ... doesn't eat many veggies!!! THey said they test their product regularly and are always below the FDA limit of 20 parts per million, so they're labeled gluten-free. My question ... I'm not familiar with all the testing and degrees of gluten, etc. So, I'm not sure what to think. I certainly don't want to take a risk w/ my son but I'm not sure if this is the case for most gluten-free products? Can anyone enlighten me? Thanks in advance!!!

[tarnalberry]

commercial tests can only detect gluten at levels greater than 20ppm.

think about a needle in a haystack. if the haystack is fairly small, say, only 1,000 grains of hay and one needle, you could probably find the needle. (that's detecting the equivalent of 1000ppm, by the way). but lets say you had 50,000 grains of hay, and one needle. it's harder to detect it. you have to have better "equipment" (trained eyes, in this case, I suppose. at least assume non-magnetic needles, or that might well be cheating. ) in order to find that 1 needle. (that's the equivalent of 20ppm.) at some point, you can't detect less than that. you can't check for 0ppm, because you would have to test (and destroy) every molecule in a sample (and that would still just be a sample). so, 20ppm is the best you'll get a test for on a product.

a few - and I'm going to argue *very few* people are sensitive enough that one serving of something that has less than 20ppm contamination (but more than 0), may affect them. I would suspect other intolerances and digestive issues first, but it's not impossible. I also certainly wouldn't eat vast quantities of anything processed (tested or not) due to the risk of accumulation, even if each serving is tested at less than 20ppm.

and, it's worth noting, that you'll often get this on products that have no gluten ingredients, and might even be produced on dedicated lines (might not, and might be produced in shared facilities), but they *can't* test to 0ppm, so they have to say what they can test to. that they test at all is great, as the FDA regulations have not yet been enacted.

[RiceGuy]

Well, the ingredients include oat bran. That's enough IMO, that I wouldn't ever try it myself.

Anyway, here's what they say on their Open Original Shared Link:

* Juice Plus+

[MaryJones2]

I don't mean to be critical but Juice Plus is a multi-level marketing product and quite expensive (over $40 per month). You might get better results from a good multi-vitamin and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Juice Plus also is not very forthcoming with their ingredients - their website says it contains oat fiber which can be problematic for celiacs. The last bottles I saw (about 2 years ago) also listed barley on the ingredient statement. I don't know if they've changed their formulation and can't find a FAQ on their website stating they are gluten-free.

[tarnalberry]

oh, thanks for catching the oat bran!

that's something I totally forgot to mention about the tests - they can't test for gluten contributions from oats at all. just doesn't register on the test. another reason to always read the ingredient label, despite claims elsewhere on the packaging.

I would also say it's right out!

[Ladycates]

Well, the ingredients include oat bran. That's enough IMO, that I wouldn't ever try it myself.

Anyway, here's what they say on their Open Original Shared Link:

I think there is no substitute for good eating habits, and I think raising a child without junk food in the house is a very effective way to instill those habits.

What I might suggest, is to use a blender or food processor to whip up tasty smoothies and such. Start with fruits like banana, strawberry, apple, blueberry, etc. Then as he begins to look forward to what for him is a treat, gradually add other nutritious things. Use Stevia for a sweetener, not only because it's not damaging to teeth, but because sugar lowers immune function.

You might be surprised what can go into a smoothie, and not make it taste bad. All kinds of veggies can work, such as celery, carrot, beet, cucumber, squash, nuts and seeds, and much more.

Don't forget some good healthy fats too. Coconut oil is fabulous in smoothies, and flax oil can be blended right in for those omega-3s.

Some things which boost immune function include garlic, onion, zinc, echinacea, and of course vitamin C. While not all of these are the sort of things to go into a smoothie or other "kid friendly" food, there are ways to get a child to like them. When I was 5, I really liked garlic butter or mayonnaise on toast. How about homemade onion rings? Break open a zinc picolinate capsule, and add it to a smoothie or fruit juice, and he'll never notice. And of course there's always chicken soup, which to this day, science has yet to unravel the mystery of how and why it works.

Besides, making your own things will be more nutritious, and probably cheaper in the long run.

Yes, I could NOT agree more with you. If I didn't have such a picky eater, all these ideas would work due to the fact that I've actually tried all of them before. He also has Crohn's disease, so he has eating issues all together ... doesn't like to eat very much, extremely picky, etc. He's suffered w/ tummy pain for a few years ... it's finally getting a little better. I'm just looking to boost him immune system however I can because of his Crohn's, the meds he is on, which deplete his system and the the fact that he just started Kindergarten. I wish I could get him to drink juiced products, smoothies and to eat chicken soup ... it just hasn't happened for years and I don't foresee it happening but of course, I'll continue to try.

[ravenwoodglass]

Yes, I could NOT agree more with you. If I didn't have such a picky eater, all these ideas would work due to the fact that I've actually tried all of them before. He also has Crohn's disease, so he has eating issues all together ... doesn't like to eat very much, extremely picky, etc. He's suffered w/ tummy pain for a few years ... it's finally getting a little better. I'm just looking to boost him immune system however I can because of his Crohn's, the meds he is on, which deplete his system and the the fact that he just started Kindergarten. I wish I could get him to drink juiced products, smoothies and to eat chicken soup ... it just hasn't happened for years and I don't foresee it happening but of course, I'll continue to try.

One thought, have you tried making smoothies using milk or an alternative milk in place of the yogurt that is often put in? Make them more like a milkshake at first and slowly start replacing the milk with yogurt for better nutrition. Also you may do this already but if you let him pick out the fruit and perhaps even let him, with a lot of guidance cut it up, he might be more willing to try it. I had a couple very picky eaters also and it seemed to help if they were involved in the making.