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Hi all,
     A friend of mine and fellow celiac mentioned that caffeine was
off limits for her.  She has multiple food allergies, so it is very
possible that she needs to avoid caffeine, but she was under the
impression that caffeine was banned in her diet because it contains
gluten, so she thought I should  be avoiding caffeine too.
     Please do NOT fill my mail box with explanations that caffeine
and gluten are not the same--I am aware of that, and realize that
most celiacs can consume caffeinated items.  But I would love to hear
from somebody that can give me some science behind her confusion.
For example, my vague recollection of organic chemistry tells me
caffeine is an aromatic ring-type molecule--does it have a side chain
in common with the gluten protein?  Does caffeine cross-react with
some other common food allergy?

Melinda Freckleton DVM
Catlett, VA
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