Study Shows Contamination of “Naturally” Gluten-Free Grains

Just because a grain is supposed to be “naturally” gluten-free, doesn’t mean that it is!

Gluten is a protein found in the grains wheat, barley, and rye, and is inherently lacking in grains such as oats, buckwheat, quinoa, millet, soy, sorghum, flaxseed, rice, and amaranth seed. However, a study tested 22 of these “naturally” gluten-free grains, and 7 of them had a gluten amount higher than 20 ppm, which would disqualify it from being labeled as gluten-free under the proposed FDA guidelines. One type of soy flour tested had nearly 3,000 ppm of gluten, two millet flour products had an average of between 305-327 ppm, and the sorghum flour had a mean average of 234 ppm. Four of those seven products didn’t have allergen advisory statements.

Why is this? Most likely due to cross-contamination during processing and because companies aren’t testing their final products for gluten.

According to Dr. Mercola of http://mercola.com, several autoimmune disorders, not just celiac disease, can be “significantly improved by avoiding grains,” and eliminating grains from your diet can also decrease your risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, Type 2 Diabetes, and cancer.

This is due to the fact that, as Dr. Mercola explains, “grains and sugars are inherently pro-inflammatory and will worsen any condition that has chronic inflammation at its root – and not just inflammation in your gut, but anywhere in your body.” In his experience, about 75-80% of all people benefitted from going grain-free.

If you decide to continue eating inherently gluten-free grains, look for grain products that are certified gluten-free by such organizations as the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO).

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.

Resource:

Mercola.com: Beware: ‘Gluten-Free’ Foods are Often Contaminated http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/08/03/glutenfree-foods-are-often-contaminated.aspx

From our home to yours, Tina Turbin
If you have any questions or suggestions just email me at info (at) GlutenFreeHelp.info.