I react really strongly to gluten, in any amount. But I don't react badly at all to coffee. I drink 2 shot american daily. Granted it might be doing some underlying damage, but I could care less. I love coffee.

I've heard that it could be cross-contamination from the bags used to carry the coffee. As in, the bags may have carried grains previously, and thus been contaminated with gluten/flour while carrying the coffee beans, contaminating the coffee beans. It could also potentially be some other part of the processing chain.

It's not clear to me, though, whether it's cross-contamination or cross-reactivity. I thought I had a cross-reactivity to chocolate, but then I found some brands of chocolate that are safe for me, leading me to believe that my reaction to most brands of chocolate was due to cross-contamination. I'm guessing the same might be true for coffee. On the other hand, there are a lot of compounds in coffee, so it could be cross-reactivity to one of them. I'd love to hear if anyone has had the lab testing you've linked to. I'd love to do it, myself, but $280 is steep!

As for the popularity in the paleo community: I think the trace amounts of gluten won't bother most people unless they're really sensitive celiacs. I have friends with celiac disease who don't need to be anywhere near as careful of what they eat as I do, and yet feel great and show up clean on blood tests and biopsy. Many celiacs are just fine eating below 200ppm or 20ppm gluten. So even if there is like 2ppm of gluten in coffee, I think most paleo people don't need to sweat it.

People have been attacking coffee since 1674 and I've never had a problem with it, so it never makes it onto my list of things to avoid.

http://www.gopetition.com/famous-petitions-in-history/232/the-women-s-petition-against-coffee-1674.html

Funny, I've known for 10 years that I can't have coffee. I suffered constant hives and eczema all over my face until I gave it up. Immeidate improvement.

It took the last 10 years to figure out I had a problem with gluten, but to me there's definitely a connection.

I had the test from Cyrex -- said I could not have wheat (which I knew) but that I could have rye and barley. Ate a slice of rye bread from an organic loaf made in a wheat-free facility and had a very strong reaction the next day (I have neurological reactions). From my own experience those tests are not 100% reliable and can't say I'd recommend them.

I am hoping it's just the quality of coffee that is the issue but I didn't consider the packaging! I have been having a problem with coffee lately (so bummed!) but after reading Dave Asprey's blog about mycotoxins, I switched from the house espresso blend to organic single origin beans from a local roaster. This really made a difference for me! I actually ordered his Bulletproof coffee to try but I haven't received it yet. I'm so curious! Thanks for the head's up!

I have a definite reaction to coffee and I'm absolutely gluten intolerant. I think the two go hand-in-hand and cause problems and/or adrenal fatigue. I can't even do decaf coffee as it seemingly has "too much" caffeine for me. I have found that organic roasted chicory with almond milk to be a great alternative for coffee and has some of its own health benefits as well.

Coffee is definitely a common cross reactive food with gluten, as is casein in dairy, as are some other foods for some people. Other foods have proteins that are close in structure to gluten, so the body reacts the same to them sometimes. Chocolate can be cross reactive too- but it could possibly be the milk in milk chocolate. Test- don't guess. Get a test from Cyrex labs for cross-reactivity. The Array 4 panel is the one you want: http://www.cyrexlabs.com/CyrexTestsArrays/tabid/136/Default.aspx Another thing to consider is their Array 5 panel. From this you can find out what parts of your body are being attacked when you eat these foods, or anything else that triggers autoimmune responses. It's good motivation to know exactly what you are doing to yourself when you eat these foods, as well as being more clear about which foods will trigger the response.

Based on this article, it seems that some people with gluten intolerance can be sensitive to other foods including coffee. Apparently, the body mistakes the substance for gluten and attacks it exactly the same way it attacks gluten.

http://www.healthnowmedical.com/blog/2012/06/13/are-you-eating-cross-reactive-foods-that-mimic-gluten/

Kris.....I am trying to establish a link between neurological issues and wheat intolerance myself (petite mal seizures, 1 grand mal). I wonder the nature of yours and if you treat them solely by avoiding wheat or if you are on one of these god awful meds as well.

I'm intolerant to wheat, rye, barley and oats as well as a long list of other products such as almonds, cashews, peanuts, soy, eggs and many more. The test shows no intolerance to coffee, but if I listen to my body, there's no question its poison for me. And the first indication is that even though I drink only 2 cups a day, I'm severely addicted to it (typical sign of an intolerance). I get far more nervous from drinking it than others, and it seems to cause repeated if not chronic UTIs. I therefore believe it is quite possible there is a connexion between wheat and coffee intolerances and I believe that our body is a better measurement of allergies than the tests currently in existence.