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Hi all,

Here are the responses I received to my question about buckwheat and
more specifically about Arrow Head Mills buckwheat flour. Thanks to all
who took the time to respond. I very much appreciated it.

Meyda


1- About buckwheat....I read that some Celiacs are just sensitive to it
in general and the last time I tried it it didn't go over well and I also
got a stomach ache but no 'celiac' symptoms (luckily!).  I did use the
Arrowhead Mills flour but I also tried just plain fried kasha and both
gave me stomach pain.  I don't know about the contamination issue but I
have become increasingly sensitive and skeptical about cross contam.
promises and plan to get my own little flour mill so I don't drive people
in my dorm up the wall with my minature coffee grinder that I rely on
now!  (I tried the rice flour from Bob's Red Mill and it made me feel
ill...I just grind up the Lundberg rice which seems to be the rice my
body likes the best)

2- Please let me know what you find out.  Earlier this year I searched
the archives for information on buckwheat and found that it was
definitely considered a "no-no" for celiacs.  Has something changed?

3- Hi.  I don't know anything about Arrowhead Mills Buckwheat but I
wouldn't eat any of their products.  I got sick on their Rice n Shine
cereal as did a few other posters when this was brought up a couple of
years ago.  There has been much discussion on the list over the past few
years that I have been on it that they are notorious for their cross
contamination, although they swear their products are GF.  Some other
posters had ill effects from some of their other cereals.

4- you can keep eating the bread without fear but take it little by
little!  Your stomac isn't used to that much fiber anymore that's why
you've gotten a reaction!

Enjoy your bread, but don't eat it all :-)

5- people can be allergic to buckwheat- it might not be a celiac
reaction.  I'm not celiac- I'm allegic to wheat and also to buckwheat
(and a lot of other things) and they are not related.

6- If you haven't eated buckwheat before, you might get a small stomach
reaction.  I find that if I don't eat it fairly regularly, I sometimes
get a stomach ache, but not gluten related.  My naturopath says this is
normal and not something to worry about.  If you keep getting a reaction,
consider switching flours or not using buckwheat.  Personally, I mix it
half and half with brown rice flour for a "whole wheat" flavour and
texture.

7- I eat buckwheat several times a week with no ill effects.

8- I eat a lot of buckwheat, but the breakfast variety, Popono cream of
buckwheat.  I order it by the case and mix it with grits and eat it for
breakfast most days.  I used to eat Kellogg's Nutri-grain till they quit
making it.  I belong to the only support group in S.C.  and some of the
people are sensitive to buckwheat, I told them about the article in G/F
living.  I have diabetes, D/H and celiac disease in that order.  If I eat
anything with gluten in it I break out, but buckwheat hasn't affected me.
Nutri-grain was processed the same way you described.  My wife makes
bread with the same kind of machine that you have, but uses a lot of bean
flour.  That makes the bread a lot better.  I've been on a gluten/free
diet for over 3 yrs.  now.  actually my wife says it is a lot easier to
bake bread in the oven.  Our group leader gave us a easy and simple
recipe if you are interested?

9- I bought some buckwheat cereal from Kinnikinik.  The first 3 times
that I had it I thought it was terrific.  It was just like the oatmeal I
used to have and enjoy.  The last 2 times I have had it I have felt
"strange" about 2 hours after I ate it.  I felt kind of nauseous and my
stomach felt like it was empty and that I was hungry.  This is not my
normal reaction to eating gluten.  If I eat gluten I get a bloated,
gassy stomach and diarrhea.  This was definately not the way I felt.  I
had things to do on both the days that this happened so I have to figure
out whether this was nerves or a reation to the buckwheat.

10- As that article in GF Living points out, buckwheat is a strong
allergen for some.  Do a WEB search on "buckwheat AND pillow" and choose
the page from a Swedish pillow company that makes non-allergic pillows
from the hulls of buckwheat.  Medical data there on the nature of a
buckwheat allergy caused by the edible buckwheat core.

If you don't also develop short term reactions to gluten with a healed
intestine (an allergy/intolerance to gluten in my opinion) then you're
out of luck with buckwheat, I'd say.

If you do have such reactions so that impurities might be the problem
instead, then still one of two potential solutions.  First, Arrowhead
doesn't grind its own buckwheat flour:  it gets it in 50 lb.  sacks from
Birkett Mills, also on that list in GF Living.  Most of the contamination
potential from flour comes in milling in a non-dedicated mill since it's
hard to clean the mill.  Both Birkett and the farm in Maine have
dedicated buckwheat mills.  The taste of flour from the latter is
reportedly different so you might ask them or the list for a taste
report.  I've never heard anyone complain about flour products from
either.  Birkett Mills kasha and groats are widely available here in NY
under both the kosher Pocono Hills and Wolff brand names.  You may have
to mail order the flour.

I use their kasha regularly for breakfast with no apparent problem.