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HI Everyone,

Thanks so much for all your helpful replies to my salt question. I dont feel
quite so stupid now! Im still not sure what causes the reaction, there was
no real consensus of opinion, except that either iodine or some additive is
probably to blame. I am pasting in the replies as there is so much useful
information I think everyone could benefit. First I wanted to add (since
many people asked) that Wooly Head is my term for a kind of extreme mental
fuzziness that I get that results in an inbility to think straight, form
sentences or occasionally coordinate muscular movements, accompanied with
dizziness and a kind of "high" sensation! For me its very gluten specific,
and is my first symptom on ingestion! Sometimes I also get severe
neurological pain in my back, shoulders and legs, and only occasionally
nausea and diarrhea.


Here are the replies:

I too have had a reaction to canned fish from time to time; I was hoping it
wasn't the fish, but maybe.  .  .  .Anyway, once I had eaten salmon, another
time some tuna.  On many other occasions, I've eaten these without trouble.
It may have to do with how carefully certain brands are packed.  They may be
exposed to gluten-containing products packed on the same production lines;
some products are extended with HVP and this could contaminate the fish if
insufficient cleaning is done between products and if the HVP is from a
non-gf source.


Didn't you say you were allergic to iodized salt?  Maybe that's it?

I reacted to a solution containing a large amount of salt.  The information
that I have gathered since, seems to point to iodine, and that individuals
with celiac sprue and D.H.  can have the same symptoms and reactions as when
they ingest gluten.  Egg yolks, some shellfish and seaweed (used in sushi)
contains a lot of iodine.  I have reduced my salt intake and seem to be fine.
Salt does not contain gluten.

It seems to me that I did read somewhere that salt contains an anti-caking
ingredient which may not be GF.  Also, you have to always remember that just
because something lists ingredients, that doesn't necessarily mean that it
was packaged or processed in a gluten-free environment.

It may not be the salt but rather tinned fish or meat. There is a condition
called tyramine sensitivity which reacts to aged cheeses, soured foods and
yeast  red wines etc.  This is also sometimes called migraine syndrome
because it typically causes migraines. In me I get asthma and your reaction
could be the aforementioned wooly head.

I have just recently been told by some of the people who have responded to my
dapsone survey here on the list, that we (Celiacs) should avoid SEA SALT and
any other salt containing iodine.  A number have written to me telling me of
the same thing that you have noticed.

You have to be very careful of canned salmon and tuna; if the brand is not
cleared with the commercial products listing, it could have been cooked in
vegetable broth containing gluten.

I live in OR.  so there is much fresh salmon here.  Every time I eat it
(cooking it here at home) I get a reaction to it.  Stomach upset, fuzzy
thinking and depression next day.  Seems to be less when I steam it rather
then broiling it.

Have you checked with the manufacturer to make sure there are no "hidden"
ingredients that they did not mention on the label?

I learned last year that canned Salmon ( and alot of tunas also) are packed
in Sulfites.  It is not listed on the ingridients though.

I was warned about regular table salt containing gluten.  So I using ground
sea salt from LifeStream (by the way I am in Canada).  I get it from a health
food store that swears it's gluten free.

Many granulated products like salt are stabilized with anti-clumping agents
containing corn or wheat starch.  I have avoided any food that says it
contains salt for that reason.  Personally I use "plain salt" or "Kosher
salt" to avoid the problems with stabilized salt (Morton's.  etc.).
Unfortunately some salt products do not list the stabilizing agents (like a
recently tried French Sea Salt product).

Your reaction might not be to the salmon or salt but to the can or canning
itself.

I'm not aware of gluten being in salt but I have heard that most salt
contains dextrose which is cornbased and causes me problems.  I use
plain sea salt and check the label every time.  please let us know if
you hear that salt has gluten.


A small note:
The RDA gives permission to companies that they DO NOT have to list
ingrediants that are less than two percent.

Again Many Thanks!!!!

Amanda

Amanda Hayward-Lester Ph.D
Mooseker Lab, Dept of Biology
KBT 342
266 Whitney
PO Box 208103,
New Haven, CT 06520-8103

Phone (203) 432 3469
Fax (203) 432 6161
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