Have you ever tried some of Kashi’s products like “GOLEAN Crunch!” cereal? I have. It tastes great going down but holy hell, it gives me gas like you wouldn’t believe. I’m apparently not the only one…there are forum threads out on the web devoted to people who have the strongest sphincter muscles in the world because of this smelly problem. I know what you regular readers are thinking…WTF is he smoking and where are “my” game reviews? No worries…I occassionally go off on tangents like this. Why? Because I can, and it’s fun.
I did some investigative journalism by emailing Kashi directly about this issue. They got back to me within a day (yes, a day!) with the following information:
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Vincent,
We are so glad you took the time to connect with us. Your interest in Kashi® GOLEAN Crunch!® Cereal is appreciated and we are happy to share more information about chemicals or nutrients in our foods that may be causing gastric distress with you.
We can let you know that there are no added chemicals to any of our foods. Our foods are all made of real, natural ingredients. This particular cereal does contain chicory root, which may be the cause of your gastric distress.
Chicory root or chicory root fiber is the dried root of a plant. It is a source of inulin, a type of soluble fiber. Soluble fiber, a type of dietary fiber, has been shown to help play a role as part of a low-fat diet in lowering blood cholesterol levels and aiding digestive health.
However, in the colon bacteria metabolize these fibers, producing gas. This can result in bloating and flatulence, particularly for those unaccustomed to it. Foods containing these fibers should be consumed in moderation at first. Over time most people can adapt to consuming fairly high levels without side effects. It is best to add fiber to your diet gradually over a period of a couple of weeks and also important to increase your fluid intake, so drink plenty of water.
Thank you again, we hope this information answers your question completely. In addition, we always encourage our fans to speak with a health care professional to discuss any specific dietary needs. If there is anything else we can help you with, please contact us again by calling 1-877-747-2467. You can also visit us online at www.kashi.com to learn more about our foods and determine which ones would work best for you and your family.
If you have additional comments or a photo to send to us, click here.
Please do not use your “reply” button to respond to this e-mail. Replies to this message are routed to an unmonitored mailbox.
Best of Health,
*NAME OMITTED FOR PRIVACY REASONS*
Consumer Specialist
Consumer Affairs
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Chicory root, huh? Who would have thought that such an innocent sounding word would turn any and all social situations into an awkward mess. To Kashi’s credit, it’s admittedly been a while since I’ve had their cereal, so my body more than likely went on strike the only way it knew how…by making my ass sound like a giant tuba. At work. Around people. People I know. On the bright side, finding a space on the bus is thankfully not an issue anymore.
At any rate, I hope you found the above information helpful. At the very least, you can take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone in your “gastric distress”. Kudos to the folks at Kashi for responding so quickly and being so polite about it…that’s truly a hallmark of excellent customer service. While our bodies churn gas like heating our house depended on it, enjoy some of these photos I threw together last minute. They in no way attack Kashi or their products, but serve to simply poke fun at our embarassing discomfort. Enjoy!
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(Click on the first picture to start the slide show. To advance to the next picture, click on the photo on the bottom right under the caption.)
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