Guest guest Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 You might all have been aware of this already; if so, sorry for the rant. I decided today to start carefully checking all the many supplements I take for gluten content, since I haven't been feeling well lately despite going GF in 2001 when I was diagnosed with celiac disease. I specifically look for " no gluten " on the label, but I've been using a few Solaray products, trusting that their label assurance: " Solaray guarantees that NO ingredients other than those listed on this label have been added to this product. " For some reason, it didn't dawn on me that this could mean they're using ingredients from sources that might contain gluten somewhere back along the line. So today I called both Solaray's education and incident report lines to see if they could tell me whether the particular products I take contain gluten. The upshot is, after both reps talked around and around in circles obviously not wanting to give me a straight answer, is that they don't test their products for gluten. They said they don't add gluten, and they don't buy gluten ingredients to make their products, but since they choose not to test the ingredients for gluten (although they do other ingredient testing), they can't guarantee any of their products to be GF. I tried to explain how their label assurance can be misleading, and that many of their consumers probably have gluten sensitivity, allergy, or celiac disease, so testing for gluten would not only be a great service, but could also boost their sales as we usually seek products that are labeled GF. I got one of those bland " I'll pass your comments along; thanks for calling " replies. She also suggested I write to the company's officers to express my concerns. Don't know about you, but I buy lots of supplements, as do many celiacs, since we often have trouble absorbing enough nutrients. I thought Solaray, as a large, reputable company, would be more careful and concerned than this. If anyone else is interested in writing to the company, the website is nutraceutical.com, the address is on the " contact us " page, and the officers' names and titles can be seen by clicking on " investor relations " and then " management profiles. " I guess it's nothing new, but I'm so tired of these companies making it hard for us to take care of ourselves (not to mention buy from them) safely. Needless to say, I will not make the mistake of purchasing their products again unless and until they are accurately labeled. Barrie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2008 Report Share Posted June 7, 2008 Sadly, a lot of times when you call a company to get answers, the people answering the phones are clueless about gluten, what it is and what it means to us! I've even been in stores where the people in charge don't even know what gluten is or what products they carry! And don't even get me started on the incompetence of restaurants! It is very frustrating when looking for answers. With supplements as well, you have to watch out for gelatin capsules. Also, if if a food or supplement is gluten free and has been for years, you still need to check the ingredients every time you buy it because companies change ingredients for various reasons. It's very upsetting to when you don't realize it until after you've opened it and taken a bite! I can usually tell with the first bite of food if it has wheat/gluten in it. With supplements it doesn't really occur to you until your up vomiting all night long and trying to think of what's making you sick. It took me 3 months to figure out it was the supplements making me sick! If it doesn't specifically say gluten free on the label I avoid it. Juice for Live is a good supplement because it has all the vitamins and minerals plus probiotics. If your looking for individual herbs I would recommend checking at a whole foods or other health store, as they tend to carry products that are GF. Another thing to look out for when buying anything GF is the processing. Many products are labeled GF but are produced in factories that also process wheat. Many have dedicated machines/kitchens, but some do not, meaning that even though no gluten products are in the ingredients, there's a good change of gluten residue being in it. I've had a few products like this that I did get sick on. Depending on how sensitive you are, just being in the vicinity of a wheat/gluten product being cooked can make you sick. This is common when first going on the GF diet because there is a period of hypersensitivity while the body tries to balance itself out and rid itself of toxins. For months my boyfriend couldn't even make toast in the house because I'd vomit from the fumes. A lot of people I know with CF experienced the same thing, and a few never overcame this hypersensitivity. You brought up a good point about the supplements though. In and of themselves, they may not contain any gluten, but they could be processed on the same equipment, so you can try to find that out from the company. My rule of thumb is that if in doubt, don't buy it! Good luck finding what you need in GF! Jae On Fri, Jun 6, 2008 at 5:30 PM, b_animalwise <ahimsa4life wrote: > You might all have been aware of this already; if so, sorry for the > rant. I decided today to start carefully checking all the many > supplements I take for gluten content, since I haven't been feeling > well lately despite going GF in 2001 when I was diagnosed with > celiac disease. I specifically look for " no gluten " on the label, > but I've been using a few Solaray products, trusting that their > label assurance: " Solaray guarantees that NO ingredients other than > those listed on this label have been added to this product. " For > some reason, it didn't dawn on me that this could mean they're using > ingredients from sources that might contain gluten somewhere back > along the line. > > So today I called both Solaray's education and incident report lines > to see if they could tell me whether the particular products I take > contain gluten. The upshot is, after both reps talked around and > around in circles obviously not wanting to give me a straight > answer, is that they don't test their products for gluten. They said > they don't add gluten, and they don't buy gluten ingredients to make > their products, but since they choose not to test the ingredients > for gluten (although they do other ingredient testing), they can't > guarantee any of their products to be GF. > > I tried to explain how their label assurance can be misleading, and > that many of their consumers probably have gluten sensitivity, > allergy, or celiac disease, so testing for gluten would not only be > a great service, but could also boost their sales as we usually seek > products that are labeled GF. I got one of those bland " I'll pass > your comments along; thanks for calling " replies. She also suggested > I write to the company's officers to express my concerns. Don't > know about you, but I buy lots of supplements, as do many celiacs, > since we often have trouble absorbing enough nutrients. I thought > Solaray, as a large, reputable company, would be more careful and > concerned than this. If anyone else is interested in writing to the > company, the website is nutraceutical.com, the address is on > the " contact us " page, and the officers' names and titles can be > seen by clicking on " investor relations " and then " management > profiles. " > > I guess it's nothing new, but I'm so tired of these companies making > it hard for us to take care of ourselves (not to mention buy from > them) safely. Needless to say, I will not make the mistake of > purchasing their products again unless and until they are accurately > labeled. > > Barrie > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 Barrie, you might have other sensitivies, in addition to gluten. I certainly do, and I understand it's relatively common for people to be sensitive to more than one thing. Deborah You might all have been aware of this already; if so, sorry for the rant. I decided today to start carefully checking all the many supplements I take for gluten content, since I haven't been feeling well lately despite going GF in 2001 when I was diagnosed with celiac disease. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 Deborah, you are SO right. A list of all the foods I'm sensitive to would be a very long one! For starters, every kind of tropical fruit, nuts, spices, dairy, tomatoes, chocolate, sugar, salt, vinegar, citrus, etc. Sometimes when I see GF recipes on this and other GF lists, I can't believe other people can eat all that stuff without getting sick (although I'm happy for you)! I don't know that Solaray supplements are responsible for me feeling unwell lately, but since they don't test for gluten, I'm not buying them anymore, just to be on the safe side. Actually, in the past few days since I've stopped taking them, I feel better. I just need to find a calcium citrate in capsule form (can't digest the tablets) that is GF, in case anyone knows of one. > > Barrie, you might have other sensitivies, in addition to gluten. I certainly do, and I understand it's relatively common for people to be sensitive to more than one thing. > > Deborah > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 Do you or has anyone had success with a 4 day (or more) rotation diet? --- On Tue, 10/6/08, b_animalwise & lt;ahimsa4life & gt; wrote: b_animalwise & lt;ahimsa4life & gt; Re: Gluten in Solaray products Tuesday, 10 June, 2008, 8:33 AM Deborah, you are SO right. A list of all the foods I'm sensitive to would be a very long one! For starters, every kind of tropical fruit, nuts, spices, dairy, tomatoes, chocolate, sugar, salt, vinegar, citrus, etc. Sometimes when I see GF recipes on this and other GF lists, I can't believe other people can eat all that stuff without getting sick (although I'm happy for you)! I don't know that Solaray supplements are responsible for me feeling unwell lately, but since they don't test for gluten, I'm not buying them anymore, just to be on the safe side. Actually, in the past few days since I've stopped taking them, I feel better. I just need to find a calcium citrate in capsule form (can't digest the tablets) that is GF, in case anyone knows of one. & gt; & gt; Barrie, you might have other sensitivies, in addition to gluten. I certainly do, and I understand it's relatively common for people to be sensitive to more than one thing. & gt; & gt; Deborah & gt; ________ Sent from Mail. A Smarter Email http://uk.docs./nowyoucan.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 I mostly do a rotation diet. On Mon, Jun 9, 2008 at 8:18 PM, Jessie Hume <vegan_taste_test wrote: > Do you or has anyone had success with a 4 day (or more) rotation diet? > > --- On Tue, 10/6/08, b_animalwise & lt;ahimsa4life<ahimsa4life%40bellsouth.net> & gt; > wrote: > b_animalwise & lt;ahimsa4life<ahimsa4life%40bellsouth.net> > & gt; > Re: Gluten in Solaray products > To: <%40> > Tuesday, 10 June, 2008, 8:33 AM > > > Deborah, you are SO right. A list of all the foods I'm sensitive to > > would be a very long one! For starters, every kind of tropical > > fruit, > > nuts, spices, dairy, tomatoes, chocolate, sugar, salt, vinegar, > > citrus, > > etc. Sometimes when I see GF recipes on this and other GF lists, I > > can't believe other people can eat all that stuff without getting > > sick > > (although I'm happy for you)! I don't know that Solaray supplements > > are > > responsible for me feeling unwell lately, but since they don't test > > for > > gluten, I'm not buying them anymore, just to be on the safe side. > > Actually, in the past few days since I've stopped taking them, I > > feel > > better. I just need to find a calcium citrate in capsule form (can't > > digest the tablets) that is GF, in case anyone knows of one. > > & gt; > > & gt; Barrie, you might have other sensitivies, in addition to gluten. > > I > > certainly do, and I understand it's relatively common for people to > > be > > sensitive to more than one thing. > > & gt; > > & gt; Deborah > > & gt; > > > > > ________ > Sent from Mail. > A Smarter Email http://uk.docs./nowyoucan.html > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 Hello, first post here. I work for a supplement company (NOT Solaray) that is currently examining our practices regarding allergen warnings on our products, specifically with regard to gluten. With permission, I'd very much like to present any comments or experiences you've had with nutritional supplements to our company president. If you have anything to say that you do not want to post in this public forum, you may write to me directly at the address below. Until I have explicit permission from the author of the comment, I will treat everything here as completely confidential. Thank you kindly. - Kevin elizium , " Jae Jones " <recyclednew wrote: > > Sadly, a lot of times when you call a company to get answers, the people > answering the phones are clueless about gluten, what it is and what it means > to us! I've even been in stores where the people in charge don't even know > what gluten is or what products they carry! And don't even get me started on > the incompetence of restaurants! It is very frustrating when looking for > answers. With supplements as well, you have to watch out for gelatin > capsules. > Also, if if a food or supplement is gluten free and has been for years, you > still need to check the ingredients every time you buy it because companies > change ingredients for various reasons. It's very upsetting to when you > don't realize it until after you've opened it and taken a bite! I can > usually tell with the first bite of food if it has wheat/gluten in it. With > supplements it doesn't really occur to you until your up vomiting all night > long and trying to think of what's making you sick. It took me 3 months to > figure out it was the supplements making me sick! If it doesn't specifically > say gluten free on the label I avoid it. Juice for Live is a good supplement > because it has all the vitamins and minerals plus probiotics. If your > looking for individual herbs I would recommend checking at a whole foods or > other health store, as they tend to carry products that are GF. > Another thing to look out for when buying anything GF is the processing. > Many products are labeled GF but are produced in factories that also process > wheat. Many have dedicated machines/kitchens, but some do not, meaning that > even though no gluten products are in the ingredients, there's a good change > of gluten residue being in it. I've had a few products like this that I did > get sick on. Depending on how sensitive you are, just being in the vicinity > of a wheat/gluten product being cooked can make you sick. This is common > when first going on the GF diet because there is a period of > hypersensitivity while the body tries to balance itself out and rid itself > of toxins. For months my boyfriend couldn't even make toast in the house > because I'd vomit from the fumes. A lot of people I know with CF experienced > the same thing, and a few never overcame this hypersensitivity. > You brought up a good point about the supplements though. In and of > themselves, they may not contain any gluten, but they could be processed on > the same equipment, so you can try to find that out from the company. My > rule of thumb is that if in doubt, don't buy it! > Good luck finding what you need in GF! > > Jae > > On Fri, Jun 6, 2008 at 5:30 PM, b_animalwise <ahimsa4life > wrote: > > > You might all have been aware of this already; if so, sorry for the > > rant. I decided today to start carefully checking all the many > > supplements I take for gluten content, since I haven't been feeling > > well lately despite going GF in 2001 when I was diagnosed with > > celiac disease. I specifically look for " no gluten " on the label, > > but I've been using a few Solaray products, trusting that their > > label assurance: " Solaray guarantees that NO ingredients other than > > those listed on this label have been added to this product. " For > > some reason, it didn't dawn on me that this could mean they're using > > ingredients from sources that might contain gluten somewhere back > > along the line. > > > > So today I called both Solaray's education and incident report lines > > to see if they could tell me whether the particular products I take > > contain gluten. The upshot is, after both reps talked around and > > around in circles obviously not wanting to give me a straight > > answer, is that they don't test their products for gluten. They said > > they don't add gluten, and they don't buy gluten ingredients to make > > their products, but since they choose not to test the ingredients > > for gluten (although they do other ingredient testing), they can't > > guarantee any of their products to be GF. > > > > I tried to explain how their label assurance can be misleading, and > > that many of their consumers probably have gluten sensitivity, > > allergy, or celiac disease, so testing for gluten would not only be > > a great service, but could also boost their sales as we usually seek > > products that are labeled GF. I got one of those bland " I'll pass > > your comments along; thanks for calling " replies. She also suggested > > I write to the company's officers to express my concerns. Don't > > know about you, but I buy lots of supplements, as do many celiacs, > > since we often have trouble absorbing enough nutrients. I thought > > Solaray, as a large, reputable company, would be more careful and > > concerned than this. If anyone else is interested in writing to the > > company, the website is nutraceutical.com, the address is on > > the " contact us " page, and the officers' names and titles can be > > seen by clicking on " investor relations " and then " management > > profiles. " > > > > I guess it's nothing new, but I'm so tired of these companies making > > it hard for us to take care of ourselves (not to mention buy from > > them) safely. Needless to say, I will not make the mistake of > > purchasing their products again unless and until they are accurately > > labeled. > > > > Barrie > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 Related to this topic in general, there was a recent recall of Liquimax multivitamins for undeclared allergens: http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/leiner06_08.html -Erin http://www.zenpawn.com/vegblog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Jessie, What exactly IS a 4-day rotation diet? Anyway, I know I haven't tried it. The foods I listed are ones I need to avoid all the time due to allergic/sensitivity reactions. Barrie > > Do you or has anyone had success with a 4 day (or more) rotation diet? > > --- On Tue, 10/6/08, b_animalwise ahimsa4life wrote: > b_animalwise ahimsa4life > Re: Gluten in Solaray products > > Tuesday, 10 June, 2008, 8:33 AM > > Deborah, you are SO right. A list of all the foods I'm sensitive to > > would be a very long one! For starters, every kind of tropical > > fruit, > > nuts, spices, dairy, tomatoes, chocolate, sugar, salt, vinegar, > > citrus, > > etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 A 4-day rotation diet is where you eat foods in a 4-day rotation to avoid developing new allergies/sensitivities. As I understand it, there is some evidence that eating foods only once every 4 days prevents the immune system from attacking the consumed foods. Some people believe that foods have to fall into fairly broad groups with those groups being consumed only once every four days, and other people just don't eat very particular foods except for once every four days. I generally follow it because it makes sense to me that if you pile a food into your body frequently, you are more likely to develop a new allergy to that food from the body's repeated attacks on that food (or food type). On Tue, Jun 10, 2008 at 7:40 PM, b_animalwise <ahimsa4life wrote: > Jessie, > > What exactly IS a 4-day rotation diet? Anyway, I know I haven't > tried it. The foods I listed are ones I need to avoid all the time > due to allergic/sensitivity reactions. > > Barrie > > > > > > Do you or has anyone had success with a 4 day (or more) rotation > diet? > > > > --- On Tue, 10/6/08, b_animalwise ahimsa4life wrote: > > b_animalwise ahimsa4life > > Re: Gluten in Solaray products > > To: <%40> > > Tuesday, 10 June, 2008, 8:33 AM > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Deborah, you are SO right. A list of all the foods I'm > sensitive to > > > > would be a very long one! For starters, every kind of tropical > > > > fruit, > > > > nuts, spices, dairy, tomatoes, chocolate, sugar, salt, vinegar, > > > > citrus, > > > > etc. > > > -- " they say goldfish have no memory i guess their lives are much like mine the little plastic castle is a surprise every time it's hard to say if they are happy but they don't seem much to mind " --ani difranco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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