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Dear Bonnie,

Relax, this is not hate mail.  You have a very valid point.  I think you
need to consider this research:  we only know 3-4 % of what is out there.  I
was diagnosed 22 years ago when a "gluten reduced diet" was the proper
procedure.  I never fully recovered my health and have had a balancing act
in adjusting my mineral stores.  I never really knew all of the sources of
gluten until I found this list.

You need to consider that many of the contributors are very well qualified
to read and interpret the research.  I am a technical
writer/editor/educator.  I consider the source of the info and feel free to
determine the extent of my compliance.  I have had many setbacks from
accidental ingestion, particularly in the form of medication.  I think that
you may agree that a reaction to a binder in a tiny pill is more than
comparable to the gluten in a slice of bread.  You also have to realize that
double blind studies have a small participation because of the inherent
danger of gluten ingestion.  If you haven't already, I would suggest you
pick up a copy of Jax Lowell's "Against The Grain".

It sounds as if you are considering going off the strict diet.  I have
fooled myself into doing this many times and always have paid the price.
Yes, it is rough and very expensive.  It is also time consuming for those
who maintain the lists, organize and run the support groups and do the
research (or read about it).  Not all people react with the same
sensitivity, exhibit the same symptoms, or have the same prognosis.  It is
only through research and questioning the status quo that we can progress.
We have come a far way from the "failure to thrive" diagnosis and the
prescribed diet of rice and bananas.  New products enable us to taste
pastries we had only dreamed possible.

You must also consider the people who are seeking guidance for someone else,
especially those with children.  The rhetorical question then becomes: How
much "arsenic"  (gluten) are they willing to feed their charges?.

I welcome your input and think you could provide an invaluable service as a
volunteer to analyze the "fanaticism /paranoia"  you wonder about.  I can
only speak for myself (and my endocrinologist/gastro) when I choose to have
zero tolerance to the best of my ability and knowledge.  Please let us all
know what responses you elicit in your summary-particularly how many people
choose to accept your suggestions and  give in to temptation.

Rose Mary    [log in to unmask]