Gluten-free is gaining a lot more acceptance than getting the cold shoulder more and more recently. We are seeing a lot of restaurants use the letters GF next to food items on their menus that are gluten-free. We are seeing a lot of packaging of products displaying clearer markings stating that the product is gluten-free too. However, there are still a few things that a lot of people don’t think twice about that contain gluten. If you are celiac then I hope these items come as no surprise, but if you are someone that is trying to avoid gluten in their diet, you may want to check out some of these products you have in your home to see if they contain gluten or not.
Typically, when someone doesn’t think an item doesn’t have gluten in it is because it is usually an obvious ingredient. However, sometimes we aren’t given a list of ingredients for ideas we have around the house.
Here is a list of items that gluten could be hiding in:
Beauty Products
Research presented at the 2011 annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology demonstrated to the audience how difficult it is for consumers to find out whether the beauty products they are buying contain forms of gluten in them or not. Even though you aren’t ingesting the beauty products they could still cause you irritation or even think about how many times you lick your lips or pass food by your lips. Your lip balm or lipstick could have gluten in it that is now going into your mouth and into your body. There isn’t a list to pull from that collectively lists all products that are gluten-free. This will be up to you to do some further investigation about your beauty products to see if they contain gluten or not.
Gravy
Even though Thanksgiving is a bit behind us, remember this one for next year or the next time you are offered gravy. The reason why gluten is most likely in gravy is that gluten is great at acting like a binder. A lot of homemade gravies have flour added to them to create the nice thicker texture we all know and love that makes gravy, well gravy. Unless the person who made the gravy is well educated in gluten items, then chances are the next gravy you (almost) eat has gluten in it. Use this same train of thought when it comes to soups too!
Medications
Just like with gravy, medications need binders to hold them together. The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness has gone to great length to educate the public and the FDA about labeling medications that contain gluten in them. However, a lot of medications still aren’t clear. It is mentioned that it is safe to say that all generic brands have traces of gluten in them. If you are celiac or have really bad reactions to gluten then it is best to consult your doctor and work with them to get you medications that are gluten-free.
Vitamin Supplements
As with medications and beauty products, gluten may appear in vitamin supplements as binding agents too. However, all of our vitamin supplements do not contain any gluten and are labeled clearly for you to know that too! Have no gluten fears with EBOOST!
Items Labeled ‘Wheat Free’
When people think of gluten they typically think of it coming from wheat. However, gluten can also come from other grains too, including spelt, rye, and barley. Be careful on products labeled ‘Wheat Free’ as they may still have gluten in them too!
