Corn Allergy and Autism from Vickie Ewell

According to recent research conducted by researchers at UAB and more current estimates by the CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (2008 AASP Data).  I would like to pair this research with the recent article (posted to the Delphi Forum by Eldi) from Vickie Ewell at Autism/Asperger’s Syndrome.  I am unaware if the CDC has investigated the effects of food allergens/intolerance/sensitivites on the symptoms of Austism.  If you have any information concerning that research I would appreciate you sharing it in the comments section.

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It is high time corn derivatives are labeled, not just in food and beverages, but also in emergency and non-emergency medical equipment, prescription and over the counter medications, office supplies, household cleaning items, plastics, paints, cigarette, and the list goes on.

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Please take a moment and consider joining this Write-In Campaign (click here for link to Campaign) to get corn and corn derivatives labeled.  This can save lives and make the lives of those affected actually livable.

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Corn Allergy and Autism Dietary Intervention by Vickie Ewell

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Dietary intervention for autism can improve autistic behaviors and symptoms. While a GFCF diet is the most popular, corn allergy may interfere with results.

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Dietary interventions for autism are popular treatment options among biomedical physicians and parents, but their usefulness is limited to an individual’s food and chemical sensitivities as well as health problems and imbalances. Like any autism treatment, the effectiveness of dietary restrictions range from a complete reversal of symptoms and behaviors to absolutely no effect at all. The degree to which diet helps requires total compliance to the program and elimination of all potential cross-contamination, but it also requires you pinpoint an individual’s allergens accurately.

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While a gluten-free casein-free diet (GFCF) is the most popular dietary option among the parents of autistic children, additional allergies such as corn intolerance can make it seem like dietary intervention isn’t working. Since wheat, milk, soy, corn and eggs are the most common allergens found among autistics, before giving up on dietary treatments, it’s a good idea to investigate all potential sensitivities and allergies.

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Pinning Allergies and Sensitivities is Difficult

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During an allergic response to food, the body interprets harmless protein or other molecules as a threat. This causes the body’s immune system to make antibodies to fight against these molecules. Once the body makes antibodies, the threatening food particles are called allergens. The first few times the body encounters allergens, autistic symptoms and behavioral issues might not result. It takes a certain number of antibodies built up in the blood to trigger an allergy or sensitivity.

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As the level of antibodies rises, even slight exposures to allergens can result in extreme reactions. So can emotional stress, overexertion, fatigue and severe weather conditions. Autistic individuals can become more sensitive and begin reacting to foods, chemicals and other substances they didn’t react to before. Air pollution, scented household and personal care products, a combination of allergens and heavy ingestions of one particular food, chemical or substance can create an environment that is ripe for overreactions.

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While you or your autistic child may not actually be allergic or sensitive to the various chemicals that can cause the body to manufacture antibodies, natural gas, car exhaust, smog, tobacco smoke and the PCBs in plastic can prime the immune system for future allergic responses to other things. This threshold requirement makes it difficult to pin down exact causes for erratic, emotional behaviors and physical reactions because a child or adult with autism might not always react visibly when they have eaten or been exposed to an allergen.

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The Problem of Hidden Corn Derivatives

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Discovering the places where corn and corn derivatives hide is essential to eliminating them from the diet. However, U.S. law doesn’t require manufacturers to list ingredients on the label that have been legally determined to be proprietary information. Since corn is not one of the eight major allergens, this trade secret status is often used. Manufacturers do not have to reveal whether a natural flavoring or the citric acid in a product came from corn.

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More difficult than discerning generic ingredient terms is that manufacturers do not have to list or disclose processing aids. A processing aid is not considered an ingredient. Eggs, vegetables and poultry can be washed in a corn-based cleaning solution without that information being available on the package. In addition, the package itself can be dusted with cornstarch to keep its contents from sticking to the wrapper. These types of practices are common and make it extremely difficult to guarantee that any diet is completely corn free.

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A GFCF Diet Can Trigger Corn Allergies

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While some autistic children are born with a corn allergy, others develop problems due to the abundance of corn and its derivatives in typical American meals. A gluten-free diet uses alternative grains other than wheat, barley and rye plus starches such as tapioca, potato and cornstarch to replace ordinary wheat flour in baked goods and pastas. It uses vegetable gums such as xanthan gum to help imitate the properties of gluten. Corn oils, dairy-free margarines and corn-based cereals are encouraged. [read more]

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Read the entire article here.

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New Data on Autism Spectrum Disorders from the CDC

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CDC estimates 1 in 88 children (11.3 per 1,000) has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

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This marks a 23% increase since our last report in 2009. And, a 78% increase since our first report in 2007. Some of the increase is due to the way children are identified, diagnosed and served in their local communities, although exactly how much is due to these factors in unknown.

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The number of children identified with ASDs varied widely across the 14 ADDM Network sites, from 1 in 47 (21.2 per 1,000) to 1 in 210 (4.8 per 1,000).

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ASDs are almost 5 times more common among boys (1 in 54) than among girls (1 in 252).

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The largest increases over time were among Hispanic children (110%) and black children (91%). We suspect that some of this increase is due to greater awareness and better identification among these groups. However, this finding explains only part of the increase over time, as more children are being identified in all groups. [read more]

Something to Make you Laugh…

Do you ever feel like people miss the point you’re trying to make?  Hopefully this will make you smile a bit.

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Quick Post: New Buckwheat to Try

I just re-read a thread on the Delphi Forum and realized I missed Stanton13131′s recommendation.  Did you know that Eden Foods sales buckwheat?  I didn’t.  I didn’t even think to check.  Iherb sales it.  I’m going to email Eden Foods to gain a better understanding of the hulling process to make sure no corn derivatives are used.  If non are used, I will be trying it with my next order.  I was going to try the Eden Foods organic lentils but I think I’ll try the buckwheat first.

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I’ll let you guys know how it goes!

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Here’s a jpeg image of the product:

Quick Post: Taking a Break from Nuts.com Buckwheat

I’m not sure what happened recently with the Nuts.com buckwheat but it no longer likes me.  I wanted to let you all know just in case you were considering purchasing it.  You might want to call the company to give them the corn-discovery run down.

Blog: Seven Foods You Should Never Eat from BGGWL

A Black Girl’s Guide to Weight Loss posted this information and I wanted to share it with you all.  Some of you may have seen it before but just in case you haven’t, here it is.

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I would like to take this opportunity now to thank my corn allergy/intolerance.  Without it, I would still be eating crappy food and making myself extremely ill with no hope of getting better.

Fragrance Sensitivity or Allergy?

Fragrance sensitivity is, in fact, a real issue, not one I made up one day as I was recently accused of doing, and it is on the rise.  Perhaps a better name for this phenomenon would be Chemical sensitivity.  I know many people who “react” to “heavily scented ares, environments and individuals,” some of these people react just as strongly as I.  I do not have asthma, however I find it exceptionally difficult to breathe and concentrate when I am negatively affected by chemical fumes and airborne particles.  I also experience an immediate headache, increased “brain fog” or the inability to concentrate and articulate my thoughts, hives and severe itching, swelling, difficulty breathing, and on several occasions I have lost consciousness.

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I wanted to share a few articles and studies from around the web for you all to peruse.

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Abstract:  Prevalence of fragrance sensitivity in the American population.

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Abstract

This study determined the percentages of individuals who report adverse effects from exposure to fragranced products in the U.S. population and in subpopulations of those with asthma or chemical sensitivity. Data were collected through telephone interviews from two geographically weighted, random samples of the continental U.S. in two surveys during 2002-2003 and 2005-2006 (1,057 and 1,058 cases, respectively). Respondents were asked if they find being next to someone wearing a scented product irritating or appealing; if they have headaches, breathing difficulties, or other problems when exposed to air fresheners or deodorizers; and if they are irritated by the scent from laundry products, fabric softeners, or dryer sheets that are vented outside. Results aggregated from both surveys found that 30.5% of the general population reported scented products on others irritating, 19% reported adverse health effects from air fresheners, and 10.9% reported irritation by scented laundry products vented outside. This study reveals that a considerable percentage of the U.S. population reports adverse health effects or irritation from fragranced products, with higher percentages among those with asthma and chemical sensitivity.

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Study:  Prevalence of Fragrance Sensitivity in the American Population

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Article on Fragrance Sensitivity.  This article states that:

…an allergen is a protein that caused IgE-mediated reactions.

…a true allergen causes a person’s immune system to release chemicals to fight the invader. On the way to the battle, inflammation could result

Symptoms of fragrance sensitivity can include:

• Headaches
• Difficulty breathing
• Wheezing
• A tight feeling in the chest
• Worsening asthma symptoms
• Runny and stuffy nose
• Sneezing
• A skin allergy like contact dermatitis — an itchy, red rash that appears on the skin

As many as 30 percent of people surveyed report that they find scented products irritating, according to a study from the University of West Georgia. Those with asthma or chemical sensitivities may find strong scents particularly problematic due to the allergy-like symptoms they cause.

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Now, I realize this articles states that one cannot be truly allergic to fragrances because fragrances are only irritants, not proteins, however I’m not sure if my body knows the difference.  I italicize the word fragrance, because I am aware of the chemicals used to give scented products their odor.  In reality, I know that I am reacting to the chemicals in the product, including the chemicals used to make the fragrance.  The lingering fragrance is usually what alerts me to the unsafe environment or individual.

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Along with the above symptom list, I experience swelling of the lips, tongue, eyes, and throat, dizziness, occasional fainting, not to mention the delayed swelling and pain in my ankles, shoulders and abdomen.  I do want more research to go into understanding why this “sensitivity” is increasing in individuals, however I desperately hope more doctors are willing to think outside the box on what constitutes an allergen.  My plea is that the doctors are willing to address non-protein allergens that exists in cases that may not be strictly textbook.

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allergen [al´er-jen]

1. a substance, protein or nonprotein, capable of inducing allergy or specific hypersensitivity.

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Almost any substance in the environment can be an allergen. The list of known allergens includes plant pollens, spores of mold, animal dander, house dust, foods, feathers, dyes, soaps, detergents, cosmetics, plastics, and drugs. Allergens can enter the body by being inhaled, swallowed, touched, or injected. Once the allergen comes in contact with body cells it sets off a series of immune responsesthat can range from localized inflammation to a fatal systemic anaphylaxis.

Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

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I compare the fragrance sensitivity list of symptoms and the additional symptoms that I experience to the symptoms associated with Anaphylaxis and I become ill at ease.

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Be on the alert for these anaphylaxis symptoms:

• Difficulty breathing or noisy breathing
• Hives
• Swelling of the throat, face, lips, or tongue
• Tightness in the lungs
• Wheezing
• Hoarseness
• Pale or flushed skin
• Sweating
• Weak, rapid pulse
• Low blood pressure
• Dizziness, fainting
• Nausea, vomiting
• Abdominal pain

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On the one hand, I’m told that I cannot be allergic to fragrances because there are supposedly no proteins to which I am actually reacting and on the other hand…I experience difficulty breathing, severe facial swelling, and severe dizziness and sometimes loss of consciousness.  Which is it?  I think I need a real-live House; only without the psychotic ranting and obvious issues.  Or I would settle for someone similar to the doctor from the WebMD article below, minus the need to over medicate the symptoms.  I do not want more medication thrown at me.

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Fragrance Sensitivity from WebMD

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For most people, fragrance allergy symptoms abate once the scent is out of range. But this isn’t always the case. For some, repeated exposures cause an increase in symptoms that occur more often and last longer. According to the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology, a small but growing segment is affected by a little understood and even somewhat controversial condition known as multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS).

For people with MCS, Dalton says sensitivity to one fragrance or odor can snowball into a crippling multiple chemical sensitivity that leaves its victims defenseless in the face of an ever-widening number of chemical odors and fragrances.

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To further complicate matters, doctors can’t quite agree on what’s behind any fragrance reaction, and whether it’s even a true allergy or simply a response to an irritant.

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“Sensitivity is a general term under which you can have a true allergic reaction, but you can also have irritant reactions, meaning the problem with fragrance could be that it’s an irritant. With others, it could be an allergic reaction. It’s just not well known what actually is occurring when these reactions develop,” says dermatologist Marjorie Slankard, MD, clinical professor of medicine at Columbia Eastside, a division of Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City.

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Some experts aren’t even sure if it’s the fragrance itself that is the real culprit, or just one part of a mix of chemicals — as many as 200 or more — that are used to create both fragrances we smell and the masking agents used in unscented products.

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“Because the ‘fragrance’ is what we smell when we have an onset of symptoms, we blame the fragrance. But, in fact, it’s possible that the reaction we are getting may instead be the result of the many chemicals used in the formulation of the fragrance,” Dalton tells WebMD. This, she says, includes both products we can smell and those labeled as “unscented,” which frequently rely on a whole host of chemicals to dampen the scent.

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Regardless of what is behind your fragrance allergy, experts agree that reducing exposure is key.

“The most important thing you can do in that respect is to remove yourself from the offending fragrance.” Avoidance is really the most effective treatment, Slankard tells WebMD.

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Avoidance…this is why we stay home.  I have not been successful in encouraging my friends and family to avoid using scented, fragranced, or unscented products.  I am not sure how to accomplish this, I’ve been adamantly trying for almost two years.

New Winner of Tropical Traditions Giveaway is….

Well, I never heard from Karen…  so we have a NEW winner of the Gold Label Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions!

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The new winner is . . .

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Here is Kristi’s favorite way of using coconut oil:

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I love cooking with coconut oil. My favorite is potatoes in chunks with a bit of sea salt, parsley and coconut oil roasted for approx 35-40 minutes.

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Congratulations! Email me* at cornfreelifestyle@gmail.com with your full name, telephone number, email address, and shipping address so that I can have Tropical Traditions mail the coconut oil to you!

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*You have until Monday, March 26th at 12:00pm (CST) to claim your prize.

Quick Post: What’s in a Cigarette?

Please take a moment to review the 599 additives that are used in cigarette manufacturing.  Cigarettes are loaded with tons of corn and msg.  Many thanks to Eldi from the Delphi Forum for sharing this site.

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Cigarette Ingredients

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While these ingredients are approved as additives for foods, they were not tested by burning them, and it is the burning of many of these substances which changes their properties, often for the worse. Over 4000 chemical compounds are created by burning a cigarette – 69 of those chemicals are known to cause cancer. Carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen cyanides and ammonia are all present in cigarette smoke. Forty-three known carcinogens are in mainstream smoke, sidestream smoke or both. It’s chilling to think about not only how smokers poison themselves, but what others are exposed to by breathing in the secondhand smoke. The next time you’re missing your old buddy, the cigarette, take a good long look at this list and see them for what they are: a delivery system for toxic chemical and carcinogens.

Winner Of The Gold Label Coconut Oil Giveaway!

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Thanks to all who entered the contest!  I enjoyed reading through your uses for coconut oil.  The most used application for coconut oil seems to be skin care.  Who knew?!  Last night I used it to make some Chard and Broccoli Chips and I must say, they were absolutely delicious.

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The Winner of the Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is…

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Congratulations! Email me* at cornfreelifestyle@gmail.com with your full name, telephone number, email address, and shipping address so that I can have Tropical Traditions mail the coconut oil to you!

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*You have until Saturday, March 24th at 9:00am to claim your prize.

New Recipe: Beef. Besan. Bienvenido a mi boca.

I really love the name of this recipe.  The inspiration came from an older “The Office” episode in which Jim imitates Dwight.  His line:

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Bears.  Beets.  Battlestar Galactica.

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…has found a place in my brain and likes to resurface from time to time.  Thank you, Jim Halpert.

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This new recipe is in honor of the safe meat that is now available.**  I wanted an entree that was very filling, easy, and could make my 1lb of beef stretch a bit further.  A few individuals on the forum recently asked for bread ideas and it reminded me of a socca recipe from last year.  I made a few modifications and it turned out extremely well.  My hubby was very happy with the results, as was I.  I am now looking forward to our safe, ground lamb and beef from a referred farmer so that I can let Yipi partake in the awesomeness that is “Beef, Besan, Bienvenido a mi boca.”

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This recipe is corn free, wheat free, grain free, egg free, nightshade free, dairy free, soy free, nut free, treenut free, but 100% yummy.

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1 teaspoon + a few dashes of salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon garlic granules
• 1 teaspoon cumin (ground or whole)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup lukewarm filtered water
• 2-3 tablespoons olive or coconut oil
• 1 lb cooked ground meat

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Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 380°.
2. Sift chickpea flour, spices and baking soda together into bowl.
3. Slowly add water, whisk to eliminate lumps.
4. Add coconut or olive oil, whisk and cover and let sit.  Batter should be the consistency of heavy cream after it sits for a while.
5. Cook ground meat in skillet over low-medium/medium heat until just cooked.
6. Add meat to batter and mix.
7. Add to non-stick large muffin pan and cook for 40 minutes (or so…I lost track of time…)
8. Remove from oven.  Let cool for 10 minutes.  Serve warm.

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*Yipi and I reacted to the KOL ground beef.  I’m not sure where the contamination happened, but we reacted.  I wanted to make that simple fact known to you all.

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*I have no pictures…sorry.