xanthum gum

Belle · Post by **Belle** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 6:03 pm

so, i just realized that xanthum gum is made from corn and i tested sensitive to corn through enterolab (11). so what can i use instead. this is pretty upsetting b/c it seems everything gluten free has xanthum gum in it and all the recipes call for it.

kitty16 · Post by **kitty16** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 6:11 pm

Hi,

I posted about this same problem earlier today. I hope someone is able to give us an answer. In my case there is more than 1 ingredient that I cannot have.

Good Luck,

Love,
K

Post by **tex** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 6:44 pm

Belle and Kitty,

Unless you're baking bread, you can probably just leave out the xanthan gum. Biscuits, pancakes, cookies, muffins, doughnuts, etc., are usually just as good without it, and in some cases they're better. It turns out that most of us are not only sensitive to xanthan gum, but virtually all of the other gum options, as well, since most of them are legumes.

I've heard of someone using unflavored gelatin as an alternative to xanthan gum. Flaxseed and chia seed can also be used as substitutes, but simply leaving it out, works for a lot of things. Have you read the following article on this topic?

http://glutenfreegirl.com/chia-seeds-and-flaxseeds/

Tex

MBombardier · Post by **MBombardier** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 7:12 pm

http://glutenfreegirl.com/gluten-free-w ... in-muffins

This woman can't use xanthan gum. She has a huge GF recipe blog. She doesn't use xanthan gum or guar gum in anything anymore.

Ths link tells about her discovering that she cannot use xanthan gum, towards the bottom of her post. BTW, these muffins are wonderful. I make them often (yesterday, in fact) and my girls really like them.

Gloria · Post by **Gloria** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 7:30 pm

I have found that arrowroot is an effective binder, similar to xanthan gum, but not quite as good. Almond flour also works well as a binder. If you want to avoid xanthan gum, you probably have to do your own baking. The Glutenfreegirl mentioned above has some excellent recipes.

Gloria

Belle · Post by **Belle** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 2:49 pm

thanks. i can't seem to tolerate almond flour though, at least not too much of it. anything i made with it caused me tremendous pain

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 5:29 pm

Belle,
I also can't tolerate almond flour. I was looking up substitutes for almond flour. I found that pecan or walnut flour are deemed tolerable substitutes. Similar weight and oil content.

You can grind them in a blender. At least I hope so. I don't have a very good one.

Joefnh · Post by **Joefnh** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 6:15 pm

Belle xanthan gum can be made from eithier soy or corn. I ran into this issue a little over a year ago with one of my worst flares. The Bisquick GF mix i purchased had xanthan gum in it, and while I can tolerate it when it's made from corn stock, the soy version did me in.

I have been very careful since then. The only brands I know of so far that say they only use the corn version is Bobs Red Mill and King Aurthurs.

Here is a thread from Nov 2010 that discusses this a bit more:

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewt ... 68&start=0

Leah · Post by **Leah** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 8:05 pm

I learn something new on this site every day! Good to know that xanthan gum is made from corn or soy... just in case i find out that I can't eat them. I guess the answer is to make your own baked goods if you feel the need to have that kind of food. Coconut macaroons are a good choice if you can have eggs ( it's just coconut, egg whites and sugar)

Tex is right. Sandwich bread is a hard thing to make without the gums, but quick breads, cookies, and muffins should be fine. I haven't delved into baking yet because I haven't found out what grains are safe. Once i do, I will have to try some of the recipes that "gluten free girl" has posted. Thanks for the info
Leah

Sheila · Post by **Sheila** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 7:08 pm

Looking at my package of Bob's Red Mill Xanthan Gum, it says that it is made from the outer layer of a tiny, inactive bacterium called Xanthomonas campestris. Says nothing about being derived from soy or corn. Where do you find the source on the package of Bob's Red Mill? I have found xanthan gum works for me and I cannot tolerate guar gum.

Sheila W

bevfromwa · Post by **bevfromwa** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 5:14 pm

iherb has Now Foods xanthan, 6 ounces for $6.87, much cheaper than Bob's. I did call them to make sure of the source after Joe had his reaction to the soy one, and Now confirmed that the source is corn.

BTW I've been finding that iherb has very good prices on some of the larger packages of various flours, such as 48 oz. Bob's white rice flour for $4.77 vs. vitacost's price of $5.91. iherb also prices a 4 pack at $17.90. They have free shipping for a minimum $20 order, but, here's the catch: maximum weight allowed is 10 pounds, which you can get to pretty rapidly if you're buying sacks of flour. So if you want to go up to $40, you can get free shipping. Well, it's a good thing I have a 2nd refrigerator in the basement, filled with various GF products, with maybe a little room for Dave's beer! Beverly

Sheila · Post by **Sheila** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 6:08 pm

Thank you. I too have a separate refrigerator full of GF flour and "stuff" and also beer,

including some GF beer which I haven't gotten around to trying. I had no idea about xanthan gum being derived from soy. Makes me crazy.
Again, thanks for the post.
Sheila W

CathyMaine · Post by **CathyMaine** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 5:00 am

I use guar gum in combination with a very small amount of xanthum gum when I bake. Anyone know if the guar gum is bad?

Sheila · Post by **Sheila** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 6:36 am

After a process of elimination I found that I cannot tolerate guar gum. Xanthan gum doesn't seem to bother me.
Sheila W

Post by **tex** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 7:46 am

Cathy,

Most of the gums other than xanthan gum, (including guar gum), are legumes, and may cause problems for most people who are sensitive to soy.

Tex