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I have a few theories about why people get worse when they begin consuming
guar & xanthan gum:

(1) Guar & xanthan gums are indigestible carbohydrates.  Anytime we put an
undigestible carb into our guts, we promote the overgrowth of pathological
bacteria & yeasts.  This overgrowth will cause irritation of the GI track
which will cause more leaky gut which will cause more food allergies.

(2) As recently posted by Roy Jamron, many people who go GF have an increase
in food allergies.  This increase in food allergies is actually a sign that
our immune system & GI track is beginning to "kick in" and heal after being
damaged by the constant gluten assault.  This healing crisis coincides with
the addition of consuming GF baked goods containing these gums.  So many
assume that the gums cause the problems (and they may!).

(3) The refined carbohydrates & sugars of GF baked goods contribute to the
overgrowth of bacteria & yeasts in our guts which will cause increased
allergy symptoms by the same mechinism as explained in number (1).

(4) After going GF, people often try to replace wholesome baked goods made
of wheat with cheap-carb laden GF baked goods.  GF baked goods are a very
poor substitute for the superior nutrition of whole wheat bread.  GF baked
goods are highly refined carbohydrates bound together with another highly
refined and indigestible carbohydrates, guar gum & xanthan gum.  In
contrast, whole grain baked goods are bound together with a protein, gluten.
  So the very ingredients in GF baked goods are nutritionally inferior to
the ingredients in classic whole grains baked goods.  Good nutrition is
essential for a healthy immune response to potential allergens so
nutritionally bankrupt GF baked goods will certainly contribute to some of
the problems newbies have after starting the GF diet.

So in summary, the problems often seen in GF diet newbies can be caused &
exacerbated by several factors:  a newly activated immune system & the
healing of the gut; the addition of xanthan & guar gums; and the addition of
refined, low nutrition carbs.

After I went GF, I got sicker than I had ever been in my life.  I didn't
begin to recover until I removed GF baked goods & all refined carbs from my
diet.  This is why I now restrict my consumption of GF baked goods to a
once-a-week decadent sweet treat.   And I always advise newbies to the GF
diet to do the same.

Valerie in Tacoma

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