Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Gluten And Corn


Smarts

Recommended Posts

Smarts Rookie

Hi I posted the other day about the possibility that I could have celiacs or gluten intolerance, because by chance my gastro doctor discovered patches of flattened villi when he ran a capsule endoscopy last month. I'm still waiting for results from blood work, but in the meantime I have been gluten free for 3 weeks now. I have had a lot of ill health over the last 25/ 30 years (I'm now 41) which seems to link in with gluten intolerance symptoms, but in the past 6 months my symptoms have been fairly mild. (I'd started seeing this doctor because my reflux took a bad turn last October.)

So over the past 3 weeks I have had times when I have felt great, and last week I felt quite flat and lethargic, which I put down to gluten withdrawal. But I have also had a few days where I've had pretty bad indigestion with chest pains. On two occasions I noticed that the symptoms followed a meal with sweetcorn (once from can and once on cob). This morning I felt terrible. I over slept after very odd dreams, I had brain fog and the muscles in my back were burning. It was just like the chronic fatigue I had in my 20's. Also eczema patches reappeared and cracks appeared around my lips. After lunch I had hot flushes and then felt sick - after that I started to feel better. Yesterday I was so careful with what I ate, checking that everything was gluten free - but when a friend and I took our kids to the movies, without even thinking I bought us all popcorn (because I am trying my girls on a gluten free diet and they were feeling deprived).

Is anyone else sensitive to corn and gluten - or have you heard of there being a link?


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Gerri Explorer

Hi,

I am both Celiac, and have a severe corn allergy. It is my understanding that people who are celiac, many also have a corn allergy. When I buy gluten free flours, I make sure there is no corn, soy, wheat, or milk in them. I don't have popcorn, or use corn starch. I read all labels, and my diet is quite limited. I can't take a chance gluten, corn, soy, milk, or wheat is in anything. Most processed foods will have fillers of the above, so they are avoided.

Hugs

Gerri

lisa25 Rookie

I have stopped eating corn after noticing that it makes my stomach feel swelled and makes me feel overall not well. Since I haven't had a test to check for an actual corn sensitivity, it is really difficult to cut out the trace corn...like xanthan gum. I have the past few months cut out visible corn, corn starch, high fructose corn syrup...and am feeling better.

mushroom Proficient

I knew I had a problem with corn long before I realized about the gluten - also soy came before gluten :unsure: But the soy and corn reactions have become worse.

Emsstacey Rookie

I'm not a dx celiac but do have elevated DGP and symptoms of gluten-intolerance. I also tested positive for corn via skin prick test. I was advised that there was no reason to cut it out, but I think at some point, I will probably have to. :(

I'm not sure of a direct link, but I do know that once you have a sensitivity to one food... it is more likely that you have other sensitivities as well. :(

It's definitely a difficult one to remove. It is so much easier to substitute gluten items with corn tortillas, etc...

ravenwoodglass Mentor

You may be intoleratnt to corn. But a couple other things to consider, if it was corn on the cob was it drained in a colander or strainer that had been used for pasta? Just a thought. Also symptoms can be delayed so it might have been something else that got you and then there is also the issue that many of us have ups and downs for a while when we are first gluten free.

ynot Newbie

I've been suspicious of corn for a couple months too. The symptoms I get are vague. Looser stools. My face feeling a little swollen. A little larger stomach. Mentally, a bit more irritable.

It just seems like such a daunting challenge to cut corn out. It would be easy enough to cut out simple corn, but its derivatives are hiding everywhere. For example, I've got about 20 cans of Hormel Chili ( stocked up when they went on sale ) and it is as if every ingredient besides meat and beans is some corn derivative. I never feel great after eating one of those cans.

So I've got a question. Gluten, even in small quantities, is very damaging to celiacs. What about corn? If the symptoms from eating corn are slight, can I continue to eat it and not worry about hidden damage? Or can there be a similar auto-immune response?


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



nora-n Rookie

There is at least one very good private website that explains about corn allergy.

It is different from celiac.

Besides, the prolamine in corn may theoretically be toxic to some people but there is no research on that that I know of.

mushroom Proficient

Besides, the prolamine in corn may theoretically be toxic to some people but there is no research on that that I know of.

The lectins in corn may also rise up and bite you - again, very little research on lectins.

Smarts Rookie

The lectins in corn may also rise up and bite you - again, very little research on lectins.

Wow thanks for all this feedback. I'm scared to even look into dairy and eggs (I think I'm okay there). I'm also reacting to wheat (funny my doctors only comment when he sent me for a blood test was "it looks like a wheat intolerance", but later I read the blood test instructions which asked for genetic testing for celiacs). I've also had suspicions with rice because I hated eating the stuff when I was a kids, because it made me nauseous. But these days I seem to be okay with sushi rice and jasmine rice, but I made a gluten free, wheat free, corn free (yay) risotto (with arborio rice) the other night and for the first time since being a kid I wanted to vomit after eating it. (Then again I did make it in pans I've cooked pasta in).

Since my reaction to corn or Monday I have been careful to avoid both gluten and corn. For the past 24hrs I have had the strangest, but most wonderful feeling in my belly - it feels light, soft and empty in there, not bulky and bloated. My kids are also noticing a difference in their health.

My husband is sceptical about this until I get a positive diagnosis from the doctor. For some reason I am too scared to call for the test results. I have my appointment to see him in just over a week

You guys are making me feel so supported here - thank you!!!

nora-n Rookie

Maybe corn allergy is hard to test for.

I think there is a good webpage about corn allergy.

I googled and found this one Open Original Shared Link and it does look like the one I have seen.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - Mari replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      15

      My only proof

    2. - Rejoicephd commented on Jefferson Adams's article in Gluten-Free Cooking
      1

      Your Complete Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Plan: Recipes, Tips & Holiday Favorites

    3. - marion wheaton replied to marion wheaton's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      3

      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?

    4. - trents replied to marion wheaton's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      3

      Are Lindt chocolate balls gluten free?


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,420
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    maggie23
    Newest Member
    maggie23
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Mari
      Years  ago a friend and I drove north into Canada hoping to find a ski resort open in late spring,We were in my VW and found a small ski area near a small town and started up this gravelled road up a mountain. We  got about halfway up and got stuck in the mud. We tried everything we could think of but an hour later we were still stuck. Finally a pickup came down the road, laughed at our situation, then pulled the VW free of the mud. We followed him back to the ski area where where he started up the rope ski lift and we had an enjoyable hour of skiing and gave us a shot of aquavit  before we left.It was a great rescue.  In some ways this reminds me of your situation. You are waiting for a rescue and you have chosen medical practitioners to do it now or as soon as possible. As you have found out the med. experts have not learned how to help you. You face years of continuing to feel horrible, frustrated searching for your rescuer to save you. You can break away from from this pattern of thinking and you have begun breaking  away by using some herbs and supplements from doTerra. Now you can start trying some of the suggestions thatother Celiacs have written to your original posts.  You live with other people who eat gluten foods. Cross contamination is very possible. Are you sure that their food is completely separate from their food. It  is not only the gluten grains you need to avoid (wheat, barley, rye) but possibly oats, cows milk also. Whenever you fall back into that angry and frustrated way of thinking get up and walk around for a whild. You will learn ways to break that way of thinking about your problems.  Best wishes for your future. May you enjpy a better life.  
    • marion wheaton
      Thanks for responding. I researched further and Lindt Lindor chocolate balls do contain barely malt powder which contains gluten. I was surprised at all of the conflicting information I found when I checked online.
    • trents
      @BlessedinBoston, it is possible that in Canada the product in question is formulated differently than in the USA or at least processed in in a facility that precludes cross contamination. I assume from your user name that you are in the USA. And it is also possible that the product meets the FDA requirement of not more than 20ppm of gluten but you are a super sensitive celiac for whom that standard is insufficient. 
    • BlessedinBoston
      No,Lindt is not gluten free no matter what they say on their website. I found out the hard way when I was newly diagnosed in 2000. At that time the Lindt truffles were just becoming popular and were only sold in small specialty shops at the mall. You couldn't buy them in any stores like today and I was obsessed with them 😁. Took me a while to get around to checking them and was heartbroken when I saw they were absolutely not gluten free 😔. Felt the same when I realized Twizzlers weren't either. Took me a while to get my diet on order after being diagnosed. I was diagnosed with small bowel non Hodgkins lymphoma at the same time. So it was a very stressful time to say the least. Hope this helps 😁.
    • knitty kitty
      @Jmartes71, I understand your frustration and anger.  I've been in a similar situation where no doctor took me seriously, accused me of making things up, and eventually sent me home to suffer alone.   My doctors did not recognize nutritional deficiencies.  Doctors are trained in medical learning institutions that are funded by pharmaceutical companies.  They are taught which medications cover up which symptoms.  Doctors are required to take twenty  hours of nutritional education in seven years of medical training.  (They can earn nine hours in Nutrition by taking a three day weekend seminar.)  They are taught nutritional deficiencies are passe' and don't happen in our well fed Western society any more.  In Celiac Disease, the autoimmune response and inflammation affects the absorption of ALL the essential vitamins and minerals.  Correcting nutritional deficiencies caused by malabsorption is essential!  I begged my doctor to check my Vitamin D level, which he did only after making sure my insurance would cover it.  When my Vitamin D came back extremely low, my doctor was very surprised, but refused to test for further nutritional deficiencies because he "couldn't make money prescribing vitamins.". I believe it was beyond his knowledge, so he blamed me for making stuff up, and stormed out of the exam room.  I had studied Nutrition before earning a degree in Microbiology.  I switched because I was curious what vitamins from our food were doing in our bodies.  Vitamins are substances that our bodies cannot manufacture, so we must ingest them every day.  Without them, our bodies cannot manufacture life sustaining enzymes and we sicken and die.   At home alone, I could feel myself dying.  It's an unnerving feeling, to say the least, and, so, with nothing left to lose, I relied in my education in nutrition.  My symptoms of Thiamine deficiency were the worst, so I began taking high dose Thiamine.  I had health improvement within an hour.  It was magical.  I continued taking high dose thiamine with a B Complex, magnesium. and other essential nutrients.  The health improvements continued for months.  High doses of thiamine are required to correct a thiamine deficiency because thiamine affects every cell and mitochondria in our bodies.    A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine causes an eighty percent increase in brain function.  The cerebellum of the brain is most affected.  The cerebellum controls things we don't have to consciously have to think about, like digestion, balance, breathing, blood pressure, heart rate, hormone regulation, and many more.  Thiamine is absorbed from the digestive tract and sent to the most important organs like the brain and the heart.  This leaves the digestive tract depleted of Thiamine and symptoms of Gastrointestinal Beriberi, a thiamine deficiency localized in the digestive system, begin to appear.  Symptoms of Gastrointestinal Beriberi include anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, headaches, Gerd, acid reflux, gas, slow stomach emptying, gastroparesis, bloating, diarrhea and/or constipation, incontinence, abdominal pain, IBS,  SIBO, POTS, high blood pressure, heart rate changes like tachycardia, difficulty swallowing, Barrett's Esophagus, peripheral neuropathy, and more. Doctors are only taught about thiamine deficiency in alcoholism and look for the classic triad of symptoms (changes in gait, mental function, and nystagmus) but fail to realize that gastrointestinal symptoms can precede these symptoms by months.  All three classic triad of symptoms only appear in fifteen percent of patients, with most patients being diagnosed with thiamine deficiency post mortem.  I had all three but swore I didn't drink, so I was dismissed as "crazy" and sent home to die basically.   Yes, I understand how frustrating no answers from doctors can be.  I took OTC Thiamine Hydrochloride, and later thiamine in the forms TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) and Benfotiamine to correct my thiamine deficiency.  I also took magnesium, needed by thiamine to make those life sustaining enzymes.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins, so the other B vitamins must be supplemented as well.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.   A doctor can administer high dose thiamine by IV along with the other B vitamins.  Again, Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine should be given if only to rule Gastrointestinal Beriberi out as a cause of your symptoms.  If no improvement, no harm is done. Share the following link with your doctors.  Section Three is especially informative.  They need to be expand their knowledge about Thiamine and nutrition in Celiac Disease.  Ask for an Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test for thiamine deficiency.  This test is more reliable than a blood test. Thiamine, gastrointestinal beriberi and acetylcholine signaling.  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12014454/ Best wishes!
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.