News You Should Know About – Now It is REALLY Gluten-Free
This story from CNN says that the FDA will begin cracking down on manufacturers of gluten-free products to make sure those products are…gluten-free.
Huh? What do you mean?
In other words, there are “gluten-free” products out there that still have gluten in them. This could mean bad news for those with gluten intolerance, and even worse news for those with issues more serious than intolerance like celiac disease or other autoimmune diseases.
According to the CNN post, the FDA will begin to require that gluten-free products contain less than 20 ppm (parts per million) of gluten. They also cannot have ingredients in them that have gluten. This is for packaged foods only.
Moral of the story? Gluten-free packaged foods are perhaps going to really be gluten-free now, but your best bet is to make sure that you consume foods that naturally do not have gluten in them. Gluten is a protein found in grains, with the main ones being wheat, barley and rye. Simply focus on eating foods that are not grains: vegetables, fruits, beans, meats, healthy fats, etc.
Eat these as close to their natural states as possible, because this way, they could never have gluten! That stir-fry meal from the restaurant with rice, lean meat and vegetables would be great, if it did not have the wheat-containing soy sauce. There are a lot of products on the shelves that contain gluten in some way, shape or form, so if you go to a restaurant, eat at your own risk.
Funny how the answer always seems to be to eat more natural foods, isn’t it? Maybe there is something to that…
That’s messed up that what says gluten free really hasnt all been gluten free in the first place. Man I love shopping in this country. .. :-l
Lol…yeah, we really have to know what those FDA definitions mean, because they don’t always mean exactly what they appear to mean!
I wonder how long this gluten stuff has been existence, what else is out there to destroy us?
Gluten is a naturally occurring protein in a lot of grains. Thing is, some people don’t respond well to it. I’ve heard a few hypotheses, including the suspicion that there are a lot of problems because wheat is consumed so much in our society (same thing with peanuts, soy and corn). There’s also the belief that some gluten problems are due to some of the GMO stuff. Honestly, I don’t know, but I do think it is a GREAT exercise to omit gluten-containing grains and products to at least see if you feel better. Helps with weight, too…as you’re seeing!