Corn Allergy

[CashMan]

Back in January/February, I was having problems with food, so I went to an allergist, and he tested me as being allergic to the following:


Beef 1/4
Strawberry 1/4
Tomato 1/4
Corn 2/4
(1-4 scale 4 being the worst)

I cut Beef out of my diet, it really was not that hard. Strawberries, I really do not eat, and tomato, no more pizza for me. But, corn has been tough, it literally is in everything that is processed. A lot of shopping at Whole foods, and I am really paying for it, with my pocket book. I am also having problems with sunflower oil, although he did not have that to test me with.

the allergist said, if I completely do not consume corn for 1-2yrs, it can go away, so there is some hope.

I am just wondering, does anyone else have a corn allergy, or know someone who has one? There are only a few websites out there, and really no one to talk to about it. I went with a dietician to Meijer today, going through each isle to see what I can eat, but it only helped a little bit.

 

[muck4doo]

So I take it whiskey and American beers are out too?

 

[CashMan]

So I take it whiskey and American beers are out too?

Pretty much. I am more of a rum man myself. I haven't drank it to see if I get a reaction yet.

 

[Hoofbite]

That sucks. Corn is everywhere. Perhaps the cooking process breaks some of the proteins down and erases it. Dunno though.

 

[reddyuta]

I feel your pain ,I developed lactose intolerance fairly late when i was 22.Its a real chore excluding milk products from your diet.I rarely eat a pizza anymore but i only put minimal cheese on my pasta dishes.

 

[CashMan]

I think the silver lining in having an allergy like this, is the weight loss. I have lost almost 40lbs since the middle of February, and I am eating very healthy. There are hiccups here and there, that need to be worked out. I think once you realize, what you are actually eating in all of these processed foods, it is pretty nasty.

 

[arglebargle]

Corn syrup is in half of everything! You really have to be careful, and learn what a lot ingredients actually can legally include. We had a friend visit who is seriously allergic to corn, to the point of danger of death.

Trying to find vanilla extract without corn syrup in it? Good luck! Salad dressing? Breading? The list was quite large. Restaurants are bad also, especially as some just have 'vegetable oil'; no info as to what type that might be (probably what was cheapest for the distributer last week). It will require a lot of squinting at ingrediants, and asking questions when eating out.

It's a tough road. Hope it goes well (and goes away).

 

[muck4doo]

Really though, corn and tomato? That might be most Americans diet.

 

[CashMan]

Corn syrup is in half of everything! You really have to be careful, and learn what a lot ingredients actually can legally include. We had a friend visit who is seriously allergic to corn, to the point of danger of death.

Trying to find vanilla extract without corn syrup in it? Good luck! Salad dressing? Breading? The list was quite large. Restaurants are bad also, especially as some just have 'vegetable oil'; no info as to what type that might be (probably what was cheapest for the distributer last week). It will require a lot of squinting at ingrediants, and asking questions when eating out.

It's a tough road. Hope it goes well (and goes away).

I have a few recommendations:

Vanilla Extract: I believe it said go to a kosher store
Salad Dressing: I either eat it plain, or use balsamic vinegar, or use Hummus(Whole foods makes a corn free one)
Breading: Just use Back to Nature brand regular crackers


This BIG thing is, dryer sheets! I got rid of them because they use corn starch, and now I am getting shocked every time I touch anything.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

This thread would be a whole lot funnier if you changed the "C" to a "P"!

 

[CashMan]

This thread would be a whole lot funnier if you changed the "C" to a "P"!

If I were 16, perhaps.

 

[khiladi]

Back in January/February, I was having problems with food, so I went to an allergist, and he tested me as being allergic to the following:


Beef 1/4
Strawberry 1/4
Tomato 1/4
Corn 2/4
(1-4 scale 4 being the worst)

I cut Beef out of my diet, it really was not that hard. Strawberries, I really do not eat, and tomato, no more pizza for me. But, corn has been tough, it literally is in everything that is processed. A lot of shopping at Whole foods, and I am really paying for it, with my pocket book. I am also having problems with sunflower oil, although he did not have that to test me with.

the allergist said, if I completely do not consume corn for 1-2yrs, it can go away, so there is some hope.

I am just wondering, does anyone else have a corn allergy, or know someone who has one? There are only a few websites out there, and really no one to talk to about it. I went with a dietician to Meijer today, going through each isle to see what I can eat, but it only helped a little bit.

Where did this guy/gal get his/her degree? The fact that he says it can go away in 1-2 yrs provided you don't consume it, makes me question his competence. If your allergic to corn, that means your immune system reacts to one of it's proteins. By not consuming corn, this does nothing for your immune system learning to react to the corn protein properly. How is it going to learn to react to a protein without coming into contact with it?

It's pretty much recognized that most cases of allergies, probably over 90%, are nothing but food intolerance, which can actually be cured with just a little patience, through the introduction necessary gut flora. The poster above, who referenced his friend being allergic to the extent of death is what can pretty much be considered a reall allergic reaction.

Additionally, the idea that one has to go to Whole Foods is utterly asinine.

I suggest you google information on the hygience hypothesis, allergies and gut flora.

 

[CashMan]

Where did this guy/gal get his/her degree? It's pretty much recognized that most cases of allergies, probably over 90%, are nothing but food intolerance.

My allergist? Why?

He told me to continue to consume these foods, and see what the reactions were, but when the reactions to corn are, dry mouth, swollen throat, eyes burning, ect, it is hard to continue to eat them. Also, he said use allegra, but I would just rather go corn free, it seems healthier.

 

[khiladi]

My allergist? Why?

He told me to continue to consume these foods, and see what the reactions were, but when the reactions to corn are, dry mouth, swollen throat, eyes burning, ect, it is hard to continue to eat them. Also, he said use allegra, but I would just rather go corn free, it seems healthier.

I questioned it, because he said that by not eating it for 1-2 years, it may 'go away'. If it's an allergic reaction, how does it just go away by not consuming it? An allergic reaction is triggered by your immune system treating a substance as a foreign invader. The immune system would have to learn to deal with the substance for the allergy to 'go away'. The fact that you have this huge list, makes me also ask the question.

If he is an actually allergist, he's probably referring to a food intolerance and 'sensitivity'. Here is a good, basic article on the subject:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...intolerance-food-sensitivities-food-additives

Lavine and other critics say the food sensitivity tests being marketed are muddying the waters for people with legitimate allergies, which are on the rise. There's a big difference between a child who has a true milk allergy and another who has been labeled with a milk "sensitivity," said Lavine.

Blood tests are a common way to test for sensitivity or intolerance; many of these also involve an antibody, this one called Immunoglobulin G, or IgG.

The tests often purport to check for sensitivities to hundreds of common foods, many of which rarely trigger food allergies, such as sugar or yeast. Blood is exposed to a panel of food proteins, and the labs measure the degree of IgG antibody that binds to each food.

But while IgE can indicate the presence of an allergen, IgG hasn't been shown to be a similar marker for intolerance. Instead, IgG is believed to indicate exposure to food and possibly even tolerance, Lavine wrote in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

"There is no IgG testing of value," said Robert Wood, a professor of pediatrics and chief of pediatric allergy and immunology at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. "All of us make IgG to the foods we eat, and they are not related to disease, including food intolerance."

 

[CashMan]

When I go see my doctor next, I will ask him about it. I appreciate it.