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All who responded said Witch Hazel is gluten free. Of special note was this
link describing the plant from which Witch Hazel is extracted:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch-hazel

With the info specific to Witch Hazel, I¹m convinced. BUT:

Others noted ALL distilled products are gluten free, including alcohols
(with the exception of malt alcohols in which malt is added after
distillation).

A few noted gluten must be INGESTED to be worrisome. Touching, breathing in,
etc is not dangerous.

So except for studies I saw since I was first diagnosed a bit more than five
years ago, which did seem to indicate distillation reduced remaining gluten
in various drinkable alcohols (but not all) to levels considered generally
safe, I now wonder the following:

1]   Why, if distillation renders otherwise gluten-containing substances
safe, is distilled vinegar (as opposed to cider vinegar) not considered
gluten free (or is it now)?

2]   Why was I told, when initially diagnosed (by a doctor considered one of
Chicago¹s foremost Celiac experts) not to use topical products containing
gluten‹soaps, detergents, shampoos, lotions, etc‹as they could likely be
nearly as dangerous as eating gluten. Others I know were told TOUCHING wheat
crumbs could be as dangerous as eating a loaf of bread. In fact, in
³introductory packages² for a gluten-free lifestyle, gluten-free topical
products (Soft Soap, Palmolive, etc) were included. Why are such products
included on virtually every major Celiac-free product listing if they don¹t
matter?

3]   I was further told to avoid some facilities, like bakeries or pizza
places, in which the air was heavy with the smell of flour, as gluten could
be ingested by breathing it in when in severe concentrations.

Perhaps, as when I was diagnosed, I was at ³end stage² symptomatically (my
immune system had been destroyed) and Celiac Disease is an auto-immune,
after all, so maybe I was being told to be more careful than most might need
to be (but I somehow doubt it).

Did I get outright wrong information on what to avoid (and with Celiac-free
grocery lists, continue to), as the recommendations went far beyond foods
and ingestible products?

John

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