Corn Sensitivity

[Gfresh404]

I just recently figured out that I'm sensitive to corn, which is no easy task since as most of you know - it's in everything!

 

Anyway it seems to be quantity related and not as serious of a reaction as gluten (thank god). I was hoping some other corn sensitive individuals could share with me what they can and can't get away with. Like if they have to avoid every single corn derived ingredient no matter the quantity, or if a some corn derived ingredients don't even both them at all - say for instance citric and lactic acid (in this example their source is corn). Thanks in advance

[SensitiveMe]

I seem to not to be able to get away with anything as far as corn is concerned. A bloodwork test on me a couple of years ago called IGE was very very high and doctor then did further bloodwork test which showed corn to be a problem for me. At the time I was just told not to have corn in addition to the other things but I was not told and did not know all the corn derivatives and learned by trial and errror. I think corn is the hardest to avoid, then soy, and then wheat, and then lactose.

 

I know I cannot tolerate citric acid, vit. c (ascorbic acid), vit e (tocopherol), ferrous gluconate that they put into black olives, honey, xanthan gum. Eventually I found a web site called livecornfree and I copied down all the corn derivatives and just avoid them all. But it is expensive and a very difficult task to avoid all the corn derivatives in addition to wheat and oats, soy,  and lactose.

[bartfull]

I'm more sensitive to corn than to anything else. Everything SensitiveMe said is true. Corn is in EVERYTHING except SOME whole foods. You'd be surprised at some of the whole foods that have corn. Bagged salad mixes or any other "ready to eat" veggies such as those peeled baby carrots. A lot of frozen veggies and fruits are dusted with corn starch to keep them from clumping together. A lot of white rice brands are "polished" with corn starch. A lot of salt has corn starch as an anti-clumping agent. And of course iodized salt almost always has corn - it is used as the carrier for the iodine. Most everything that is vitamin fortified, ditto - corn is the carrier for the vitamins. Most of the soaker pads in the trays of meat in the grocery store contain corn starch. And almost all medications, both prescription and over-the-counter contain corn starch. Vitamins do too. They either have corn, or soy, or gluten. I STILL haven't found one that is free of all three at once.

 

It sure ain't easy! I use Uncle Ben's instant white rice. I emailed the company and they followed up with both an email and a phone call. No gluten, no corn. I eat it with no problem. I eat broccoli and cauliflower with no problem. Meat - well I try to buy organic, but when I have to buy chicken at the grocery store i wash it really well and so far so good. I eat local eggs.

 

And it LOOKS like I have finally gotten white potatoes back. Hooray!!! I usually eat sweet potatoes because of the vitamins they contain, but it's SO nice to have a baked white potato once in a while.

[Gfresh404]

I seem to not to be able to get away with anything as far as corn is concerned. A bloodwork test on me a couple of years ago called IGE was very very high and doctor then did further bloodwork test which showed corn to be a problem for me. At the time I was just told not to have corn in addition to the other things but I was not told and did not know all the corn derivatives and learned by trial and errror. I think corn is the hardest to avoid, then soy, and then wheat, and then lactose.

 

I know I cannot tolerate citric acid, vit. c (ascorbic acid), vit e (tocopherol), ferrous gluconate that they put into black olives, honey, xanthan gum. Eventually I found a web site called livecornfree and I copied down all the corn derivatives and just avoid them all. But it is expensive and a very difficult task to avoid all the corn derivatives in addition to wheat and oats, soy,  and lactose.

 

 

I'm more sensitive to corn than to anything else. Everything SensitiveMe said is true. Corn is in EVERYTHING except SOME whole foods. You'd be surprised at some of the whole foods that have corn. Bagged salad mixes or any other "ready to eat" veggies such as those peeled baby carrots. A lot of frozen veggies and fruits are dusted with corn starch to keep them from clumping together. A lot of white rice brands are "polished" with corn starch. A lot of salt has corn starch as an anti-clumping agent. And of course iodized salt almost always has corn - it is used as the carrier for the iodine. Most everything that is vitamin fortified, ditto - corn is the carrier for the vitamins. Most of the soaker pads in the trays of meat in the grocery store contain corn starch. And almost all medications, both prescription and over-the-counter contain corn starch. Vitamins do too. They either have corn, or soy, or gluten. I STILL haven't found one that is free of all three at once.

 

It sure ain't easy! I use Uncle Ben's instant white rice. I emailed the company and they followed up with both an email and a phone call. No gluten, no corn. I eat it with no problem. I eat broccoli and cauliflower with no problem. Meat - well I try to buy organic, but when I have to buy chicken at the grocery store i wash it really well and so far so good. I eat local eggs.

 

And it LOOKS like I have finally gotten white potatoes back. Hooray!!! I usually eat sweet potatoes because of the vitamins they contain, but it's SO nice to have a baked white potato once in a while.

 

Thanks for the responses guys. Are both of yours more just intolerances/sensitivities as opposed to allergic reactions? It seems that most people who need to go to such extremes to avoid corn have an allergic reaction to it and not necessarily an intolerance/sensitivity to it. Not saying that you guys aren't that sensitive to it, I'm just surprised that you would be that sensitive to it when it's not an allergy. But I guess I am that way with gluten, so who knows

[bartfull]

It's an intolerance with me. I don't get really bad digestive symptoms, even with gluten. Gluten gives me nausea and mild D. Corn gives me no nausea, but I do get worse D. And my "I can tell for sure" symptom with either one is psoriasis. Corn makes it flare worse than gluten does. It takes about 8 hours and it flares for weeks. With gluten, my hands are sore. With corn they are so bad I can't even pick things up.

 

Also, I have an urelated problem - a growth of some sort on my jawbone. Whenever I get glutened the pain gets worse. Whenever I get "corned" the pain is UNBEARABLE. THAT only takes 20 minutes to show up.

[foam]

I seem to not to be able to get away with anything as far as corn is concerned. A bloodwork test on me a couple of years ago called IGE was very very high and doctor then did further bloodwork test which showed corn to be a problem for me. At the time I was just told not to have corn in addition to the other things but I was not told and did not know all the corn derivatives and learned by trial and errror. I think corn is the hardest to avoid, then soy, and then wheat, and then lactose.

 

I know I cannot tolerate citric acid, vit. c (ascorbic acid), vit e (tocopherol), ferrous gluconate that they put into black olives, honey, xanthan gum. Eventually I found a web site called livecornfree and I copied down all the corn derivatives and just avoid them all. But it is expensive and a very difficult task to avoid all the corn derivatives in addition to wheat and oats, soy,  and lactose.

 

Can you remember how high your IgE level was and did you ever get it back to normal?

[SensitiveMe]

In answer to the question,  I was not told the level of the IGE but only that it was very very high and I was referred to an allergist. The allergist said that since it caused me digestive symptoms only that it was not a true allergy but an intolerance but he did no further bloodwork on me. And so my digestive disease doctor and allergist I was sent to disagree. I had a terrible digestive disease doctor who blew you off if you tried to even talk to her or ask any questions and if you persued in trying to do so she would get annoyed at you waving her hand at you. The allergist did skin tests and breathing tests on me for outside envirormental allergies and I was put on an antihistamine nasal spray as he said I had allergic rhinitis and then he said I was done and did not have to come back. At first I was disgusted with them both but then decided it doesn't really matter whether it is called an allergy or an intolerance as long as I avoid ingesting any corn.

 

Corn seemed to cause the erosive gastritis, and stomach and intestinal spasms I had initially . At one time after thinking I stopped corn and was drinking a specific brand of coconut water they started adding ascorbic acid to it.  Initially it was only just coconut water and when I drank it my stomach suddenly went into spasms and I said what the heck is going on then checked the coconut water and saw they were now adding it to it. Any ingesting of corn or its derivatives causes me stomach spasming and I feel awful for several hours after that. I will really know within a very short time if I ingest any corn or corn derivative as it seems to cause problems the minute it hits my stomach.