Celiacs Trying To Avoid Corn, Too?

[T.H.]

When I first started all this gluten-free stuff, I found out pretty quickly that I couldn't have corn. Then it was rice, then buckwheat, then sorghum...the list goes on. Reading on the forums here, it seems like I am not alone in having to avoid at least one other grain on top of gluten.

I would love it if all doctors were knowledgeable and completely helpful, but we know they're not. Which has ended up with a lot of us trying to manage this ourselves, trying to figure out what we're eating, and what foods are affecting us, because the tests aren't revealing the source of our pain or other issues.

So for anyone who is trying to keep track of their corn intake, or to eliminate it and see how it affects them (or doesn't), I thought I'd put up a list of hidden sources of corn. You can tack it on your fridge along with your hidden sources of gluten list, eh? Among other things, I will be putting up items that are 'derived from corn,' but sensitivity-wise, they are just like the things 'derived from gluten.' They often don't have detectable levels of corn left, but people who are very sensitive to corn have reported still reacting to them, so we have to decide just how sensitive we think we are before choosing to eat 'em, yeah? Some of these are foods that corn allergy sufferers have reported reacting to, even though the contamination issue isn't certain.

ONE WORD OF WARNING - If you are trying a corn free diet, you NEED a source of iodine, whether it's fish about twice a week or a liquid supplement. Pretty much all pill forms of iodine have corn, as well as all iodized salt.

First, ingredients that are or can be corn-based can be found at this website: Open Original Shared Link This is very useful if you are trying to avoid corn. Like gluten, it's something that so MUCH can be derived from, so you have to make a lot of calls, or make a lot of stuff yourself, sigh.

And now, hidden sources of edible corn. These are foods that can have corn in them, but might not always:

* Adhesives and gummed papers (sounds familiar, eh?)

* Breath spray and candies

* bio-degradable plastics/styrofoam food containers - usually corn based

* Chicken - I believe this is from the brining solution, where it's retained x% water. Or citric acid

* citric acid - (bacteria who feed on corn syrup or other sweets produce it. Contamination issue in collection)

* Coffee, instant

* Condiments (mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup)

* Cream - can contain sodium citrate, which can be derived from corn

* Dairy products (cottage cheese, cheese, sour cream)

* Dental fillings and cements

* Dextrose/cellulose, vegetable starch - often corn

* Fresh fruit/vegetables that are coated with wax (which can be derived from corn)

* Frozen fruit (blueberries, cranberries) - citric acid, usually

* Frozen vegetables - citric acid, again

* ice - corn cellulose can be added to crushed ice, the kind that keeps veggies cold in the produce section - to help it keep from melting as fast.

* iodized salt, all - corn is used to stabilize the iodine

* Margarine

* Meat products (hot dogs, sausage)

* Milk - some brands (it could be the container has corn; organic is safest)

* Orange juice

* Paper containers (boxes, cups, plates) - often dusted with cornstarch to prevent sticking

* Peanut butter

* Pesticide powders on fruits and veggies

* Pickles

* Plastic containers (food containers, cups, plates)

* Pork - hams, especially, usually have dextrose

* Rice, enriched (some brands only, e.g. Riceland) - white rice processing can involve corn, too

* Ricotta cheese

* Salad dressings

* Teas

* Tomato products - often citric acid, or a ripening agent on tomatoes that contains corn, too

* Toothpaste

* Tuna fish

* vitamins and supplents, medications - almost ALL of these have corn. Seriously. Check the corn allergy website for any safe ones. There ain't much.

It took me a while to actually get rid of all corn, just because it was so difficult to keep track of it in my diet. For those who are just starting out and trying to avoid corn, too, I hope this helps a little to make your journey a little easier.

[AlysounRI]

Shauna:

A kelp pill (you can eat all the seaweed you like, and I could cause I LOVE seaweed) but you will never get as much as you in a concentrated kelp pill.

One kelp pill a day will give you the iodine you need for healthy thyroid function.

High fructose corn syrup is truly EVIL stuff!!

Nasty, nasty and the lover just cannot process it either.

~Allison

[T.H.]

Oh, interesting! Do you know if it has a cellulose capsule or anything else added?

I forgot to add sea weed completely. Doh. LOL, and I eat the dulce stuff all the time.

[vbecton]

So, if I'm mostly grain free (have tiny amounts of grain on the wknds), I should be taking an iodine supplement? Online it says that yogurt and eggs have iodine. So, if I'm eating 2 eggs for bkfst and yogurt for my PM snack will that cover my iodine needs? Or should I take a supplement?

Is iodine intake at all related to ferritin levels? Thanks!

[AlysounRI]

Oh, interesting! Do you know if it has a cellulose capsule or anything else added?

I forgot to add sea weed completely. Doh. LOL, and I eat the dulce stuff all the time.

I take Nature's Way kelp once a day. It's 660 mg of kelp.

The capsule is made of gelatin, but that's all it says.

Can gelatin be sourced from corn?

The packaging doesn't specify.

But I find another Kelp pill made by Country Life which specifies

"Does Not Contain: Yeast, corn, wheat, soy, gluten, milk, salt, sugar, starch, preservatives or artificial color".

It's called Norwegian Kelp.

I like dulse but I love nori and wakame the best. I can eat dried nori by the sheet full!!!

In general though, I adore sea weed!!

~Allison

[AlysounRI]

So, if I'm mostly grain free (have tiny amounts of grain on the wknds), I should be taking an iodine supplement? Online it says that yogurt and eggs have iodine. So, if I'm eating 2 eggs for bkfst and yogurt for my PM snack will that cover my iodine needs? Or should I take a supplement?

Is iodine intake at all related to ferritin levels? Thanks!

I don't think that iodine is related to ferratin levels. Ferratin levels are iron content in the blood.

Iodine isn't in a lot of stuff, which is why they tend to iodize salt.

Most people get enough salt, though.

I have spoken to a friend of mine about kelp and iodine and how important it is for proper thyroid function, esp. if you think you might be hypo.

But I don't want to give out medical advice. It might be best to ask your doctor about a supplement.

Seaweed is one of the best sources of natural iodine, however.

~Allison

[vbecton]

I don't think that iodine is related to ferratin levels. Ferratin levels are iron content in the blood.

Iodine isn't in a lot of stuff, which is why they tend to iodize salt.

Most people get enough salt, though.

I have spoken to a friend of mine about kelp and iodine and how important it is for proper thyroid function, esp. if you think you might be hypo.

But I don't want to give out medical advice. It might be best to ask your doctor about a supplement.

Seaweed is one of the best sources of natural iodine, however.

~Allison

Thanks for the info. I found this iodine topic interesting because I am very very very tired since going gluten-free. My diet is drastically different than pre-gluten-free days. I don't eat any iodized salt, but I sometimes cheat on a tiny pinch of sea salt. I'll be munching on some seawead for sure. I don't know if I'm headed toward hypo, but I've read that low ferritin levels are the 1st indicators of possible future hypo issues. That's why I was wondering if there is a connection between the two. Thanks again!

Oh and thanks for the corn info. Very useful!

[T.H.]

If you're staying away from corn by avoiding iodized salt, then yeah, you'll want iodine from somewhere else. To my knowledge, yogurt and eggs are NOT good sources of iodine. Sea weed and kelp, oh heck yeah, those are great. Fish, that's a good source, too.

Also, if you see vegetable and fruits sources of iodine listed (which I've also seen on the web), that information is incorrect. There are some vegetables and fruits that store iodine better than others, so they are often listed as good sources. However, this only applies when the soils they are grown in still contain iodine. Most commercially grown produce now is grown in soil that has been completely depleted of all its iodine, even the ones on organic farms, so it is rare to find produce that has any iodine in it these days.

I haven't heard that iodine and ferratin levels are related, but I'll admit to ignorance on that one!

Glad the info. has helped, though!

[AlysounRI]

I haven't heard that iodine and ferratin levels are related, but I'll admit to ignorance on that one!

I hadn't heard that either.

But I don't know everything about this at all.

Just to say that sources of iodine are few - and fish and seaweed are the best natural sources.

A kelp pill is the very best way to get the iodine into your body, however.

Low energy can also be a B12 issue so if you are not taking B12 you should be doing that.

1000 mg is the recommended dose for those low in B12.

~Allison

[T.H.]

For anyone who wants to add the B12 supplement, this site had a list of companies that are supposed to have corn free vitamins (short list, sigh)

Open Original Shared Link

I hadn't heard that either.

But I don't know everything about this at all.

Just to say that sources of iodine are few - and fish and seaweed are the best natural sources.

A kelp pill is the very best way to get the iodine into your body, however.

Low energy can also be a B12 issue so if you are not taking B12 you should be doing that.

1000 mg is the recommended dose for those low in B12.

~Allison