Xanthan Gum

Hi, you are not the only one reacting like that, because you wouldn’t expect a gum to be found in something you eat. But, there is nothing to worry about as xanthan gum is a natural gum polysaccharide used as a food additive. Polysaccharides are normay present in many plant tissues, s oit is noting arificial compared to additives, preservatives and other ingrediendts found in food It is produced by a biotechnological process of fermentation. It has ability to increase the viscosity of a liquid in very small concentration. So, it is used to make products less fluid, and it is often found in salad dressings and sauces.

Recently I was feeling sick on and off for months. I couldn't make it through an entire week without feeling like I was getting or had the flu for at least a couple days (weakness, coughing, swollen glands in my neck). This was strange since I normally don't get sick very often - maybe once a year. One thought that I came up with was as a result of moving, perhaps my new home had some hidden mold, but before looking into that, I decided to focus on my diet. I had started eating those egg-whites that come in a carton a few months earlier and decided to eliminate them from my diet. After a few weeks in a row of finally feeling healthy I knew it was an ingredient in those eggs. Years ago I suffered from the same symptoms after eating a particular brand of ice cream on a daily basis so I compared the ingredients and the common ingredient was Xanthan gum. It sounds like most people can tolerate the stuff, but I definitely cannot and I doubt I'm the only one. In case you're wondering, I have no problems when I eat/drink milk (dairy products) or eggs.

I have to eat a gluten free diet and when I eat gluten free bread with Xantham Gum, I get really sick. I will have a major headache and throw up all day. I can not eat certain brands of GF baking products because of that reason.