<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Hi all.

Gayle recently summarized a "vinegar" post.  I was quoted as saying: "I
am sure you may get sick from distilled white vinegar.  By now, you've
probably heard enough ridiculous diagnoses, that one from your "friends"
should just roll off your back.  CD seems to be a complicated condition,
with many of us having related (or not) allergies, intolerance, etc.
However, it is not right for each list member to presuppose that his or
her unique situation should be held forth as the definition of CD.  For
example, I eat oats.  Regularly.  Oat meal, oat muffins (home made
only), oat bars.  If I am careful about reading labels, I don't get
sick.  We each need to understand that our sensitivities will vary and
so will our symptoms."

I'm sure Gayle meant well and obviously worked hard on this post.  My
response to her original post was as follows:  "I can't handle distilled
vinegars either.  I don't care what anyone else says, they make my tummy
grumble and certainly must be doing damage to my intestines.  Recently I
ate at a restaurant and had a bit of a problem.  I called the chef and
talked with him.  We pinned it down to him using raspberry flavored
vinegar on my salad.  You put a lot of time into typing your post to the
list, and I think it was very well stated.  It's too bad so many on this
list get "nasty."  Wouldn't it be nice if we could get companies to be
straight forward in what they put in their products?  The problem is
they don't want a competitor finding out what's in their product and
duplicating it; therein lies the "proprietary" claim of why they won't
say what's in their product.  I sympathize with them on that point, but
there must be some way to get past it."

To add to that, I would make a small correction.  Something seems to
bother me when I use SOME products with distilled vinegars in them, such
as Newman's Own Italian dressing.  However, I use Hellman's Mayonnaise
with no problem at all.  Perhaps the distilled vinegar in one is wheat
and the other is corn??  Corn is okay with me.  I also use cider and
balsamic vinegars without any problem and also red wine vinegars.

Something else I would add on the comment about companies is that profit
is also a motive and means less paperwork and probably getting a better
price on particular vinegars possibly.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions on this and other issues.  I
don't want any hard feelings with anyone.  I didn't post this to the
list in the first place because I didn't want to get into a verbal
sparring match with anyone.  Each one of us has to look after our own
health.  I think we're all working toward the same goal -- a GF diet and
good health.  If someone does okay with oats, I think that's great, more
power to them.

I hope everyone is having a great spring -- distilled vinegars or not!!
:)

Lisa