Any Phd Chemists Out There?

[Nic]

This topic jumped out at me. My friend who does not have Celiac used to crave the musty basement smell while she was pregnant. We used joke that she was going down there just to smell the walls. We thought it was a hormonal thing but we could have been wrong.

Nicole

[darlindeb25]

What a weird bunch!!!!!!!!!!! Loving the odors that people try so hard to get rid of! People are always trying to find a way to get rid of the musty odors in basements.

Now gasoline is racid to me, it reminds me of my ex, who drove semi, and delivered gasoline to stations! I dated this man, who seemed really nice, yet he smelled of gasoline too, because he drove semi, doing the same thing as my ex and I associated him with the ex! I never saw him again.

I love the smell of peppermint. As a child, we had peppermint fields near us and I always hated the smell, yet as an adult, I love it. But, I am allergic to much of it--weird huh. Although, they do say that sometimes we crave that which is the worst thing for us. I do have a peppermint lotion made by Bath and Body Works that is made specifically for headaches and it works great. I had another peppermint lotion that was the most soothing lotion I ever had. It was wonderful on sunburns, for itching, so very soothing. Dr. Bronners Peppermint Soap burns my skin--my skin will peel just like a sunburn if I use it. Yet, I love the scent! Hate peppermint candy. Weird huh.

I love citrus scents, yet can't breathe around them.

My sister ate dirt as a young child. The doctor said it was a vitamin deficiency that makes us crave things. Karen, I would imagine you do have vitamin and mineral deficiencies if you still have diarrhea all the time. I wish I had a good answer for you, it just doesn't seem fair to go gluten free and still be so sick.

[gfp]

You would of course have a better understanding of this subject then me but I'm just repeating what I've been told for years. If you live in a cold climate during the winters you don't depend on just your area for fruits and vegetables. I just did a quick reference check on areas and found this:

SELENIUM

The selenium content of our food depends entirely upon the selenium content of the soil where the food was grown. However, nearly a third of the United States and three Canadian Provinces have soil that is seriously selenium deficient. This is unfortunate because selenium is a powerful antioxidant (a substance that prevents tissue damage from oxidization) and therefore is one of the best cancer-blocking agents. Selenium offers important protection against heart disease, as well. In fact, there is evidence that selenium can actually heal already damaged cells.

Additionally, selenium plays an important role in cleansing your body of heavy metal poisoning, such as may occur from exposure to mercury (as in dental fillings) or lead (as in old paint). It does this by speeding up the rate of heavy metal excretion in the urine and feces. Selenium also enhances your immune system in a powerful way and has been found to be very beneficial to chronic allergy patients.

Selenium is not only an effective tool against cancer and heart disease, but is effective in preventing the onset of other chronic degenerative diseases such as premature aging, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and arthritis.

Geographic locations in North America where the soil is low in selenium are Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Western New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Washington, Rhode Island, Oregon, New Jersey, Vermont, the Carolinas, Florida, West Virginia and Connecticut. The Canadian provinces of Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba are also selenium deficient.

I agree you should not rely on selenium suppliments and even be careful on eating to many brazil nuts but one or two aday is a great insurance policy.

Gail

Good find

p.s, the jury seems to be out on cancer and stuff but so long as you are inside the safe area no harm....

The thing I'm trying to stress is this really needs to be checked for pretty much all your trace elements... some of them can be more toxic than others... but their distribution is extremely patchy.... especially iun the US....

The weird thing is you can take the geology of the UK, OR France, OR Germany etc and its about the same diversity as the USA...

We always luaght at everything is "bigger and better" Americans but you have states larger than the UK with essentially one type of geology... In the UK you only need go 30 miles in any direction from anywhere to get significantly different geology..

Anyway, its not a geology compatition.... I would be the only one interested LOL.... but it is worth considering..and bearing in mind. for instance when buying local food or stuff, though Im an organic sorta person in some ways it travels less so you get less soil variety...

What I'm really trying to say is check the soil and where your goods are travelling from before just blindly adding trace elements in any large quantitiy....

[Sera]

My question is regarding weird cravings. I have been doing some research into this because I always wondered why when I was a child I used to eat the cigarette ashes out of ashtrays. At the time, my family thought I was one weird kid, but I now realize that this was Pica, and I was somehow craving minerals or nutrients I was missing due to the celiac.

Does anyone know if Pica also includes smells? For those of you who don't already realize that I am one Crazy Canuck , this will cement it for you:

I have incredibly powerful urges to smell musty, dusty, basement smells, elevator shafts, etc. It's mostly the strongest when I have a headache (which is increasingly more often), and if I go down into our unfinished basement with the "musty, cementy basement" smell, or if I go near where dust is, I literally have to take deep breaths, breath it in deeply, thoroughly enjoy the smell, and literally almost get a high off of it! Even more, it seems to give some type of immediate relief to the headaches I am having....... I have even secretly gone down to the basement and laid on the floor on my stomach and just breathed in the cement smell......

Hey Karen, I've heard about intense cravings for smells before. There's even an article on Pubmed about it Open Original Shared Link

Sometimes these smells are associated with anemia. Do you know what your hemoglobin or ferritin levels are?

Sera

[Canadian Karen]

Hey Karen, I've heard about intense cravings for smells before. There's even an article on Pubmed about it Open Original Shared Link

Sometimes these smells are associated with anemia. Do you know what your hemoglobin or ferritin levels are?

Sera

Now that is very interesting...... I have chronic anemia, so much so to the point they are considering systemic iron replacement..... I wonder......

[Kaycee]

Karen, we are a sick bunch.

You with the unusal smell and the eating of cigarette ash.

Would you believe my earliest memory was eating dirt! I think that is a terrible thing to attribute to my first memory, but the indignity of it was that my brother was going to tell on me.

Cathy

[CarlaB]

Karen, we are a sick bunch.

Yes, you are! I thought of all of you yesterday when I was driving to Indiana ... I passed not one, but TWO DEAD SKUNKS!! I definately did NOT appreciate the smell as much as some of you would have!

[jacqui]

Okay you know when you are driving down a country road or the highway and you smell the squished skunk smell. I like that smell. So, I think we're a wierd bunch. Also, I like the smell of gasoline.

I know exactly what you mean,r/t the country road... BUT I cannot really say I enjoy skunk smell, especially now.

Gasoline "YUmm"

I worked at a marina as a kid and pumped gas all day long in a bathing suit, on thje end of the dock on a lake, getting paid. It was a great time!!

[SUZ42]

I just started reading this thread, but I wanted to jump in here and say I'm glad it's not just me! I crave the smell of gas, truck exhaust, hot tar. The stronger, sharper, the better. I've always liked these smells, but have noticed in the last couple months that I make a point of taking in deep breaths when I can smell these things. My daughter also loves the smell of gas, has since she was a baby. I remember her telling me at about 2 yrs old "it smells good here" (gas station). I have a very strong sense of smell though. I can detect odors, good, bad and otherwise long before anyone else in my circle.

Suz

[kirbymom]

This is soooo funny. I haven't been on in a while and came on to check out the relationship between dental caries and celiac. I DO have a Ph. D. in Chemistry specializing in biochemistry. I DO have a family with dietary intolerances (gluten, dairy and at least two of us have soy intolerances). I am currently on maternity leave from my position which is being eliminated which may be a good thing as I am trying to get my family better. I have been doing a lot of research in the are in the last couple of months (mainly since the beginning of February) and am considering writing a book on the subject.

Short Answer: Candida or other fungal pathogen (most likely Candida). You crave what you should not have as many of us know. Pica type cravings are indicative of inability to absorb certain nutrients (should at least take a multivitamin).

Paper in PubMed about celiacs on diet who did not heal indicated there was actually parasitic infection or small intestine bacterial overgrowth and once this was cleared up, the people did better. Reference is Open Original Shared Link

The petrochemical cravings are likely for phenols which are not processed properly by many people with dietary intolerances (I still think is Candida issue, but would have to write all day to explain why) - kind of like craving red dyes!

I think we have correpsonded privately before about some things! You live so close (I am in London) and would love to meet you someday 8-)!

Hope this helps.

Amanda

[Rachel--24]

My first thoughts are also that there may be some fungal issue involved.....most likely Candida (as already mentined).

Two reasons...first the "refractory Sprue" diagnosis.

Second...the craving for damp musky places.

There is some research suggesting that those who do not heal on a gluten free diet may have Candida and the immune system is continuing to launch the same attack it would if gluten were present.

Candida and gluten have the same identical amino acid protein sequence. The one that triggers the autoimmune reaction in Celiac. Candida is the only thing known to have this sequence...besides gliadin.

It is possible that if Candida overgrows and adheres itself to the intestinal wall....the immune system could still be attacking it as if it were gluten....and causing the same damage...thus continued flattening of villi in someone with Celiac Disease.

Here is some info. about that...

https://www.celiac.com/st_prod.html?p_prodid=859

Open Original Shared Link

People with Candida crave the stuff that will "feed" the infection...like adding fuel to a fire. Mold is one of those things....mold is commonly found in dark damp basements.

I have candida but I dont crave mold or alcohol...(probably because they cause severe symptoms). I do crave carbs and sweets though.

For all the people who love the smell of gasoline....you can add me to the list. I've always loved the smell of gas.

Also.....black permanent markers. I loved those...but now (having chemical sensitivities) I run from them!

I would probably pass out from a good whiff off one of those markers.