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In a message dated 96-10-17 18:35:54 EDT, Jim wrote:
 
> Interesting-----I just got off the phone with Health Valley. I had called
>  them because  I was having some reaction to their vegetarian chili, which
>  they certify to be gluten free.  I started eating it every day for lunch
>  about two weeks ago.   Perhaps I have this problem--although it seems as
>  though the entire population has problems with beans. ;< )
 
Well now, this is quite interesting.  On Monday night, I made some Uncle
Ben's Red Beans & Rice.  I had received a list of products that Uncle Bens
has that *contain* gluten, and this was not on the list; and looking at the
ingredients, I didn't see anything that might contain gluten.  And were they
good!  BUT THEN, on Tuesday night, I got some terrible cramps and then
diarrhea - I haven't had either of those since starting my gf test diet on
September 19.  After this episode, I felt much better and was able to eat
dinner without any further problems (no more rice & beans).  I had almost
thought I had gotten the flu or something, because I hadn't eaten anything
with gluten in it.  The reaction was sudden and intense.
 
Then this morning I started going through my overloaded e-mail box and found
the thread where folks were talking about beans.  I put in a call to Uncle
Ben's again to ask specifically about the red beans & rice.  The woman in
customer service started reading something about it - there is no gluten in
it, but there was a note that in some forms of beans, there is something in
the building blocks of the bean that *can* give a reaction to someone with a
gluten intolerance, even though there is no actual gluten in the bean.
 Imagine that!!
 
I was at my wits end last night, after having that violent reaction.
 Especially since yesterday (during the day) was one of the best days I've
had so far.  I've been watching my diet even more carefully, since I'm still
not feeling 100% even after being on the diet for over a month.  Two of the
symptoms have disappeared - the bloating and diarrhea, but I'm still having
too many bowel movements a day, and too often nauseated before each one.  I
had thought the diet wasn't working, but after reading and hearing about a
*gluten-like reaction* to beans, I'm not so sure.  Maybe the diet is really
working after all, just not as quickly as I would like!  This whole situation
gives me the strength to carry on with the diet, at least up until I see my
GI doc on Nov. 21 and have the labs redone.
 
Any comments or further info on this bean idea?
 
Deb
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