question about gluten

[Icequeen]

I need to avoid gluten, so I basically avoid all of the glutenous grains, but I'm wondering if wheat grass contains gluten??

I would think that it does because it's basically just sprouted wheat berries (which is what they make flour from) but I don't know if, because it's in a grass form instead of a grain form, if it contains the same gluten.

Anybody know?

[k8sl8]

Google is your friend:

Here's a quote from Cynthia Kupper(RD CD), Executive Director of the Gluten Intolerance Group which seems to answer the question nicely - "According to information from USDA research chemists, specializing in wheat gluten and cereal proteins and a statement from the American Association of Cereal Chemists, gluten is found only in the seed kernel (endosperm) and not in the stem and grass leaves. If the grass is cut from a growing plant and does not include the seed kernel, it should be safe for persons with gluten intolerance to use."

She goes on to say there is question about cross-contamination but it should NOT be a problem if you are doin the wheatgrass yourself or if you are watching juice being squeezed in front of you in a HF store, etc.

[Cottonball McFluffy]

Ann Wigmore originally advised people who have gluten intolerances to avoid wheat grass.
I'm guessing it's an individual thing. If you can test it out and see if you get symptoms, you definitely should. Wheat grass is potent stuff so it would be shame to leave it out entirely. :)

[Stella Green]

Also, does namo shoyu have gluten?

[Cottonball McFluffy]

Also, does namo shoyu have gluten?
Yup, it does. It's basically made like traditional soy sauce ("bake" a bread out of soy beans and wheat, let it mold, then make miso out of it) only it's not pasteurized. Tamarin sauce is soy sauce made out of oat instead of wheat and should therefore be gluten free. Also, there's regular pasteurized soy sauce that's been processed to remove the gluten.

[streetsurfer]

I can't have wheat or soy due to food sensitivities, so I use coconut aminos by coconut secret as my soy sauce replacement. (soy,gluten and dairy free)

[Icequeen]

Also, does namo shoyu have gluten?

Yep.... I have to stick with tamari as a result. I'll have to try the coconut aminos listed above.... that is, if I can find them in Alaska LOL

[maria84]

Acording to Amazinggrass.com, neither barley grass nor wheat grass contain gluten.

[zinny]

I think that in practical terms, there is always going to be a chance of there being some gluten in wheat grass. Not every seed sprouts, there will be breeze, there will be some touching of wheat berries and grasses... Using the standard of 20 parts per million, the chance of some contamination seems high. The Celiac Center at Columbia U says not to drink it.

So I would say that somebody who has celiac disease and/or is trying to strictly avoid any gluten at all should avoid it. But for somebody who is healthy and has no particular problems with it, but is trying to avoid it, it's probably ok.

BTW, for celiacs, it's usually not really an issue of whether or not you "feel" the effects of gluten after eating it--damage can happen internally regardless of whether you also feel symptoms (which is why so many celiacs are undiagnosed--no allergic-type reactions to gluten foods).