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

In her recent letter on the Gluten content of Rice dream, Katie Bretsch said.

"How can they say there is an increased risk of lymphoma (presumably from
chronic challenge to the immune system) and also say there is a "safe"
level of exposure?  I personally consider this illogical and don't plan to
risk my health on it."

Katie should realize that the studies which have shown that the gluten free
diet reduces our risk of lymphoma were done in European countries where
bread made from wheat starch is allowed on a gluten free diet.  The people
studied, who are on diets that typically contain up to 40 mg per day of
wheat gluten, did not show a higher incidence of lymphoma than the general
population.  While there is good reason to believe that ingesting large
amount of gluten increases our cancer risk, there is no reason to believe
that trace amounts of gluten are harmful to our long term health.

Almost all toxins have some threshold level, below which no harm can be
observed.  Some compounds (like vitamin A) are poisonous in large amounts
but actually beneficial in small amounts.  Before you all get upset, I'm
not suggesting that trace amounts of gluten are beneficial to celiacs.  I'm
simply pointing out that suggesting that there is a "safe" level of
exposure is consistant with the scientific understanding of the actions of
most toxins and is completely logical.

If gluten causes lymphoma because of the chronic challenge to our immune
systems, there is every reason to believe that there is a safe level.
Gluten is not that only thing that challenges our immune systems.
Everyones immune system is constantly being challenged by all types of
bacterial and viral pathogens and most people are able to handle those
challenges.  It is logical to suspect that below some threshold level,
gluten becomes only a small fraction of the things our immune system
handles every day and should not significantly influence the health of our
immune systems.

If there is not a safe level of gluten in our diets, why do we even try?
It is well recognized that a 100% gluten free diet is impossible in our
wheat filled world.  Are we all doomed to short lives and get cancers
because of occasional hidden glutens?  I don't think so.

The best available scientific data suggest that celiacs will not suffer any
long term health effects from drinking Rice Dream.   Use common sense.  If
Rice Dream makes you sick, don't drink eat.  But if you don't get sick when
you drink it, there is no scientific reason to suspect that you are
endangering your health.


Bonnie J. Tyler
Bozeman, MT


P.S.  I would also like to emphasize that the letter from Rice Dream states
that 5 mg of barley protein/glass was an upper limit on the amount of
barley protein that could be present in Rice Dream.  It is not the amount
that has been measured in Rice Dream and based on their explanation it is
likely that the actual amount is much lower.