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

Gluten Free Grains - Sorting The Myths From The Truth

inmygenes

Recommended Posts

inmygenes Apprentice
inmygenes
Posted

There seem to be a lot of myths flying around and it's hard to know what to believe sometimes. Here are some of them:

QUINOA My natropath seemed to think quinoa contained some gluten. Actually it seems that quinoa is not even a grain but a seed related to leafy green vegetables like spinach. So it's totally gluten free, it makes me bloated, but maybe that's a contamination issue? Bobs Mill sell a gluten-free quinoa.

Millet I came across one website recently that was saying Millet contained gluten, another myth! Millet is a gluten free grain.

Oats Myth: oats are not gluten free. They contain no gluten it seems, as long as they are free from contamination, but they do contain a protein that is similar to gluten. I have eaten 'pure oats' and they definitely tend to upset my stomach if I eat too many, so I guess I'm sensitive to the protein they contain.

Have you come across other myths about gluten free grains? Do you eat oats and do you get a reaction from them?

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Roda Rising Star
Roda
Posted

Quinoa--I eat it all the time and love it. It is easy for me to eat too much. It has lots of fiber.

Millett--Love it too. No problems that I can tell.

Oats--I avoid the gluten free oats because I reacted horribly. I had heartburn, bloating, abdominal pain, constipation and a nice painful rash on my bottom. :o There are those who eat them without incident (I'm jelous! :lol: )

I would recommend not buying from bulk bins. The store that sells this in bulk around me had oat groats in the buckwheat! Sucks. How hard would it be to have the gluten grains separate from the gluten free ones?

inmygenes Apprentice
inmygenes
Posted
  • Author

That's good that you love the quinoa and can eat it no problem. Yes I'm jealous of those that can eat oats too, I definitely get a bit of a reaction.

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

The CSA had an article about celiacs who react to oats a while back.

I seem to remember them saying there are something like 10 to 15% of celiacs who do react to oats. I used to eat oats all the time, but I can 't do them anymore.

Quinoa is supposed to be rinsed well before cooking as it has a natural coating on the seeds that can irritate some people's stomachs. So, that might be an issue. It needs to well rinsed to get rid of that coating.

VioletBlue Contributor
VioletBlue
Posted

Buckwheat is not actually wheat, or even a grain. It is also a seed and is gluten free.

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

There is a high degree of contamination with oats. Often they are harvested with the same equipment as wheat, stored in the same silos as wheat, and/or transported with the same equipment as wheat. But as was previously stated, even if the oats are certified gluten free and have been carefully handled, a certain percentage of celiacs will still react to them.

Roda Rising Star
Roda
Posted

Buckwheat is not actually wheat, or even a grain. It is also a seed and is gluten free.

Good info for those who are not aware that buckwheat is gluten free. My complaint with the bulk bins was with the oats. I don't eat oats, even gluten free ones and they were in the buckwheat that I wanted to purchase. It would be so simple to separate the gluten grains/seeds from the gluten free ones. They showed me the bulk bag they bought the buckwheat in and it stated gluten free on the bag, but they contaminated it the minute they put it out. Who knows even if they use the same scoops etc. for all of the grains. This is why I will never buy from bulk bins.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


MagpieWrites Rookie
MagpieWrites
Posted

I've gotten sick eating Quaker oats (I know, I know, idiotic idea to sit down to a bowl! lol) but I DO eat Bob's certified gluten free Irish Oats and the rolled oats without any problems. Even went so far as to have a blind test with my husband (he was not thrilled with me doing it, but saw the value... or at least the value I put on knowing) to make sure I wasn't imagining an issue. (The first several months after being diagnosed it's easy to reach a point where every twinge/ache/stomach flutter "must be gluten" rather than simple things like: carsick, stressed, dealing with the inlaws.....)

Some folks CAN handle oats (certified gluten free) right off the bat, some seem to need a year or so to let their system heal, and some folks never will be able to eat them. (My poor nephew doesn't just have celiac - he's outright allergic to oats, rice and soy as well!)

Personally? I'm thrilled to pieces with the Bob's oats. I grew up eating oatmeal for breakfast almost every day and the first 6 months when I wasn't able to eat oats (couldn't find gluten free and my system was so wonky) were tough.

inmygenes Apprentice
inmygenes
Posted
  • Author

That's interesting about the percentage that react to oats. I think I just have to be careful and not have them too often or in large amounts.

Yes it could be the outer coating on the quinoa that is irritating my stomach, thanks for the advice I'll make sure I rinse it better next time.

inmygenes Apprentice
inmygenes
Posted
  • Author

It's an interesting flour too, very nutritious and I'd love to easily be able to get hold of some!

inmygenes Apprentice
inmygenes
Posted
  • Author

Bulk bins are definitely best avoided. In one store when the manager asked if I wanted to get the gluten free flour I was buying from the bulk bin, as it was cheaper, I said it could be contaminated. He immediately asked if I have celiac disease and when I said I did, he said that it's best to get the gluten free packaged flour instead.

masterjen Explorer
masterjen
Posted

I've read that the molecular structure of oats is quite similar to that of wheat, and the small intestine of some celiacs will therefore react to even g.f. oats for this reason.

  • 2 weeks later...
precious831 Contributor
precious831
Posted

There seem to be a lot of myths flying around and it's hard to know what to believe sometimes. Here are some of them:

QUINOA My natropath seemed to think quinoa contained some gluten. Actually it seems that quinoa is not even a grain but a seed related to leafy green vegetables like spinach. So it's totally gluten free, it makes me bloated, but maybe that's a contamination issue? Bobs Mill sell a gluten-free quinoa.

Millet I came across one website recently that was saying Millet contained gluten, another myth! Millet is a gluten free grain.

Oats Myth: oats are not gluten free. They contain no gluten it seems, as long as they are free from contamination, but they do contain a protein that is similar to gluten. I have eaten 'pure oats' and they definitely tend to upset my stomach if I eat too many, so I guess I'm sensitive to the protein they contain.

Have you come across other myths about gluten free grains? Do you eat oats and do you get a reaction from them?

Don't quote me but I heard that is typical for quinoa, I get gas too and so does my DD and I believe it's because it's high in fiber and also it has some coating to it that is supposed to cause GI distress. So I was told to soak it for a few hours and then rinse thouroughly before cooking. Before I would just rinse it til the water runs clear. Also it's weird, but I notice it all the time in my DD's stools, almost like she is not digesting it, she's 2 by the way.

About millet, one of my favorite flours, haven't had the grain by itself yet.

Oats, I can't tolerate, it's been a long time since I tried even gluten-free oats and I don't mind because I honestly can't stand oats and anything with oatmeal at all, lol. So I guess this worked for me.

  • 2 weeks later...
sunnybabi1986 Contributor
sunnybabi1986
Posted

We buy Ancient Harvest Quinoa and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! :) We eat it all the time, it's nice because it's prerinsed, no rinsing required and I've never had a problem with it! Red quinoa is my favorite.

I've had gluten free oats a handful of times since going gluten free and haven't had a problem yet! (Cross my fingers) I use it mainly in Apple Crisp, so I'm not eating a lot of it at a time. I'll have to try a bowl of it sometime, though. Haven't worked up the nerve yet, hearing others' stories of getting sick from gluten-free oats. Would make for a great breakfast, though, if I can handle a whole bowl of it :)

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • 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. trents
      - trents replied to Francis M's topic in Gluten-Free Restaurants
      1

      The Happy Tart review

      Was the card itself lost or just the record or both?
    2. Francis M
      - Francis M posted a topic in Gluten-Free Restaurants
      1

      The Happy Tart review

      We were flabergasted that the owner would not acknowledge a $50 e-gift card I purchased for my celiac wife. My wife tried to open it in the store and was informed there had been a system change and they could not find the record. No worries, she was told, just talk to management. Six months later, and numerous absurd back and forths, and the owner literally...
    3. trents
      - trents replied to Colleen H's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      10

      Ibuprofen

      Yes, some people do get withdrawal from gluten but gluten withdrawal doesn't usually cause gut pain. Maybe more like general body aches and discomfort. We have articles on gluten withdrawal on this forum. You might do a search for them. Applesauce is very acidic and some brands have added vitamin C (ascorbic acid) which makes them more acidic. This can...
    4. Colleen H
      - Colleen H replied to Colleen H's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      10

      Ibuprofen

      Do you or anyone know alot about ibuprofen I wasn't sure if I was eating too much apple sauce. Something is making my pain so much worse I'm referring to the intense pins and needles in my feet and lower legs. Jaw actually has tardive dystonia and muscle spasms throughout my back Almost like an opposite effect that a pain reliever...
    5. Colleen H
      - Colleen H replied to Colleen H's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      10

      Ibuprofen

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,848
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Francis M
    Newest Member
    Francis M
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      The Happy Tart review

      By trents · Posted

      Was the card itself lost or just the record or both?
    • Francis M
      The Happy Tart review

      By Francis M · Posted

      We were flabergasted that the owner would not acknowledge a $50 e-gift card I purchased for my celiac wife. My wife tried to open it in the store and was informed there had been a system change and they could not find the record. No worries, she was told, just talk to management. Six months later, and numerous absurd back and forths, and the owner literally informs me there have been "bad actors", so she can't make good on this lost gift card. In other words, she accused me of lying and committing fraud... over $50! Please be careful with your orders and purchases here.
    • trents
      Ibuprofen

      By trents · Posted

      Yes, some people do get withdrawal from gluten but gluten withdrawal doesn't usually cause gut pain. Maybe more like general body aches and discomfort. We have articles on gluten withdrawal on this forum. You might do a search for them. Applesauce is very acidic and some brands have added vitamin C (ascorbic acid) which makes them more acidic. This can damage the stomach lining if you eat it too often. Especially if your stomach lining is already compromised. Ibuprofen inhibits the body's ability to rebuild the stomach's protective mucosal lining. That's why it can cause peptic ulcers. As strange as it may sound, low level irritation/inflammation stimulates the body to rebuild the stomach lining. There are two steps in this rebuilding process known as COX 1 and COX 2. Ibuprofen represses both COX 1 and COX 2. Celecoxcib, a prescription anti inflammatory, inhibits only COX 2, making it less likely to cause damage to the gut lining.
    • Colleen H
      Ibuprofen

      By Colleen H · Posted

      Do you or anyone know alot about ibuprofen  I wasn't sure if I was eating too much apple sauce.   Something is making my pain so much worse  I'm referring to the intense pins and needles in my feet and lower legs.  Jaw actually has tardive dystonia and muscle spasms throughout my back Almost like an opposite effect that a pain reliever would do. I'm fairly new to this. Whatever is going on seems to be worsening  Do people get a withdrawal effect from gluten?  It's extremely painful 😖  I'll post that question or research on the site  Thank you everyone for responding 
    • Colleen H
      Ibuprofen

      By Colleen H · Posted

×
×
  • 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.