Anybody Have Problems With Gelatin?

[Tidings]

Gelatin seems to be another substance that causes all kinds of side-effects and problems for me. Wondering if anybody else with gluten intolerance/celiac has problems with gelatin?

(Wonder, too, why so many vitamins & supplements have to use gelatin when it causes problems for many people? Guess it is a cheap binder...)

One evening we ate out at an expensive restaurant and the next morning I woke with the usual headache, swollen face/eyes, rapid heartbeat, vision problems, "poisoned" feeling and I KNEW I had been toxified with gelatin. I called and asked the Chef if anything in the dinner I ate the night before had GELATIN in it, and he said "ABSOLUTELY NOT!" I pushed further and said "ARE YOU SURE? Because I'm deathly allergic [a little melodrama never hurts] to gelatin and I'm feeling very poisoned today?"; and he finally admitted, "Well, I did use CHICKEN FEET in the reduction sauce!" UGH!!! I didn't know which was more sickening--consuming gelatin or the idea of eating CHICKEN FEET!??? Blecchhhh!

At any rate, that little encounter made me doubly-confident that I can TRUST my intuition and body reactions; our bodies KNOW when we've been unintentionally "poisoned" with one of our allergen-substances. (P.S. Have not gone back to that particular restaurant since!)

[jststric]

I have not noticed issues with gelatin....yet, lol. I've learned to never say never. I wonder if it could gave been a simple case if cross contamination with pans or something? And chicken feet??? Really??? Hard to get past THAT visual!

[TrillumHunter]

Gelatin is a natural substance that forms when animal bones are boiled. Every time you eat a pot roast, roasted chicken or even anything made with broth, you are consuming gelatin in varying quantities.

I'm not saying there isn't something bothering you, but I wouldn't be too quick to point to gelatin.

Chicken feet, by the way, made the richest, most flavorful broth imaginable. They are tasty on their own as well, as millions of Chinese people will testify.

[cassP]

you were at a restaurant- and was your meal gluten free??? its more likely IMHO that you either ingested gluten, dairy, MSG, or some kind of starch added to a dish... than had an issue with gelatin.

for example- i was in quite a bit of abdominal stress after a gluten free meal at Pei Wei- and i narrowed it down to the Potato Starch that they coated the chicken with. i could eat a couple of fries and be fine- but this potato starch was gelatinous and processed- it was gross. i asked if they could just sautee the chicken next time

[Tidings]

Gelatin is a natural substance that forms when animal bones are boiled. Every time you eat a pot roast, roasted chicken or even anything made with broth, you are consuming gelatin in varying quantities.

I'm not saying there isn't something bothering you, but I wouldn't be too quick to point to gelatin.

Chicken feet, by the way, made the richest, most flavorful broth imaginable. They are tasty on their own as well, as millions of Chinese people will testify.

Well, to each his or her own, but you'll never find me willingly eating CHICKEN FEET! LOL!

By the way, there are a lot of articles online about allergy or hypersensitivity to gelatin, such as:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

and so on...

And here's a few gross shots of chicken feet:

Open Original Shared Link

[Tidings]

you were at a restaurant- and was your meal gluten free??? its more likely IMHO that you either ingested gluten, dairy, MSG, or some kind of starch added to a dish... than had an issue with gelatin.

for example- i was in quite a bit of abdominal stress after a gluten free meal at Pei Wei- and i narrowed it down to the Potato Starch that they coated the chicken with. i could eat a couple of fries and be fine- but this potato starch was gelatinous and processed- it was gross. i asked if they could just sautee the chicken next time

Hi cassP,

I think it was the gelatin, because I recognized the "gelatin hangover" from many, many prior episodes, which is why I called and asked Chef if there had been any gelatin in the meal, which it turned out there was. (Interesting that your potato starch was "gelatinous"! LOL)

[cassP]

Hi cassP,

I think it was the gelatin, because I recognized the "gelatin hangover" from many, many prior episodes, which is why I called and asked Chef if there had been any gelatin in the meal, which it turned out there was. (Interesting that your potato starch was "gelatinous"! LOL)

ya it was gross. i also think there is something to this overprocessed "frankenstein" food.

i had a NIGHTMARISH episode the other day with High Maltose Corn Syrup!!! lots of debate over the internet over if it hurts celiacs or not.... but basically this one article said that the HMCS is "Relatively New" to human consumption- and that the effects on the human body may not be known yet.

great...... it's like we're part of an experiment

[ksymonds84]

Well, to each his or her own, but you'll never find me willingly eating CHICKEN FEET! LOL!

By the way, there are a lot of articles online about allergy or hypersensitivity to gelatin, such as:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

and so on...

And here's a few gross shots of chicken feet:

Open Original Shared Link

Very interesting. Every time I made a homemade pizza crust using unflavored gelatin, I always reacted. Didn't know why but stopped using the gelatin. All the other ingredients in the pizza I am fine with.

[Tidings]

Very interesting. Every time I made a homemade pizza crust using unflavored gelatin, I always reacted. Didn't know why but stopped using the gelatin. All the other ingredients in the pizza I am fine with.

Hi Kathy,

Some sites online claim that there can be MSG in some gelatins (processed kind), which might explain some folks' reaction to the gelatin in foods they consume.

What I find odd (intriguing) is that so many of the foods/substances that cause a reaction in me are the "GLUEY" kind that are used to hold foodstuffs together or provide smooth consistency, like GELATIN, WHEY, CARRAGEENAN, PECTIN. I wish I had studied chemistry or molecular biology or something that would assist me in comprehending WHY these substances cause similar "poisoned" effects in me! Remember, too, that GLUTEN contains a "gluey" substance. Maybe the operative word in all these problems foodstuffs is GLUE!! I remember as a kid using WHITE FLOUR as a PASTE SUBSTITUTE for little-kid-art-projects. I figure the "GLUE" in the gluten is "shellacking" our guts and making them nonfunctional. But do the other STICKY, GLUEY substances like WHEY, CARRAGEENAN, PECTIN, GELATIN, etc. do a similar thing to our insides? It would sure be nice if somebody would research it and let us know!

:-D

[Tidings]

ya it was gross. i also think there is something to this overprocessed "frankenstein" food.

i had a NIGHTMARISH episode the other day with High Maltose Corn Syrup!!! lots of debate over the internet over if it hurts celiacs or not.... but basically this one article said that the HMCS is "Relatively New" to human consumption- and that the effects on the human body may not be known yet.

great...... it's like we're part of an experiment

"Frankinstein food" is a good way to describe some of this stuff! Recall in the old monster movies there often was a creature/being/monster that took the form of a GELATINOUS SUBSTANCE! UGHHHH. !

[ksymonds84]

Hi Kathy,

Some sites online claim that there can be MSG in some gelatins (processed kind), which might explain some folks' reaction to the gelatin in foods they consume.

What I find odd (intriguing) is that so many of the foods/substances that cause a reaction in me are the "GLUEY" kind that are used to hold foodstuffs together or provide smooth consistency, like GELATIN, WHEY, CARRAGEENAN, PECTIN. I wish I had studied chemistry or molecular biology or something that would assist me in comprehending WHY these substances cause similar "poisoned" effects in me! Remember, too, that GLUTEN contains a "gluey" substance. Maybe the operative word in all these problems foodstuffs is GLUE!! I remember as a kid using WHITE FLOUR as a PASTE SUBSTITUTE for little-kid-art-projects. I figure the "GLUE" in the gluten is "shellacking" our guts and making them nonfunctional. But do the other STICKY, GLUEY substances like WHEY, CARRAGEENAN, PECTIN, GELATIN, etc. do a similar thing to our insides? It would sure be nice if somebody would research it and let us know!

:-D

You are right it is intriguing. I also have fructose malabsorption and pectin is a big no for me. Actually anything prebiotic (oligosaccharides and Fructo-oligosaccharides)tends to set a lot of us off such as chickory root, inulin, ect. Probiotics bother some of us as well so we don't use these as supplements or eat yogurt such as Fiber One, since it will make us worse. Anything too fermented such as sauerkraut also will do numbers on our g.i. Its part of the low fodmap diet that many with FM follow.

I've also heard that Gelatin is a natural source for sulphites and some that react to sulphites will react to Gelatin. I only know that red wine will make me look like rudolph and I blame the higher sulphites in red wine for that. Also cheap wines no matter what the varietal, will get me glowing

[mbrookes]

Life is too short to drink bad wine. Stick with the good stuff. It isn't all expensive. Check out the reccommended ones in Wine Spectator magazine (I read it free at the library) Some of the highly rated ones are under $20 a bottle.

[RiceGuy]

I use agar agar in place of gelatin. Works quite well.

As for supplements, Country Life and NOW Foods make many which use vegetarian capsules made from plant cellulose, not gelatin.

Chicken feet...yuck! I don't even want to contemplate all the disgusting things those chickens walk on in those chicken coops.

[Tidings]

Chicken feet...yuck! I don't even want to contemplate all the disgusting things those chickens walk on in those chicken coops.

EXACTLY!!! LOL!

By the way, when they say vegetarian cellulose, you don't suppose there's a chance they could be talking about a gluten-containing grain (is grain a vegetable?), do you? Have noticed a lot of products specify plant cellulose, but not sure what exactly their source is. ??

[ksymonds84]

Life is too short to drink bad wine. Stick with the good stuff. It isn't all expensive. Check out the reccommended ones in Wine Spectator magazine (I read it free at the library) Some of the highly rated ones are under $20 a bottle.

I know what you mean. I should have been more clear in my original post. The fine dining restaurant that my hubby and I own has been awarded the Wine Spectator award for 5 years in a row now. It happens when we have to go to awful political events ect and they serve us nasty wine

You are correct about finding decent wine for less.

[Tidings]

You are right it is intriguing. I also have fructose malabsorption and pectin is a big no for me. Actually anything prebiotic (oligosaccharides and Fructo-oligosaccharides)tends to set a lot of us off such as chickory root, inulin, ect. Probiotics bother some of us as well so we don't use these as supplements or eat yogurt such as Fiber One, since it will make us worse. Anything too fermented such as sauerkraut also will do numbers on our g.i. Its part of the low fodmap diet that many with FM follow.

I've also heard that Gelatin is a natural source for sulphites and some that react to sulphites will react to Gelatin. I only know that red wine will make me look like rudolph and I blame the higher sulphites in red wine for that. Also cheap wines no matter what the varietal, will get me glowing

This stuff about sulphites is very interesting. Had not really considered sulphites as a problem, but when I look at the list on the following link, I do see several foods/substances that are known to provoke a reaction in my system:

Open Original Shared Link

Substances like gelatin, pectin, chocolate (sometimes)... Not sure if it's the sulphites themselves that cause me problems or something else. What's interesting is that for several months earlier this year, I was taking a couple eyedrops for glaucoma that contained sulphites... I had a LOT of systemic problems during those months... Maybe a connection...

Open Original Shared Link

It is also interesting that adrenaline/epinephrine (which causes heart palpitations and irregular heartbeat when I have it) is one of the things used to counteract a severe sulfite reaction! (Maybe the old "hair of the dog" remedy at play?)

[runnergirl88]

I have the same problem! You are not alone!

I notice that if I eat jell-o or even vitamins/meds that contain gelatin I don't feel well. Same reaction with the headache, joint pain, puffy eyes, and sleeping problems. Also, my lymph nodes seem swollen my underarms heart and groin...People keep telling me I'm crazy and its "impossible" nope...anything's possible. You're not alone trust me.