Talking Allergies

Here is a very interesting article about food (and corn) allergies...I can totally relate to it:

http://www.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-936X(198002)80%3A2%3C262%3AFA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-T&cookieSet=1

Oooops....that link doesn't work but you can find the article if you do a search for "JSTOR + corn + allergy". It starts with "I found the lipstick contained corn oil". The article is from the American Journal of Nursing, February 1980.

Here is a very good article about corn allergy and how corn sugars are used in foods:

http://healthy-family.org/caryn/486

Here is an article that discusses corn allergies. PLEASE read the posts at the end of the article from people who suffer from corn allergies.

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguide ... rgies.html

Another recent (Sept. 4, 2008) corn allergy article. Note the following excerpt:

<<Conclusion: Maize is a cause of IgE-mediated allergic reactions to foods in adults and children. Nearly half of the subjects recruited were confirmed by challenge to be allergic to maize. Twenty-three percent of the positive challenge patients manifested symptoms that involved two organ systems, thus fulfilling the criteria for maize induced anaphylaxis. Maize is allergenic and can pose a risk for symptomatic food allergy at a dose of 100 mg.>>

(I don't think I even need 100 mg to have a reaction!)

http://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/ ... led_study_

Wow, why isn't corn allergy more recognized by government if the numbers are so high? Could it be that the USA make so much $$ from corn?

_________________
Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy and green beans) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: Oral Allergy Syndrome, Allergic to Birch trees

Susan...I'm glad that you brought this up. I do believe that it has everything to do with $$$! Corn is a huge and very powerful industry in the US. In order to protect this industry they will not recognize corn as a possible allergen. In the meantime, those of us with corn allergy continue to struggle to find safe food. The people who approach FAAN in the US are repeatedly told that it is impossible to be allergic to corn. WHY???? We must be dreaming up these reactions...sigh...

What is the rationelle for the belief in zero chance of allergy? How can one be allergic to rice or wheat and not corn? They should have to back up such a claim with scientific proof or stop saying it!

_________________
Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy and green beans) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: Oral Allergy Syndrome, Allergic to Birch trees

I was exaggerating...they do recognize it but claim that it is very rare. So rare that we are ignored. They are not open to any discussion about it. FAAN tells people to contact the FDA and the FDA tells people to contact FAAN. I just get so upset sometimes that I could scream...

I have also had numerous conversations with people at Health Canada about the use of corn in/on things like milk and fresh meat. I feel so defeated when they tell me that I cannot react to things like corn oil and citric acid.

I think I have already posted this...but here it is again:

<<The FDA, which regulates food labeling and conducts inspections that lead to recalls for undeclared ingredients, also does not consider corn to be an allergen. An FDA spokesperson refused to give her name or comment about corn allergies other than to say,” It is not an allergen. We don’t bother with it.”>>

http://www.livingwithout.com/features/v ... crazy.html

So...how many people need to have the allergy before they will admit there is such a thing? Can they give you a number?

That is incredibly frustrating and scary!

_________________
Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy and green beans) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: Oral Allergy Syndrome, Allergic to Birch trees

Personally, I think that someone or someone's child will have to die from a corn allergy reaction before something is done. I wouldn't be surprised if some deaths have already occurred but were attributed to something else. In the meantime, we need to continue to share with others and hope for some eventual recognition.

Yes, corn allergy is very scary.

Another interesting article:

http://www.kansan.com/stories/2008/nov/ ... nell_corn/

Another good article about corn allergy:

http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/02/20/co ... verywhere/

Her list of corny foods/products is only a small fraction of things that contain corn...

Another article:

http://localnourishment.com/2009/04/11/ ... nightmare/