Intolerant Of Corn....but Not

[annegirl]

I have horrible reactions to things derived from corn like xanthan gum, caramel color etc. But I never did react horribly to things like popcorn so last night I decided to try a corn tortilla to see if I would react....and I didn't!

Does anyone else have a problem with some parts of a product and not others? While I'm relived that I can have corn tortillas and chips again, I feel a little confused. I guess I will have to trial and error some of my other intolerances to see what I can and can't have.

[kareng]

I don't do well with whole corn but fine with processed corn like chips or tortillas. I know no one digests whole corn well but it gives me pain. I do OK with popcorn as long as I don't eat a huge amount.

Ah, the mysteries of digestion!

[mushroom]

I'm the other way round - can't eat whole corn, corn chips, tortillas, popcorn, but am fine with corn starch. The more refined the better I tolerate it.

[Skylark]

Same with me. Corn starch is OK. Corn chips leave me tired the next day.

[sa1937]

I tried corn on the cob twice this summer and it definitely did not like me nor did popcorn I tried a few days ago. I thought perhaps it was the amount of fiber but don't know. I don't think I have a problem with other corn products or corn starch, etc.

[annegirl]

Isn't digestion just crazy??

Well, I'm not going to look this gift horse in the mouth! Tacos and chips and salsa can now go to the top of my list again!!

[dilettantesteph]

Could it have to do with cc during processing?

[kareng]

Could it have to do with cc during processing?

In the case of my corn, no. It came closed up in it's husk. Unfortunately, that's the way it's yummiest.

[CarolinaKip]

I can sneak in corn starch, but not a lot of it. If I eat it in more than one thing at the same time, I react. Say the hotdog/tater tots of last night. My sides are all cramped up and I'm bloated today. I cannot eat whole corn, popcorn or chips without reacting.

[anabananakins]

It is so weird! I have trouble with corn chips, taco shells, tortillas. Corn starch doesn't seem to be a problem. Corn on the cob is fine too. So for me it's semi refined (to the consistency of ground corn meal) that seems to be the problem. Hmmm, maybe it is cc for me. There's no 'may contains' warning on the brands I eat (in Australia) and I find labelling pretty good in that regard generally.

That said, I avoided all corn chips, tacos and tortillas for about 5 months but recently caved and had tacos... and I was fine. Unfortunately, I thought, since tacos are a bit of a binge food for me and I really don't need to add them back to my dinner menu. I'm putting that good experience out of my mind, it's better for my waistline if I continue to associate them with pain.

[T.H.]

What are all the corn derived products that you react to, just out of curiosity?

Xanthan gum has been known to cause some pretty intense gastro symptoms in a lot of people (along with the other gums alike guar and arabic).

Colorings and preservatives have been known to do the same, especially annatto.

So I wonder if perhaps you aren't reacting to some of the other foods and actually not corn, perhaps?

Just speculating while trying to think of a reason why you would react to more processed corn and not less processed corn. A very quirky thing. Hope you figure it out. :-)

[sreese68]

Corn on the cob is a different variety of corn than the corn that's used for corn chips, cornmeal, tortillas, etc. Not sure if the corn used for cornstarch and xanthan gum is also different? Anyway, maybe some people only react to one type of corn...

[annegirl]

What are all the corn derived products that you react to, just out of curiosity?

Xanthan gum has been known to cause some pretty intense gastro symptoms in a lot of people (along with the other gums alike guar and arabic).

Colorings and preservatives have been known to do the same, especially annatto.

So I wonder if perhaps you aren't reacting to some of the other foods and actually not corn, perhaps?

Just speculating while trying to think of a reason why you would react to more processed corn and not less processed corn. A very quirky thing. Hope you figure it out. :-)

I react to xanthan gum, caramel color, cornstarch....and the list goes on. Basically every name that corn runs under I will react to. That's why this is so strange. I will get sick on something, research back and find a derivative of corn somewhere, but it appears that the whole corn is fine.

My level of reaction also seems to depend on the time of the month. There are times when things just get BAD. >sigh< I wish I understood this all better. There's got to be a very interesting reason....

[GlutenFreeManna]

I started to have some trouble with corn syrup (esp HFCS) and anything made with corn oil (fritos, some types of tortilla chips). They give me heartburn and sometimes even make me cough violently to the point of coughing them back up. I don't seem to have any trouble with other forms of corn though. I use xanthan and corn starch in baking, eat corn on the cob and popcorn (made on the stove) without any trouble. I also make corn bread and corn tortillas using corn meal and masa and don't have trouble so logn as my corn meal/masa harina are free of gluten cc.

[annegirl]

Hehe, I'm a sadder but wiser girl now.

Corn tortillas and chips don't give me horrible stomach pain.....but they DO give me 3 days worth of depression. Classic gluten symptom for me. Can't believe it took me 3 tries to connect the dots!

So yeah, no corn for this girl again. I'm done "experimenting" with it for good.