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  #1  
Old 07-04-2015, 06:39 PM
linen53 linen53 is offline
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Fed Up With Corn...Intolerance/Allergy

Some of you may know I have celiac disease and have a blog here on SF detailing my journey. (http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/sh...ad.php?t=75407)

About 4 months back I began having additional problems which eventually turned out to be an intolerance to corn. It happened one day when I ate corn on the cob.

The reaction is similar to exposure to gluten from wheat, rye or barley but much lighter. My body goes into shock whereas I am unable to act normally. I breathe shallow, I am have a lot of muscle spasms and in a heavy brain fog. I am forced to lie down during this initial shock stage. Usually when I have been exposed to corn the initial shock reaction lasts about an hour to an hour and a half. Unlike gluten which can last for 5-7 days. Tho the reaction to corn is less, being exposed to corn on a daily basis can wear the body down and delay the body repairing itself.

First of all I eliminated the obvious. Corn syrup, corn starch, cornmeal. But I kept having these corn reactions. So I found a list online of common corn derived ingredients. Such as dextrose, citric acid, lactaid acid, powdered sugar, brown sugar, caramel color, sucralose (Splenda), Sweet n Low, vanilla extract and distilled white vinegar.

I thought okay! Now I've got a hold on this. I can figure it all out now. But no. I was still getting a reaction when I shouldn't be. Other than the meat I was eating, I was eating vegetables and fruits and no convenience foods anymore. I fix everything myself. So what was causing the reaction?

The following is a brief review of an article I happened upon.

Some individuals react to animals that have been fed a corn-based diet prior to slaughter but not everyone does. To receive USDA certification, meat processors spray the carcass with corn-based antibacterial solutions that contain citric acid or lactic acid. Both of these processing aids are derived from corn

In addition, the trays that meats sit on can be made from corn.

Meat can also sit on a pad soaked in citric acid (citric acid is derived from corn)

Eggs can be washed in a cornstarch solution.

FYI, processing aids or the ingredients used in a food's packaging do not have to be listed on the label.

Corn oil, cornstarch, and citric acid are the most popular processing and packaging aids in the U.S.

Many plastics and plastic wraps also contain corn.

The trays that meats sit on can be made from corn.

Meat cutters may use corny products to clean their machine, or they may use cornstarch on their slicer for deli meats.

They might use powered gloves or plastic packaging and wraps coated with cornstarch.

As a result, most supermarket meat and dairy products are not safe for the corn intolerant.

So it is best to find a local farmer or rancher to buy your meats from.

On the bright side, supermarkets who sell whole chickens and game hens don’t have soaker pads, will be less contaminated. (plastic wrap might still be contaminated with corn)

Another thing to watch out for in the supermarket is repackaging. For example, Laura’s Grass-Fed Ground Beef in the white tray comes straight from the company. They don’t use corn in processing, but grocery stores often open up the packages, treat the ground beef with dye and corny ingredients, and repackage it in different containers. My local Smith's grocery store sells Laura's Ground Beef, but it's in a black tray.

All canned tuna, including salt-free varieties, will be corn light due to the way fish is handled and iced on the boat. Since the ice used can contain corny ingredients, fresh fish at supermarkets may also be further contaminated. Even frozen wild caught salmon isn't safe because the boat might have dipped the fish into a corny glaze before flash freezing it.

Most produce is picked green and then gassed with ethylene (derived from corn) to help it ripen at the right time. Bananas, avocados, pineapple, tomatoes, citrus fruits, mangoes, melons, kiwi, papaya, pears, nectarines, peaches, and plums are the most likely to be gassed.

In addition, fruits and vegetables might be washed with a cornstarch-based solution or receive a corn-based wax to help them stay fresh longer. This is particularly true for bagged and pre-cut produce, but is also true for organic products. Tomatoes, apples, peppers, rutabaga, citrus fruits, cucumbers and eggplant are the most likely to be waxed, but anything shiny and slick should be suspect.

In addition, the pesticides used on apples, even from organic sources, can also be problematic.

Potatoes can be sprayed or gassed to keep them from sprouting. The safest potatoes are the dirty, loose potatoes found in large bins, not the ones that come bagged.

Baby carrots list only carrots on the package, but because they are actually regular-sized carrots trimmed and sanded into their cute little shape, they contain citric acid (derived from corn) for freshness.

When it comes to produce, the dirtier the better because you don't know how it was washed.

Despite what some people say, wax doesn’t wash off. It soaks into the pores and contaminates the fruits and vegetables. If you aren't that sensitive, you can remove some of the wax by using a baking soda and water paste to wash the produce. Washing before peeling reduces the risk of transferring corn residues to the edible portion of the fruit or vegetable.

Finding safe frozen or canned varieties can be just as difficult. Corn contamination can be found in the plastic packaging, how the produce was washed, or the type of salt or sugar used as a preservative. Cornstarch is also used to keep frozen vegetables such as peas from sticking together. This is a common practice among vegetable blends. The packaging used for microwave steamer-bag varieties is definitely made from corn.

One of the major practices within the processed foods industry is vitamin fortification and enrichment. Almost all of these vitamin enrichments contain some form of corn.

Most brands of wheat flour, white rice, milk, and juice are off limits to those allergic to corn. In the case of enriched white flour, the contamination comes from cornstarch. While there are brands of rice that are not fortified, some use cornstarch in the packaging to keep the rice from sticking.

Many commercial milks use safflower oil or corn oil to suspend the vitamins in the milk. Vitamin D fortified milk may also contain propylene glycol or polysorbate 80, both derived from corn.

All refined oils use corn-based additives such as citric acid as a defoamer. Refined oils are the vegetable oils you generally find on supermarket shelves such as soybean, canola, and safflower oils. Better choices are extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, and peanut oils.

Additives that are usually corn-derived or contain traces of corn include distilled white vinegar, carageenan, xanthan gum, guar gum, or pectin.

Because extracts are generally made from ethanol, vanilla extract can also be a problem.

In addition to substances that suspend them, vitamins themselves are often derived from corn. Vitamin C is one example. These additives might not be listed on the label.

There are several additional things to watch out for when you first go corn free. A common practice among food manufacturers is to use generic terms on the label, so they can take advantage of current prices and vary the ingredients without redoing the label. You’ll often find simple terms such as “starch” or “sugar” on a label without telling you where those starches and sugars came from. While all starch in the U.S. currently comes from cornstarch, imported products may be from wheat.

Sugar can be from beets, sugar cane, or corn.

The most common form of sugar used commerically is corn sugar. Since manufacturers are only required to list "sugar" on the label, those with corn allergies must be careful when using such products because manufacturers commonly vary the type of sugar they use throughout the year.

Soy lecithin also contains corn as well as all artificial flavorings.

Caramel coloring can be from cane sugar or dextrose.

Ground spices may have cornstarch or wheat added to prevent clumping without it being listed on the label.

Quaker Oats in the cardboard cylinder uses cornstarch on the film that’s attached to the safety seal, but oats also come with their own set of problems. Just as oats can be contaminated with wheat due to adjacent fields, transportation, or manufacturing processes, they can also be contaminated with corn fields adjacent to the oat field.

The plastic bottles that filtered water and juices come in are often made from corn as well.

Almost all scents, perfumes, and colognes come from ethanol (derived from corn).

That means fabric softener, air freshener, lotion, deodorant, shampoo and conditioner. Anything that has a scent such as kitchen trash bags or cleaning supplies contain corn.

Washing soaps, chlorine bleach, dishwasher soaps, shower gels, and hand soap also need to be scrutinized. So does toothpaste, makeup, toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, and cups.

If you’re partial to essential oils, they have to be steam distilled.

To sum it up, you have to change almost everything you now use to something fragrance free.

Smells result from particulates in the product being suspended in the air. When you inhale these particles, it’s the same as if you ate them. Since flour dust can stay in the air for up to three days, you can accidentally ingest corn by simply going to a party or bakery even if you don’t eat anything. These air-borne particles can also be absorbed through the skin.

Withdrawing from the products and foods you’re used to eating and using won’t be easy. Most people discover they are addicted to the foods and products that contain a lot of corn. Corny foods can also make you hungry.

Many people go through different states where they believe they are corn free only to discover they are not. Just the act of removing major sources of wheat and corn, will make you more sensitive to their presence. The more gluten and corn you remove from your diet, the more sensitive you will become. Things you previously thought were safe, will now cause you to react. That is because your body is no longer producing the antibodies to fight the allergens.

One of the best ways to keep on top of your allergy or sensitivity is to keep a food journal or notebook handy to record the foods you experiment with and your reaction to them. Allergens can take up to four days to leave the body, so a record can be handy when watching for patterns and reactions you didn't realize you were having.

Source: http://www.infobarrel.com/Beginners_...nd_Intolerance

I've mentioned my symptoms but I read here http://www.cornallergens.com/symptom...ms-history.php the symptoms can be much more severe. As with gluten intolerance/celiac disease the symptoms often vary from person to person.

One more thing before I end this very long post. I ordered a documentary from Netflix titled King Corn. A very interesting film. If you have an interest in all of this you may want to rent or download a copy.
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  #2  
Old 07-04-2015, 06:50 PM
skygazer skygazer is offline
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you have done your homework, good for you, linen, taking the responsibility for your health into your own hands.

it can't be easy to go about your daily living having to keep all of that in consideration. And what about when you are out of your environs, like going on a holiday or visiting someone in their own home?
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  #3  
Old 07-04-2015, 07:01 PM
linen53 linen53 is offline
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Thank you skygazer. I can't rely on doctors to diagnose me. Food allergies and intolerance fit into the gray area and without a positive diagnosis doctors shy away from this field completely. So it's up to us to diagnose and educate ourselves.

No holidays away, and I shun social events around eating.
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Old 09-04-2015, 05:12 PM
linen53 linen53 is offline
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I ate some store-bought hamburger last night. When I took it out of my freezer, I carefully ran it under water to peel off that soaker pad so it would have less contact as it thawed. Didn't work. I still got a reaction from the corn. We have one meat market that I can go to in town. They use old fashioned butcher paper. I'll have to buy from there until we can make arrangement for a grass-cow from a local rancher.
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  #5  
Old 11-04-2015, 10:50 PM
linen53 linen53 is offline
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I tried the butcher market and still got a corn reaction.

In the article listed above it does mention: Some individuals react to animals that have been fed a corn-based diet prior to slaughter but not everyone does. To receive USDA certification, meat processors spray the carcass with corn-based antibacterial solutions that contain citric acid or lactic acid. Both of these processing aids are derived from corn.

Also it says they use dyes.

Anyway, I can't eat regular store-bought beef (all regular beef is raised on a diet of corn).

I did buy a package of grass fed beef today at Safeway. No soaker pad in it either. So I will try that. I can tide myself over with that until we can buy a grass fed cow and have it slaughtered. But it's a little pricey. $10 a pound. Yikes!
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  #6  
Old 12-04-2015, 01:23 PM
linen53 linen53 is offline
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Clarification: The grass fed beef at Safeway was pricey, not the cow.
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Old 12-04-2015, 01:26 PM
linen53 linen53 is offline
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I made a Italian sausage pizza last night with Boulder Sausage (company name) hot Italian Sausage and it was gluten and corn free. It's kind of a hip shot. When they list ingredients like, "natural spices", I don't know if it might have corn or wheat in it. But this was a good choice and turned out great.
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Old 12-04-2015, 04:58 PM
Miss Hepburn Miss Hepburn is offline
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Don't get me started on the afli-toxins only found on corn...
there is not a silo in America that doesn't have it and molds of
all kinds...it is what
killed the dogs in the NY and New England area just a few years ago...
corn in the dry food.....namely afli-toxins, if I am spelling that correctly.

Came directly from CNN News.
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  #9  
Old 12-04-2015, 11:56 PM
Saggi Saggi is offline
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I found out recently I have a corn intolerance, by restricting what I ate and introducing it twice, then having a food sensitivity test and it coming up

I also researched and found out about all the corn derivatives,,,

On trying things that were recommended as an instead of I actually had to then turn to more researching following having the same reaction with some of these also

This lead me to Salicylate Sensitivity, it could be worthwhile you reading about it,,,

http://salicylatesensitivity.com/about/food-guide/

I eat mainly rice derived foods now and I have no problems whatsoever,,,

Love and hugs

Jo

XxXx
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  #10  
Old 13-04-2015, 12:04 AM
linen53 linen53 is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2013
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Oh, Saggi! What a useful piece of information! I haven't got time right now but I will read the article. Thanks so much!

It's amazing because becoming intolerant to foods starts you on your own journey whereas you have to dig up the truths yourself. I wish you well on your path to health Saggi!

I am adding more and more to the list of people in my community that have food intolerances/celiac and am thinking of starting a group. But I have to find a place to hold the meetings. I don't know where to start!
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