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Thanks to everyone who responded to my question about personal tolerances
to amaranth, and to those who expressed an interest in hearing the
responses I received.
 
I heard from four people who use amaranth products regularly, with no
adverse effects. Just one person wrote to say that she had a bad reaction
to amaranth flour, similar to but more mild than a gluten reaction. This
person is also allergic to corn.
 
My own advice: Be careful! I have no known intolerances to foods other than
those containing gluten, and can eat corn with no problems. I felt brave
enough after getting these responses to try eating a bowl of
Erewhon Aztec cereal (ingredients: yellow corn meal, ground whole amaranth,
apple juice concentrate, sea salt). I had called the company that
manufactures this product a few weeks ago, and they assured me that
amaranth is the only ingredient that might provoke problems for people
who are gluten-intolerent (no possible cross contamination with other
products).
 
Within an hour of eating the cereal I was breaking out in hives on my chest
and buttocks, and was generally itchy over much of my body. This morning I
am still a bit itchy and have the same lump-in-the-throat sensation that I
have after eating gluten. The gluten reactions that I have (nausea,
headache, irritability, mental fogginess, lump in throat), are much much
worse than this, and are provoked by the intake of much smaller amounts of
grain. Still, I'm giving away that cereal and will stay away from amaranth
from now on.
 
Rebecca Matthews
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