9 Products that Are Shockingly Packed with Gluten

Research has linked gluten to a variety of autoimmune conditions ranging from psoriasis to arthritis and from mouth blisters to chronic fatigue. At this time, the only way to treat the symptoms of Celiac is with a gluten free diet.  

The increasing pace of commercialization makes being aware about the food we consume rather tricky.  It is not only disappointing but downright dangerous to learn there are certain products thought to be safe from gluten but turn out to be are just the opposite. 

The importance of a gluten-free diet

On paper it should be simple.  Stick to a gluten free diet and you should be symptom free if  your diet strictly excludes all forms of gluten, including wheat-products like pasta, crackers, biscuits, bread, and other baked food. But it's just not that easy. While many items on the market today claim to be gluten-free alternatives, it is crucial to be able to be absolutely positive there are no traces of gluten. And that doesn't always happen. 

Here is a list of some of the biggest culprits:

1. Soy Sauce

Flour is often used in soy sauce to give it volume and thickness. This flour is usually wheat flour, which is primarily a source of gluten. Soy sauce goes through a process of fermentation and this involves wheat. When purchasing your soy sauce, it is best to be wary of the product label to identify any presence of wheat used in the ingredients.

2. Hot dogs

Hot dogs are manufactured with flour that contains gluten to help the meat stick to each other. The same process goes for other manufactured meat products like luncheon meat and sausages. It is best to create a homemade hot dog that is sure to be gluten-free.