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

Though this point has been brought up in the past, I think it is worth
mentioning again.  You can NOT determine the GF status of a food product
by how you react after eating it.  Many celiacs do not show any
noticeable reaction after ingesting gluten.  Those that apparently do
might be reacting to something other than gluten, or might not react
every time.  Even though you may feel fine, the gluten you ingest is
causing damage to the villi in the small intestine.  If you regularly
"cheat" on the diet, you have constantly inflamed and damaged areas in
the small intestine.  This in turns leads to a significant increase in
the risk of lymphoma in the small intestine.  This has been documented
repeatedly in many different celiac publications, and by many different
gastroenterologists, including several of the medical experts that
subscribe to this list.

There is also the chance that a "reaction" after eating something may be
due to some other sensitivity you have, and not gluten.  It also may be
a "normal" upset stomach, which everyone gets at one time or another.
Labeling a food as "gluten-contaminated" based on your symptoms after
eating it may deprive you and others from a product that is in fact
quite harmless and tasty.  If a product gives you problems every time
you eat it, you should of course avoid it; but don't automatically
assume the problem is caused by gluten, it might be something else.

Please, please, PLEASE, for the sake of your future health:  Don't rely
on your symptoms to determine if a product is GF.  Since there will be
times when you accidentally get gluten, it is highly advisable that you
NEVER knowingly ingest gluten, or eat anything that is suspect until you
find out for sure what its GF status is.

--
-- Jim Lyles
-- [log in to unmask]
-- Holly, Michigan, USA
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