gluten free

i was uncertain of quite which blog to put this in...however, since it is more informational than rant, and it concerns food i decided i could put it here...i have been marveling at the number of "gluten free" products that have been turning up in the supermarket...especially in the dairy cases which are about as removed from wheat as you can get and still be edible..and i began to wonder what, since gluten is what allows baked goods like bread and cakes to rise, the substitute ingredient is...turn out it's xanthan gum...a substance which happens to be used in oil drilling as well...the attached article states that as long as you don't "exhibit an allergic reaction to xanthan gum you can assume it's safe for you"...well..allergic reactions are short term affairs ( not to downplay the dangers of allergic reactions...my point is they are fairly immediate ) and i cannot find any real research ( yet) on the long term effects of xanthan gum...it is utilized in many more food products than bread and cake mixes...and i don't doubt there are more harmful elements in processed foods...still i am inclined to skepticism and to skip the processed foods as well...in a side note my good friend Jean's spuds are looking robust out on her balcony...i would happily share those with her...they should, however, be left to the one who is doing the work on nurturing them. http://www.livescience.com/36009-truth-xanthan-gum.html