Below you will find the
most recent interesting questions concerning the diet and the effects of food
on health, behaviour and learning.
All previous questions from Food Intolerance Network
members that have been published since September 2002 have been collected into
a single 54 page PDF file (330Kb) so that it is easier to download and search
using Control/F or the PDF search function: http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/information/failsafequestions.pdf.
Some of the information,
particularly that about specific foods and what they contain, may be out of
date – always check the Product Updates section on www.fedup.com.au for the latest
information.
If you want a question
answered, please email me on suedengate@ozemail.com.au.
My mailing address is
(June 2010)
Q: Are chia
seeds failsafe?
A: Chia seeds are not mentioned in
the foods allowed on the RPA elimination diet (see the RPAH Elimination Diet
Handbook 2009 available from www.allergy.net.au).
Chia is a member of the mint family. Mint is very
high is salicylates and there have been numerous
reports of gastrointestinal symptoms due to chia
seeds from salicylate sensitive people overseas (http://nutritionalconcepts.blogspot.com/2008/03/caution-regarding-chia-seeds.html).
Q: Can you suggest any cold
and flu remedies for failsafers? When I have a cold -
which fortunately isn't often - I can't take honey and lemon
drinks, nor eat oranges or kiwi fruit due to salicylates. I normally don’t take medication, but last
night I took Demazin tablets and had a terrible
reaction.
A: According
to the new RPAH handbook, page 118 (available from www.allergy.net.au), Cold & Flu
products containing paracetamol, codeine,
antihistamine and/or pseudoephedrine can be suitable
if not coloured and flavoured.
They recommend the butterscotch/vanilla flavoured Demazin Cough & Cold syrup 2 years to adult, not to be
confused with other Demazin syrups that may contain
peach flavour and other additives. However, this
syrup is currently off the market while being reformulated to remove pseudoephedrine, now tightly regulated due to its use in
making cystal meth or ice.
Another option is to have a similar medication made specially
by a compounding pharmacist (expensive but safe) or try the failsafe version of
hot lemon drinks – made with citric acid and Vitamin C - in the Failsafe
Cookbook.
Q: Is Stevia
failsafe?
A: Stevia is NOT approved for the RPAH elimination diet which
recommends avoiding artificial sweeteners (RPAH handbook & shopping guide,
p53). Although Stevia is promoted as natural (ie plant derived) by the food industry, as we all know,
natural is not necessarily safe - e.g. salicylates.
See more information at nutritionist Kimberley Bither’s
website http://thewellnessworkout.typepad.com/the_wellness_workout/2009/04/is-stevia-safe-the-fda-now-approves-its-gras-status-but-dont-let-that-fool-you.html.
Q from #63: I'm failsafe,
gluten free and dairy free – when I get stuck without food, what can I buy as a
quick healthy snack in a supermarket?
A:
Thanks to Leah who says: as I’m also very sensitive to sals
and amines, and intolerant to soy, my favourite (and
only) supermarket snack is Sunrice ricecake thins. Make sure you buy a bottle of water too coz
they are a bit dry. I would have gone hungry many times without these.
Q: My 19 month-old son has bad reactions to salicylates
so I've changed his diet accordingly. However, he had a high temperature two
days ago and although I knew it would upset him in the following days, I gave
him children's panadol as it was bedtime and I didn't
want him sleeping with an awful fever. Anyway it's now day 2 and we're dealing
with a very cranky and irritable little boy (am now regretting the Panadol decision!) I knew the "strawberry flavour" would affect him, but what else can I give
him?
A:
You can ask a compounding pharmacist to make up an additive free version (one
family paid over $50) or you can ask for our paracetamol
recipe (suedengate@ozemail.com.au).
A week later this mother wrote again: ‘we've been using the dissolved panadol as per the "recipe" you provided and it
has been a life-saver! Our baby boy doesn't have to be sick AND cranky any
more!’
Q: I’m annoyed about the new Woolworths fruit juice drinks in Blackcurrant & Lemon,
Orange, and Tropical flavours that sound as if they
are natural. They say Natural Colours & Flavours, No artificial colours
or flavours, No added preservative 211 (sodium
benzoate); but they contain sorbates preservative
(202). I think that’s misleading.
A: I
agree with you but technically it’s legal. To protect themselves and their
children, consumers must be able to read and understand ingredient labels. We
wouldn’t recommend juice drinks anyway because they contain strong flavour additives (salicylates).
Water is the best drink but if you want juice as a treat, and can manage salicylates, it is best to buy 100% pure juice and dilute
it with water.
Q: Just a quick question
regarding the Coles Smart Buy pears in syrup.
Are they failsafe? On the product
updates it says to avoid the snackpacks (due to natural
juice) but I just wanted to check the tins are ok as my son is not quite as
well behaved as he used to be. I didn't know if he was having a reaction to
something or just going through a phase.
A: Coles
canned pears in syrup should be OK (ingredients: pear halves, water, sugar).
Some possible problems:
·
pears should be ripe (if pears are
hard, they are moderate in salicylates)
·
pears are limited to 2 peeled pears
per day or equivalent (including pear jam etc)
·
pears should be the traditional
varieties such as Packham, Williams, Beurre Bosc, Bartlett NOT Nashi, Ya or other crisp Asian
pears. I phoned the Coles free call number 1800 061 562 to ask about the
country of origin and variety of the pears. (You need the barcode if enquiring
about a product). The customer liaison officer was very helpful - he confirmed
that the Coles pears in syrup are Australian and will be either Williams or
Bartlett depending on the season. Could it be some other food or environmental
chemical affecting your son? You are very welcome to send me a list of what he
eats in a typical day so I can check for possible problems (including brand of
toothpaste, washing powder etc).
(February 2010)
Q. My husband and I have been
happily married for 35 years. Although he hasn’t done the elimination diet, I
know he’s better on lower salicylates. Now the doctor has put him on daily aspirin
his personality has changed – it’s turned him into a grumpy old man and I don’t
want to live with him any more. Is there an alternative?
A.
If aspirin has been prescribed as a blood thinning medication, you can discuss
switching to Clopidogrel with your doctor. (See page
115, RPA Elimination Diet Handbook 2009).
Q. I have suffering from hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) for at least 15 years
and it seems to be getting worse. Typically this would affect the hands and
feet, but mine is mostly the back, thighs, chest etc. Recently I’ve spent over
$1000 on Chinese Medicine and acupuncture and it did nothing. I’ve tried all
the obvious things like deodorant, wearing cotton clothes, not eating hot or
spicy food to no avail. Do you know of anyone that has been cured of this
through food/additive elimination?
A.
As with any food intolerance symptom, everyone is different. One reader
reported ‘I have eliminated most things that contain salicylates
- which is basically everything I eat – and I have stopped sweating ...’ and
another failsafer found her excessive sweating was
due to dairy foods. A three week trial of the elimination diet would show
whether it would work for you.
Q. I have had to give my 4yo Maxamox antibiotics for a chest infection. I don't know if I'm
imagining or not but she seems to have become oppositional, loud, disobedient
and waking 4/5am (usually she wakes at 6.30) also she is doing some socially
unacceptable behaviours (spitting, throwing cushions
at her siblings’ friends, talking too much etc). Can you spot anything in the attached
ingredients that she might be reacting to?
She is intolerant to salicylates and
additives.
A.
I would expect sodium benzoate (preservative 211) and orange, lemon, peach,
apricot flavouring (salicylates)
in the Maxamox suspension to cause the kinds of behaviours you have described, most likely as a slow build
up of symptoms. The Maxamox tablets not suspension
would be suitable for failsafers – you can crush up
plain white tablets and serve them in a spoonful of failsafe icecream but you would have to check with your pharmacist
about dosage for a child.
Q. Do you know what colour is in Strepsils
Honey/Lemon? Based on my son’s reaction
to one lozenge, there has to be an artificial yellow colour
additive. Also, can you tell me why no ingredient listing is required for
medications?
A.
When I asked a few years ago they contained Quinoline
Yellow (artificial colour 104), now subject to a
voluntary ban in the
Q. I have recently started
reading your website as my 11 month old son still doesn’t sleep through the
night. I started to think that it was something that he was eating. I was
pretty lucky that the first 2 things I took out of his diet, Vegemite and
margarine, have helped dramatically. My son really enjoys his Vegemite so I
read all the labels of other alternative products. On the Marmite label it says
it contains caramel 111, I have not been able to find any information on this.
What is it and is it safe to eat????
A.
Caramel iii is another way of saying caramel 150c, also called ammonia caramel
because of how it is made. 150c has been found to decrease white cell counts in
rats but only when the rats are deficient in a certain B vitamin. Caramel colour is not likely to cause your son’s sleeping problems.
The culprit is most likely yeast extract (essentially MSG) - in Vegemite,
Marmite and other similar products. See Cooks Corner in Failsafe Newsletter #63
for a substitute.
Q. What’s in the popcorn they
sell in cinemas? I’m sure it affects my 4 yo.
A.
At Hoyts the popcorn contains tartrazine
(102), one of the artificial colours now subject to a
voluntary ban in the
Q. Are smoked cold meats
generally preservative-free, or would sulfites still be used?
A.
Smoked meats are listed as very high in salicylates,
amines and glutamates so are never failsafe. I would expect ham to contain one
of the nitrate/nitrite preservatives (249-252) although some manufactured meat
contains sulphites. The Virginia Leg Ham below is
described as quality boneless lean leg ham, Naturally Wood Smoked, No
Artificial Colours, No Artificial Flavours.
It contains preservative 250 and traces of sulphites.
You can see the full ingredient listing at http://foodservice.hans.com.au/Products/Ham/HansVirginiaLegHam.aspx
Q. I currently use Campbell's
Real Stock in Beef and Chicken (Ingredients: Beef Stock (water, beef, salt),
vinegar, salt, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, yeast extract, natural food colour (Caramel1), natural flavours,
spices and wheat gluten). What is in
this that is not failsafe and what could I use as an alternative?
A.
That stock is not failsafe due to vinegar (sals and
amines); soy sauce, yeast extract, natural flavours
(all with sals, amines, glutamates); and spices (sals). You can make your own stock, see recipe below.
Q. Is grain fed beef OK?
A.
Grain fed means feedlot beef where animals are crowded together and low levels
of antibiotics may be mixed into the feed over a long period of time. It is
failsafe but if you can, it’s best to buy non-feedlot that can be described as
free range, grass fed, pasture fed, organic or have no label at all. See more
about feedlots at http://www.animalliberation.org.au/cattlefeed.php
Q. I’m failsafe, gluten free
and dairy free – when I get stuck without food, what can I buy as a quick
healthy snack in a supermarket?
A.
A popper of So Good Soymilk Lite contains about 100
calories, similar to 10 raw cashews, 1 container Heinz babyfoods
Pureed Fruity Pear, 15 Red Rock Deli Sea Salt potato chips, 1 medium Golden
Delicious apple (moderate in sals), or 1 medium firm
banana (moderate in amines).
(November 2009)
Q. Does white wine have less salicylates
than red wine?
A.
See below for the amounts of salicylates in Dr
Swain's 1985 Salicylates in Foods research (in mg of salicylate per 100 ml). Note that as well as salicylates, grapes contain amines and glutamates which
puts wine in the very high category for troublesome food chemicals, and most
wines also contain sulphite preservatives (220 or
223). White wines are generally higher in sulphites
than red. As you can see below there are considerable variations - possibly the
cheaper wines are slightly lower in salicylates but
they are generally much higher in sulphites. Also, salicylate content depends on many changing factors
including the climate and variety so these particular brands could be very
different by now. According to RPA (Friendly Food p22), people who aren't too
sensitive can often tolerate a half glass of wine. They say that high quality wines
are less likely to cause reactions, presumably because they are lower in sulphites.
WHITE
0.10 McWilliams Dry White Wine
0.81 Lindeman's
Riesling
0.81 Penfolds Traminer Riesling Bin 202
0.89 Seaview Rhine
Riesling
1.02 Yalumba Champagne
RED
0.35 McWilliams Reserve Claret
0.86 McWilliams Cabernet Sauvignon
0.90 McWilliams Private Bin Claret
Q. I am
totally confused about formula vs cows milk about
whether to continue on formula after 12 months or change to cows milk. Can you
offer any insight?
A. Toddler
milk formulas for babies over 12 months are just a marketing trick, see http://www.choice.com.au/Reviews-and-Tests/Babies-and-Kids/Food-and-health/Kids-food/Kids-milk/Page/Kids%20milk.aspx.
Q. I was
wondering where on the scale of things oranges and avocado fit? My daughter is
an extremely fussy eater and I hate to take away some of the few things she
will eat.
A. Oranges
and avocados are definitely NOT OK for failsafers
because they are very high in both salicylates and
amines. If you haven’t seen the RPA’s Friendly Food
or Elimination Diet Handbook, ask for our Salicylate
Mistakes Information Sheet (suedengate@ozemail.com.au)
Q. I was put
onto cholesterol tablets earlier this year. 1st one (Lipistat)
gave me twitches and sleeplessness together with aching limbs. 2nd: Lipitor gave me severe muscle soreness. My third try: Cholstat, I had 2 months of terrible trouble sleeping with
twitches during the night. Within a few days of starting Ezetrol
I was getting aching joints. I have now tried 5 or 6 different cholesterol
tablets. Since coming off the tablets I have very few twitches and am sleeping
much better. I must admit quality of life is important so if I have to stop
taking cholesterol tablets, then so be it. I love my gym work and hate it when
I can't go because of muscle problems caused by the medication. Do you have any
"natural" remedies for me?
A.
Muscle pain and/or weakness can be a severe, disabling, long lasting and even
fatal side effect of cholesterol drugs (http://www.statinanswers.com/effects.htm).
The best diet in the world for lowering cholesterol is probably the Pritikin program which we tried 20 years ago - before we
found failsafe - because of Howard’s family-related high cholesterol level. His
cholesterol quickly shot down to a ridiculously low level on the program which
avoids added sugar, fat and salt; no fatty foods such as cheese and butter;
only skim milk dairy products; only small servings of lean meats; only egg
whites; only wholegrains; no processed foods and so
on. These days they have relaxed it a bit so you can have a little vegetable
oil to saute your foods in and have a few nuts (which
suits failsafe - 10 raw cashews per day); I'm not sure about whole eggs.
The London Business Times calls Pritikin
‘arguably the most effective diet, exercise, and lifestyle change program in
the world.’ Unfortunately, the Pritikin diet tends to be very high in salicylates.
It is more difficult to stick to when you have to avoid most fruit and some
vegetables, or have an intolerance to wheat or wholegrains,
so we don't follow it strictly all the time, and Howard's cholesterol has gone
up a little bit but it is still very, very good. An example of Pritikin-style failsafe meals would be chicken, lamb or
lentil soups and stews; stir fries; and other meals with kidney beans or chick
peas and failsafe vegies. Although it is difficult to
combine Pritikin and failsafe, it is not impossible.
For more information, you can borrow Pritikin books
from your local library, or see www.Pritikin.com,
and see our factsheet Failsafe
Weightloss.
Q. I have a
13-month-old who appears to be intolerant to dairy, soy and legumes for
certain, and I am questioning eggs and fish. I am also not sure if my drinking
wine or coffee affects him. His symptoms were prolific vomiting (which has
resolved now) and inconsolable night times where he can cry for over an hour at
a time several times a night. He has been known to sleep through the night with
one wake for a feed, but then he and I can eat the identical food the next day
and have a shocking night. I find the problems with eliminating and
reintroducing at this age is knowing if it was the food, a cold, teething etc
when they are so little!!! Just when we
have a few good nights in a row and I contemplate giving him fish, we have a
bad night the night before I want to introduce the food …
A.
This email shows just how confusing food intolerance symptoms can be and why
the RPA elimination diet is the easiest approach. The mother was extremely
reluctant but when she finally tried the elimination diet, her son was sleeping
through the night (4 nights in a row) by the end of the third week.
Q. I am new
to failsafe and have found our local IGA bake their own bread without
preservatives. I was hoping you could tell me if it would be suitable, the
ingredients are: flour, salt, soy flour, emulsifiers (481,472e) mineral salt,
enzyme (alpha amylase), flour treatment agents (920,223), vitamin (thiamin).
A.
All of those ingredients are failsafe except 223 (sodium metabisulphite)
which is one of the sulphite preservatives associated
with asthma and other food intolerance symptoms. According to RPA most of the sulphites used in bread disappear in the cooking process.
However, some extra sensitive people in our network do react to 223 in bread
with various symptoms including children with behavioural
problems. Bakers Delight, Brumbys and Banjo’s plain
breads do not contain any nasty additives.
Q. My doctor
wants me on high omega 3 oils, any suggestions?
A: Omega-3
and omega-6 fatty acids are essential to human health but it is best if they
are consumed in balance, that is, close to a ratio of 1:1. Instead, Western
diets are typically much higher in omega-6s, generally in the range of 10:1 to
30:1. It is thought that traditional subsistence diets were much more in
balance. The ratios of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in oils includes:
·
cottonseed oil (commonly used in
fried takeaways such as fish and chips) 258:1
·
sunflower seed oil 156:1 (failsafe)
·
palm oil (in many processed foods,
often listed as vegetable oil) 46:1
·
rice bran oil (OK for failsafers except those affected by whole grains) 35:1
·
soy oil 7:1 (failsafe)
·
butter 3:1 (failsafe)
·
canola oil 2:1 (failsafe except when
cold pressed)
·
fish oil 1:1 (potentially not
failsafe due to possible amines)
·
flaxseed oil 1:3 (contains small
amounts of salicylates and amines so needs to be
approached with caution)
By choosing the right foods you may be able to achieve
the correct balance without the need for supplements. The only omega supplement
recommended by RPA is flaxseed oil. For more information and failsafe foods
that are a good source of Essential Fatty Acids see in our supplements factsheet http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/factsheets/Factsupplements.htm#fishoilsupps.
Q. The
doctor gave my son Nilstat, but it is bright yellow,
which puts me off a bit. Is it safe?
A.
I did a Google search for Nilstat.
The Australian CMI says the colouring agent in Nilstat tablets is Quinoline
Yellow CI 47005. That’s artificial colour 104. Yet
the Nilstat datasheet in
Q. Today I
saw a packet of homestyle jam drops in a fruit
shop. The label said "no added
artificial colours or flavours".
The ingredients list included custard powder, and the ingredients of the
custard powder included 102 and 110. The
implication of the "no added artificial colours"
seem to be that the colours which were already in the
custard powder somehow didn't count. I
would be very concerned that people would buy them because of the implied no
artificial colours claim. I now read the label of every product I buy,
but prior to starting the elimination diet, I could have been taken in by such
a label. Should I contact the manufacturer to complain, or should it be
reported to the relevant authority (whoever that is)?
A. One thing we have learned over the years is NOT to
complain to FSANZ. You can complain to the relevant food authority in the
State/Territory where the main food factory is located (listed for all states
at http://www.health.sa.gov.au/PEHS/Food/food-state-health.htm),
but our experience has been that any action or feedback is rare to
non-existent. You can try the ACCC: http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/801600.
Or you can try to contact the company first, and sometimes they will agree to
change it. That happened to me once - no apology, the representative used so
much spin you would think she was a leading anti-additive campaigner instead of
a health food company using artificial colour 102
listed as "natural colour"! It makes me really mad that it is up to
consumers to police labels, and there are no consequences for companies that
use misleading labelling unless they refuse to change
it. Many thanks for taking the time.
(August 2009)
Q. In the
last newsletter you said that McDonalds Soft serve was okay (if you don't eat
the cone) but we tried it and saw a reaction. Have I missed something?
A.
My answer to this question in the previous newsletter was wrong. There was a colour-free soft serve mix listed on the McDonald’s website
(since removed) but it is only available occasionally in remote areas The
sundae mix sold in most outlets contains 160b so it is not failsafe. Please let
me know if you tried it and saw a reaction (suedengate@ozemail.com.au)
Q. Yesterday
I went to a new dietitian ... I became
frustrated yet again as these professionals just don't seem to be passionate
about what they do. It is as if I have to justify my son’s behaviour.
The first thing she said was do you know what to expect for a 4 year old boy. I
am sick of having to justify myself, being on the elimination diet has changed
our whole family life for the better. Why is it that even the professionals
come across as not being fully aware of how food affects behaviour?
I usually end up feeling let down, confused and disappointed.
A.
We have received several similar reports lately. There are some excellent,
extremely supportive dietitians. If you are not happy with your dietitian,
please tell us (suedengate@ozemail.com.au)
so that we can warn others and ask for our list of dietitians who have been
recommended by other failsafers.
Q. Do you
think that eating a food a child/adult is intolerant to weakens their immune
system, leaving them more prone to colds and the like? I've noticed this pattern in my kids and
myself, but when I ask Paediatricians and GPs they
dismiss it, saying it could have been coincidental and that there's no evidence
to prove this.
A.
It is common for failsafers to report that they no
longer suffer frequent colds, flu and other recurrent infections once they are
established on failsafe eating - and yes, there is scientific evidence. Studies
have shown that certain artificial colours and
preservatives act as immunosuppressants, that is,
they can actually suppress the immune system, making us more likely to suffer
from recurrent infections. This has been shown in the laboratory by Greek
researchers with artificial colours tartrazine (102) and amaranth (123) using small doses
normally considered to be nontoxic, and by Brazilian researchers with propionic acid which is part of the group that includes
bread preservative 282. As well, a
- Koutsogeorgopoulou L and
others Immunological aspects of the common food colorants, amaranth and tartrazine.Vet Hum Toxicol.
1998;40(1):1-4.
- Wajner M and
others Inhibition of mitogen-activated
proliferation of human peripheral lymphocytes in vitro by propionic acid.Clin Sci (Lond).
1999;96(1):99-103.
- Hansen WH and others Chronic toxicity of two food colors, brilliant
blue FCF and indigotine, Toxicol
Appl Pharmacol.
1966;8(1):29-36.
Q. My
sister-in-law was diagnosed after a long few months with Vasculitis
- she now has to avoid things like aspartame and 635 and a few others other
wise she breaks out in the rash. Just wondering if you know if there is a link
between Vasculitis and Ribo
Rash???
A. Vasculitis simply means inflammation of the blood vessels
that can be due to a variety of causes. Allergic or hypersensitive vasculitis is caused by hypersensitivity to a drug or
foreign agent that leads to inflammation and damage to blood vessels of the
skin. Ribo rash has been diagnosed as many conditions
including hypersensitive vasculitis, see reader story
[273] ‘At death’s door’ (http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/stories/failsafestories.pdf).
If the symptoms go away when you stop eating 621-635 and start again if you eat
more 621-635, it seems to me it is ribo rash. Other
culprits for itchy rashes include artificial colours,
flavours and preservatives, and salicylates.
There are some unconfirmed suggestions that Aspartame (951) could have a
similar effect to flavour enhancers, or it could be
other nasty additives in the same foods and drinks.
Q. My girls
were on elimination for 3 weeks. Our eldest - we did it for her - was a new
calm tolerant child. We were thrilled. We did the salicylate
challenge and after 4 days we had to abort it as she had enormous stomach cramps,
diarrhoea and bad behaviour.
Since then she has gone downhill and we have not been able to do another
challenge yet (3 weeks). Her behaviour and
concentration have plummeted and even the netball coach commented this week.
The only thing we have done differently is that we have a new hairspray, my
husband feels that must be problem and I am getting suspicious too. Even though
her diet is true elimination could one small spray of this hairspray each
morning be the culprit??? She is miserable and we are back to being exhausted
with her. I feel sorry for our eldest as she had been making such
progress. If it is hairspray is there
one that is ok to use or are they all bad????
A.
Hairspray can definitely cause all the symptoms you mentioned (See Failsafe
Stories [379] Sleep and behaviour problems due to
hairspray, airfreshener). Aerosol products are particularly bad but any
fragranced product can be a problem for some people because e.g. citrus, strawberry or flowery fragrances
contain salicylates and in some cases amines. I don’t
know of any commercial fragrance free hairsprays but you can make your own with
half a cup of water and 3 tbsp corn syrup: http://organic-oil.blogspot.com/2009/06/natural-organic-hairspray.html.
Update:
Well, our daughter has already settled down after about 2-3 days. She even said
this morning gosh I feel better. Made up the hairspray recipe, very sticky so I
think you could dilute it by half.
Q. My 2 yo son is highly sensitive to salicylates.
We find that he is having a very strong salicylate
type reaction whenever he eats bread. He can only have 2 slices a day or he
goes ballistic. Would this be due to yeast or vinegar?? The bread is 282 free.
He has also reacted to pitta bread.
A. Vinegar
is definitely NOT OK for salicylate responders - all
white vinegars are VERY HIGH in salicylates and that
is what they use in bread (I've checked). I am very surprised he can manage 2
slices per day. That’s why we recommend Brumbys,
Bakers Delight and Banjos. Check ingredients in pitta
bread - most wraps, flatbreads, tortillas and pizza bases etc contain 282
and/or sorbates (200-203) or vinegar or unlisted
antioxidants e.g. BHA 320 or TBHQ 319 in the oil. Mountain Bread is safe and so
are the new Coles thin pizza bases (see Product Updates). Another problem can
be soy flour in many breads for those who have soy intolerance. Nonna’s bread (available in
Q. I'm
amazed to discover rosemary extract is very commonly used as an antioxidant in
vegetable oils. The amounts are so small as to avoid labelling
laws, yet enough to upset a sensitive soul like myself (troubling neurological
symptoms). Reading food company reports, I see comments that rosemary extract
is 'free of known allergens’. Are you aware of any reports (solid or anecdotal)
on rosemary allergy?
A.
Reactions to rosemary extract are most likely intolerance (reactions to
chemicals) rather than a true allergy (reaction to proteins). The chemical in
rosemary most likely to cause problems is salicylates.
Q. Have you
found that eliminating problem foods makes you more sensitive when you DO have
them?
A.
It is true that failsafers sometimes notice a big
reaction when they break the diet but you have to remember that previously
there was less of a contrast between good and bad. You can choose to go back to
the old diet but you will have to put up with the old symptoms again. The best
time to break the diet is on holidays when there is less stress. If concerned
about reintroduction of foods, see an experienced dietitian (ask for our list
of supportive dietitians: confoodnet@ozemail.com.au)
Q. I have a 9-year-old
son with autism who has been on a gluten- and casein-free diet for 7 years,
which has helped his behaviour and digestive problems
immensely. We have noticed/wondered over the years whether certain foods,
including eggs, citrus, tomatoes, and others cause him problems. We have not
done a systematic removal of any other category of foods from his diet besides
gluten and casein, mostly because he was doing fairly well and we couldn't bear
to limit his diet any further--he enjoys foods and is not a picky eater.
Lately, however, he has had problems with wetting his pants and more difficulty
keeping up in school. I would like to try reducing his intake of salicylates to see if this helps him. If we reduce but not
completely eliminate these foods, should we see an improvement, or is a
complete elimination necessary? How long does it generally take to notice
improvements?
A. Regarding
reduced salicylates, one mother wrote: 'I cut back my
five year old daughter's intake of fruit to about a quarter of what she
normally had. Within days we saw dramatic changes. Her behaviour
evened out - she was more sensible and obliging, less aggressive and defiant -
and altogether much more pleasant to live with.' As a result of seeing such positive changes
she then went ahead and did the full elimination diet and was very pleased she
did. It is a difficult decision: while socially the diet is awkward, children
are then able to be themselves and reach their full potential rather than be
held back by something they are eating. For more information, ask for our Salicylate Mistakes information sheet (suedengate@ozemail.com.au)
Q. I
recently asked a big confectionery manufacturer what is in their chocolate frogs
because they list 'flavours' on the ingredients list,
but do not stipulate which flavours. According to
them under legislation they are not required to divulge this information to
consumers. I am utterly astounded and it certainly makes me suspicious - what
exactly are they using?
A.
There are over two thousand flavour additives
permitted in our foods. These flavours do not have to
be listed on the label because they are considered to be trade secrets. It
would be difficult for manufacturers to list flavour
additives and hard for consumers to understand because for example a strawberry
flavour may contain twenty or thirty chemicals that
sound more like a chemistry laboratory than a pantry. However, I have heard
that plain chocolates may contain flavour ingredients
such vanilla and cinnamon. Obviously cinnamon would not be failsafe. Failsafers are safest avoiding all flavoured
products except vanilla flavoured products, and even
then the amount is limited. Chemically it doesn’t matter to us whether vanilla/vanillin
flavour is natural, artificial or nature identical.
What matters is the size of the dose. For more information see http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/factsheets/Factflavour.htm.
Q. Help!
what is the best brand of paracetamol for failsafers? Preservative, colour
and flavour free - I tried Herron tablets and they
have a vanilla flavoured coating.
A. You
can use Herron brand tabsules (white, no flavouring, no preservatives). Another alternative is
Herron Capseals or Panadol
Mini-caps – discard the gelatin capules which are artificially coloured
and use the contents mixed with magic cordial, milk, or 1 tbsp failsafe icecream. Dose for children is 15mg paracetamol
per kg body weight. For children under two, ask for our baby paracetamol recipe.
Q. I’ve been
failsafe for two years and have got the stage where I can tolerate some high salicylates but I’ve got thrush for the first time since
going failsafe, should I eliminate sugar?
A.
From the RPA point of view, thrush is just one more food intolerance symptom -
it means that the diet needs fine-tuning. It does NOT mean you need to
eliminate sugar and yeast - the so called candida
diet is not scientifically proven. When failsafers
develop thrush it always turns out they have let the diet slip. Usually it is
too many salicylates as in the example above but it
can be any of the other culprits, including amines or dairy products. See more
in the Women’s Problems Factsheet http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/factsheets/Factwomen.htm
Q. The
ingredients in my baby’s formula include nucleotides guanosine
5’-monophosphate and inosine 5’-monophosphate. Aren’t
they the same as flavour enhancer 635 (ribonucleotides) that causes Ribo
Rash?
A. Yes,
in the body these ingredients are chemically the same as flavour
enhancer 635 (which is a mixture of disodium guanylate and disodium disodium inosinate). Presumably
they are added in much smaller doses. I agree it does seem odd that ribonucleotides can be added to infant formula while
prohibited as additives in foods for babies and young children. However, as we
all know with food intolerance, reactions are related to the size of the dose. Ribonucleotides occur naturally in human breastmilk and are thought to boost immunity, which is why
they are added to infant formulas. Ribonucleotides in
baby formulas have probably been much better tested than ribonucleotides
as flavour enhancers – at least, one hopes so,
particularly with regard to later development of allergies. We are concerned
that since ribonucleotides are known to boost the
immune system, it seems possible that large uncontrolled doses (e.g. eaten by
pregnant or breastfeeding mothers or in chicken flavoured
chips or soups and sauces often given to babies in family meals) may contribute
to the development of allergies which are essentially over-functioning of the
immune system. Childhood allergies started increasing about the same time that ribonucleotides became popular as flavour
enhancers and experts have no idea why. Ribonucleotides
are used to boost the effects of MSG up to 15 times and in our experience they
boost the adverse effects too. Some people in our network have started off with
a food intolerance reaction to 635 that has developed into an allergic-type
reaction; and some babies exposed early to 635 in food have developed
allergies. Oh, and one more thing: since ribonucleotides
occur naturally in the body, allergists can’t test for IgE
mediated allergic reactions to nucleotide flavour
enhancers. (Further reading: low-birth-weight babies fed preterm formula with
and without ribonucleotides: comparison with human
milk http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/62/5/943.
Later studies increased the dose.)
Q. Recently
I purchased a quality fresh homemade style chicken and leek family pie. On reading the ingredients I was overjoyed
that here was a fast food that had failsafe ingredients, listing salt but no
stock. Anyway I was hit with severe tiredness, heavy eyes, thirst and unusual
(for me) bad mood within one hour of eating it that lasted over 24 hours. My breastfed 10-month old baby had a bit of
an unsettled night, bit of a cough and … some red blotchy rash on her torso. I
knew for sure that there must be an ingredient unlisted like stock or flavour enhancer. I
rang the company (who said) “there is no stock, just a bit of chicken salt”! What
is “chicken salt” and is there somewhere I should report the label being
incorrect?
A. Chicken
salt is usually ordinary table salt with added flavour
enhancers, often in quite large quantities. That would account for all your
symptoms. Our updated MSG factsheet might be useful: http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/factsheets/FactMSG.htm.
In
Q. My food
intolerant teenage daughter has had extreme skin irritations with weeping, red,
scaly and flaring spots all over body since purchasing a latex mattress. She is
a responder to bananas, strawberries and avocadoes.
A. Sensitivity
to those fruits can indicate latex allergy and people with latex allergy can’t
use latex mattresses. Update: the skin irritation improved within 2 days of
removing the latex mattress. For more information:
- latex allergy - http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Latex_allergy?OpenDocument
- natural
bedding alternatives - www.blessedearth.com.au (10% off if you mention the Food
Intolerance Network) .
(June 2009)
Q. My son adores
peanut butter, and I m having a big struggle to find a substitute for him. I
have tried the cashew paste in your cookbook, but he hates it. I also notice
that Freedom Foods soy butter is no longer available. Yesterday however I came
across a product called Eskals FreeNut
Butter. The ingredients are sunflower seed (85% minimum), sugar, emulsifier
(471), salt and antioxidant (306). Is it considered failsafe?
A.
Unfortunately, Freenut Butter is NOT failsafe because
sunflower seeds are listed as high in salicylates and
amines by RPA. For children who hate cashew paste, try the option with carob
powder added, it’s much nicer. Thanks to Annette.
Q. My 2 year
old daughter is addicted to salicylates - she loves
breaking into the bathroom and sucking on her minty
Wiggles baby paste. Is there a low fluoride plain toothpaste for kids?
A. Young
children shouldn’t swallow fluoride toothpaste, because too much fluoride can
affect the formation of permanent teeth and possibly other health problems. An
advantage of plain toothpaste – other than lack of salicylates
- is that children aren’t tempted to eat it. Normal toothpastes contains about
1 mg of fluoride per gram of toothpaste and low fluoride toothpaste contains
about half that. I don’t know of any low fluoride children’s toothpastes that
are free of both flavours and colours
but you can use Plain Toothpaste from Oral Hygiene Solutions (http://www.oralhygienesolutions.com/page/plain_toothpaste.html)
or Soul Pattinson pharmacies. The current medical
recommendation for children under six is to use only a pea size amount of low
fluoride toothpaste or a smear of regular fluoride toothpaste twice a day.
Q. Our
school has announced they are installing new carpet in my son’s classroom. Can
you put me in touch with some information about why this is not acceptable for
my food and chemically sensitive son?
A. The
Carpet Institute of
Q. After
attending one of your seminars about 4 years ago we have managed to change our
now 15 year old daughter’s life by eliminating preservatives, colours and flavours. We are travelling to the
A. We
took our teenagers around the world, including the
My recommendation about traveling is to cater for
yourself whenever possible. For flights, take your own food. I always pack lots
of sandwiches – e.g. preservative free cream cheese with finely sliced celery
(or cucumber if you can manage salicylates) travels
well. If you happen to find any food in airline meals or airports that you can
eat, regard that as a bonus. In airports, you can often ask for a milkshake/smoothie
with nothing but banana (or real mango) and milk. Contributions from readers
are welcome: email to suedengate@ozemail.com.au.
Q. My 12 yr
old son has taken penicillin for tonsillitis twice in the last two months. Both
times I have noticed my son’s behaviour became much
more moody and disobedient. The medication was LPV capsules. Could there be a
problem with the drug itself or am I looking for an unlisted culprit?
A. I
did a Google search in May 09 for <LPV
capsules> and found the CMI (Consumer Medicines Information) leaflet at http://www.mydr.com.au/medicines/cmis/lpv-capsules.
The "inactive" ingredients are listed at the bottom of the CMI. They
include three artificial colours which are listed by
names and Colour Index (CI) numbers but are also
known as colours 110, 127 and 133 – all artificial colours we recommend to avoid. At that time, the CMI
claimed "LPV does not contain gluten, sucrose, tartrazine
or any other azo dyes" but this is incorrect as
sunset yellow (110) is an azo dye. I notified the
manufacturer and they promised to change it. You can see more information and a
list of Colour Index numbers on our Medications
factsheet.
Q. My
daughter recently went from taking 10mg Losec to 20mg
(half twice a day). I noticed the colour of the
tablets is quite different. When I contacted the manufacturer they told me that
the darker colour in the 20mg is due to the fact that
it has iron oxide red and iron oxide yellow in it (although they did say there
is also a small amount of iron oxide red in 10mg) do you know anything about
these colours and whether they are OK or should be
avoided?
A.
Iron oxides (red, yellow and black) are all variations on natural colour 172. They are considered to be well tolerated by failsafers and were consumed without problems for years in
the RPA-recommended Macro M vitamin supplements that have since been
discontinued.
Q. Could Vegeta stock powder be causing my son’s bad behaviour? We have it nearly every night.
A. Yes
it could. The vegetable flavour Vegeta
gourmet stock powder contains MSG (flavour enhancer
621) which has been associated with a range of reactions including behaviour. The other Vegeta flavours (chicken, beef and chicken salt reduced) contain
the newer flavour enhancer disodium
inosinate (627) which seems to cause even more
problems than MSG.
Q. Can you
tell me if processed eucheuma seaweed listed as a stabiliser in a homemade icecream
mix is failsafe?
A. Processed
eucheuma seaweed is vegetable gum (407a) also known
as
Q. My son
has been getting into serious trouble at school and has been hitting children
(he does not have ADHD). At home, we seem to have a very difficult time with
him. Our children eat at least 3 fruits a day - mainly kiwi, pineapple,
mangoes, apples and tangerines - and these seem to be the worse offenders.
A.
Most of the fruits you mention wouldn’t have been eaten every day by young
children 30 years ago. Kiwi fruit, pineapples and citrus are all rated as very
high in natural chemicals called salicylates and
amines that are known to cause behavioural effects
and most varieties of apples are high in salicylates.
Blueberries, strawberries, grapes and sultanas are some other fruits commonly
eaten every day by young children that can cause problems. Some families can
see improvements by avoiding additives and possibly reducing fruit and tomato
intake, while others get best results through doing the RPA elimination diet
supervised by a dietitian. This family saw a big improvements when they cut out
additives.
(February 2009)
Q. My dentist wants me to use
GC Tooth Mousse - I phoned the supplier to ask whether there are preservatives
or colours and she said it contains propylene glycol,
titanium dioxide and xylitol sugars. I seem to react
to very small amounts of any preservatives, colours
or flavours so I believe I would be in trouble if I
used this mousse (it has to be left on every night to help my gums and teeth).
What are your views?
A. The
list of ingredients from the supplier didn't seem long enough so I searched the
internet for "GC Tooth Mousse ingredients". According to the Material
Safety Data Sheet the product contains three hydroxybenzoate
preservatives. Also known as parabens or
preservatives (214-219), these preservatives are known to affect people who are
sensitive to artificial colours and salicylates. The European MSDS warns "Do not use this
material on patients with a proven or suspected milk protein allergy and/or
with a sensitivity or allergy to benzoate preservatives". This product is
NOT FAILSAFE.
Feedback: ‘Well I have tried the "plain" GC
Tooth Mousse three times and have reacted each time with the usual symptoms. It
appears to stay in my system for two days. I react with insomnia, then my body
gets "the jumps". I have even gone back to having the jumps in my
legs and arms during the day (two days after using the tooth mousse)!’ See also
next question.
Q. I seem to be reacting to
NEO-MERC
A.
Under TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) regulations colours
do not have to be listed on medication labels - due to lack of space - leaving
consumers to rely on dodgy word-of-mouth advice from suppliers or pharmacists.
The pharmacist who advised you was either ignorant or misleading. Pigment red
101 is not the same as Food Colour 101 (riboflavin, a
B vitamin). Ferric oxide, the colour used in your
medication, is also called iron oxide or food colour
(172). Iron oxides are available in red (and pink), yellow and black. Although
iron is toxic in large doses, the small amounts of iron oxide used as colours are considered safe - in the past many failsafers have consumed iron oxide as the colour in Macro M Vitamins. The additive most likely to
cause problems in the list above is propyl hydroxybenzoate (also known as preservative 216). Benzoates
include preservatives 210-213 especially sodium benzoate (211) in foods and
drinks, and parabens or hydroxybenzoates
(216, 218) in drugs. All benzoates can cause the same adverse effects. See also
question above. *** Please report all adverse reactions to
additives in medications in
Q. Are there any failsafe low
GI (Glycemic Index) breads?
A.
·
Bakers Delight Hi-Fibre Lo GI (GI=52, the average GI of bread is 70) is
failsafe and is the lowest GI white bread. The low GI is achieved through the
inclusion of oatbran and inulin.
Check other low GI breads for the inclusion of non-failsafe ingredients such as
sesame seeds, calcium propionate (preservative 282 ) or cultured whey which is
a natural form of 282 (see Watch out for Whey on our 282 factsheet).
Linseeds have small amounts of salicylates and amines
in them. RPA recommends the use of linseed oil in small quantities as a
supplement, but you would need to test your own tolerance for linseeds in
bread. Also, some people with food intolerance do better with refined white
flour than wholegrain wheat. Bakers Delight white Lo GI may be best for them.
·
Bakers Delight Wholemeal
Country Grain (GI=53) contains both maize semolina and linseeds so it is not
fully failsafe and you would need to approach it with caution. Maize semolina
is near the cornstarch end of the scale so it may be worth a try.
·
Country Life Rye Hi-Soy Bread with
Linseed (GI=42) is not completely failsafe as sour rye dough may be a problem
for amine responders, and check your tolerance for the linseed.
·
Country Life Performax
bread (GI=38) has the lowest GI of any Australian bread, achieved by a high linola content. Linola is a new
form of golden linseed developed from brown linseeds, unfortunately without the
excellent omega ratio - linola has only about 2% of
alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, an omega 3 fatty acid, the
good one) but about 72% of linoleic acid LA (omega
6). Performax may be suitable, we just don’t know -
you would have to try it carefully (feedback welcomed to suedengate@ozemail.com.au).
Q. I was wondering if the
Nestle Nesquiks (powder form) are ok, we have been
giving them to our son for a trial but I think I may have stuffed up. Normally
we go bright colour definitely alarm bells and stick
to what we know, but these drinks say ‘no artificial colours
or flavours’ so we gave them a go. On the back it
says natural flavours, natural colours
(riboflavin, annatto) where I thought annatto was bad.
Chocolate has: cane sugar,
non-alkalised cocoa, emulsifier (soy lecithin), spice
(cinnamon).
Strawberry has: cane sugar, maltodextrin, natural colour
(120), natural flavour.
Banana has: cane sugar,
natural flavour, natural colours
(riboflavin, annatto).
What do you think? I would be
happier if ingredients came with a dictionary.
A. Annatto
(160b) is bad. It is the only natural colour that
causes as many problems as artificial colours. So
that would account for a reaction to the banana flavoured
product. See annatto factsheet for more information.
If your son is reacting to the strawberry or chocolate flavours, then he almost certainly sensitive to either salicylates (in the cinnamon and the natural strawberry flavour) or amines (in the cocoa and the natural banana flavour) or both. You can see more about salicylates and amines in my books or the introduction to food intolerance).
If you’ve read those and are still confused, ask me for the special salicylate and amine mistake factsheets
(suedengate@ozemail.com.au)
Q. My two-year-old daughter
is being investigated for autism and has been started on Incremin
cherry iron mixture. Can she continue with this on the elimination diet?
A.
According to the manufacturers at the time of writing, Incremin
cherry iron mixture contains artificial colour
Amaranth (123) as well as two preservatives Sodium Benzoate (211) and Sorbic Acid (200) so it is definitely NOT suitable for the
elimination diet. See our supplements
factsheet for alternatives.
Q. My asthmatic daughter
(asthma normally controlled by diet) started back at school swimming today and
has come home very blue around her mouth. It looks like someone has punched her
in the face and she has two black eyes. Could this be a chlorine allergy? We
have found that she does react to chlorine but not to this degree. She said
that she thought that they had only put chlorine in the day before or that
morning.
A.
Chlorine levels can vary alarmingly and could have been particularly high if
they had just dosed the pool. There are many children in our network who cannot
tolerate chlorinated pools and who react with a variety of symptoms including
asthma, eczema and problems behaviours. Sometimes
symptoms can be minimised by wearing goggles and
showering immediately after leaving the pool. Consult your doctor if worried
about asthmatic reactions. See the full text research: Bernard A and others,
Chlorinated pool attendance, atopy, and the risk of
asthma during childhood. Environ Health Perspect.
2006;114(10):1567-73. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=17035144
Q. Are you aware of any
websites/books which would have a comprehensive list of the amine content in
foods?
A.
The best sources are RPA’s Friendly Food and the
booklet Salicylates, Amines and Glutamates from your
dietitian or RPA website. Oddly, there is also a useful website promoting
recreational use of the Peruvian drug ayahuasca
because the drug turns users into amine responders by inhibiting the enzyme
that breaks down amines, see http://www.biopark.org/peru/maoi-1.html.
There is some useful stuff on Wikipedia under
different types of amines and you can ask (suedengate@ozemail.com.au) for our
Amine Mistakes factsheet.
Q. Is TVP (textured vegetable
protein) failsafe? I have googled it and from the Wikepedia
description it appears to me to be ok.
A.
The latest version of Friendly Food says it is NOT failsafe. I agree that from
the Wikipedia description it sounds OK: made from
soy, not to be confused with HVP (hydrolysed
vegetable protein) and has "little flavour of
its own". However, according to the manufacturer’s website (http://www.southnettradeaust.com/pdfs/tvp.pdf)
"taste and colour can be made to order as mince,
dice, flake, chunk, crumble or flour" so obviously the flavours
and colours wouldn’t be failsafe. For example, the
ingredient list for simulated bacon flavoured
sprinkles made from TVP is "Textured soy flour, Vegetable oil, Salt, Flavours, Colour-129 [artificial colour
allura red], Whey powder".
(November 2008)
Q. My nearly
two-year-old is the most boisterous boy I have met, and to be honest I am
feeling beaten down. I cannot remember the last time he slept all night. He is
a handful from the moment he wakes up, and that never stops. We don't eat a lot
of junk food, but after looking at your website I am identifying a lot of my
family’s behaviour with intolerances. I feel I need
to start cutting out certain things from his diet but after talking to my
doctor I came away deflated. She told me that it is very rare that people have
allergies to salicylates and that it would be an
expensive, long and hard path to go down when it probably wasn't the answer.
*sigh* Instead she recommended some sort of controlled crying.
A.
Some doctors may not understand dietary salicylates
because the information is new. The elimination diet is:
- not expensive - one mother wrote: ‘my shopping bill has gone down
by about $100 per week with no junk or frozen convenience food anymore’
- not long – you only have to try it for three weeks
- not hard – most mothers say it is easier than living with a
difficult child
- is probably the answer.
Follow up:
One week later – after cutting down on fruit and high salicylate
vegetables - this mother wrote to say her son had slept through the night:
‘could this be a glimmer of hope?’
Q. Does ham
sliced off the bone in the deli still contain nitrites/nitrates like processed
sliced ham in the packets?
A.
Yes! For people who don’t react to amines, it is possible to buy
preservative-free ham and bacon from organic suppliers in fine food shops or
health food stores. Read the label and expect it to be more expensive. See
Product Updates on our website, e.g. products from Eumundi
Smokehouse Sydney,
Q I found a
vegemite copy spread with no preservative, no yeast extract but with the main
ingredient being vegetable protein extract. Is this the same as hydrolysed vegetable protein – to be avoided?
A.
Yes. It’s the next step in the confuse-the-consumer game. Now consumers know to
avoid hydrolysed vegetable protein and hydrolysed plant protein, manufacturers have switched to
words such as ‘formulated’ proteins or ‘protein extracts’, ‘yeast extracts’ or
even just ‘soy (flavouring)’. You can expect an
ingredient that sounds like a plant, vegetable or soy protein or flavouring or yeast to contain natural glutamates,
especially when used in a ‘delicious’ sauce or product.
Q. I am
pregnant again and was unable to breast feed last time.
A.
Food intolerance can cause a range of breastfeeding problems. Food intolerant
babies will often pull away from the breast and refuse to feed, see story #
000.
Q. I am
intolerant to salicylates, natural MSG and have
restricted all types of colourings, additives, wheat
and milk. With such intolerances, do you think it would be wise to refrain from
eating Japanese food?
A.
It depends what you choose. Wasabi sauces and flavours, e.g. wasabi flavoured peas, generally contain artificial colours 110 and 133. MSG is commonly used in Japanese food
for flavour. Soy sauce is high in natural glutamates
even when all natural. Miso soup is high in amines
and natural glutamates. Japanese foods such as soba – traditionally buckwheat
noodles – and tempura batter – traditionally rice flour – now often contain
wheat. Sushi rolls are made with rice vinegar which would contain amines. We
don’t know about Nori seaweed, it may contain natural
glutamates and/or other natural chemicals.
Follow up: The
questioner replied: ‘this confirmed why I was getting headaches every day
(MSG). Back to my strict diet!’
Q. Which in
your opinion is the best Australian book covering natural substances and their
derivatives and extracts etc like milk, casein and eggs. I have been shocked at
how little help you receive in
A.
For information on a range of food allergens including milk, eggs, soy,
peanuts, etc see the Food Allergen Cards available from www.allergyfacts.org.au; also see
the comprehensive Allergy Free shopping list (nut, egg, milk) on the RPA
website at http://www.cs.nsw.gov.au/rpa/allergy/resources/allergy/allergenfreeshoppinglist.pdf.
(August 2008)
Q. My son who has just turned
4 has just been diagnosed with his 54th ear infection. He has had 13 perforated
ear drums with bleeding. His speech is affected and his hearing. He has had two
operations: the first for grommets and the second for grommets and adenoids
removed. I'm at the end, I cry all the time, he cries in pain and keeps us up
at night. He is just such a sad boy. He has these really loud naughty outbursts
that take their toll on the whole family. Please help me.
A.
The answer for this child – as for many others with frequent ear infections –
was dairy foods. The child improved so much on dairy avoidance that the mother
was able to cancel the next grommet operation. After a week-long dairy
challenge the problems recurred. While dairy foods seem to be the main culprits
with frequent ear infections, other common culprits (additives, salicylates, amines, gluten) can be involved, depending on
individual sensitivity.
Q. My husband gets severe
eczema from amines. A couple of months ago he was watching an action movie with
Harrison Ford in it. Lots of fighting, guns etc. He doesn't normally watch
these sort of movies. By the end of the movie his skin had gone red, weepy and
very itchy. Within a half hour of the movie finishing his skin had settled back
down. Could an adrenaline rush cause a reaction?
A.
Yes. Adrenaline is an amine.
Q. We can’t find cauliflower
mentioned in your book – it is failsafe?
A.
Cauliflower originally tested as moderate in salicylates
but has been upgraded and is now listed by RPA in Friendly Food as *very high*
in both salicylates and amines. Fruit and vegetables
mentioned in the shopping list and recipes in my books are low in salicylates and therefore permitted on the strict
elimination diet unless otherwise specified. If moderate, they are listed as
optional -not suitable for the strict diet. If high, they are in the challenge
section. If not mentioned at all they are probably very high in both salicylates and amines. If you’d like more information
about salicylates or amines, write to suedengate@ozemail.com.au.
Q. Cornflakes are not on the
shopping list but I can't see what is wrong with them. Please explain!
A.
The salicylate content of corn products depends on
the variety of corn and the processing method:
·
corn, cornflakes and other corn
cereals (e.g. Nutrigrain), cornmeal and polenta are
listed as high in salicylates by RPA
·
corn chips (crisps), tacos and corn
oil are listed as moderate
·
highly refined corn products totally
lacking in flavour such as corn cornflour
(e.g. White Wings) and cornstarch are listed as low
·
corn syrup hasn’t been tested but is
probably moderate
·
in Dr Swain’s salicylate
analyses, canned corn was much higher (up to 0.39 - in the high category) than
fresh sweetcorn on the cob (0.13 - in the moderate
category), so fresh homegrown sweetcorn on the cob
may be moderate
·
popcorn has not been tested but I’m
guessing it’s high
·
highly refined maize starch is
probably low but maize meal and wholegrain maize would probably be high.
Q. My son (now 22) ate very
limited salicylates for much of his younger
childhood. It made a dramatic difference to his personality and behaviour. He now wants to eliminate them again to see if
it helps him to focus, become more organised, and
gain a bit of self-control to assist him in his uni
studies.
A.
We have heard from many parents that their grown up children – including mine -
have good motivation and do well on the diet at university.
(May 2008)
Q. I regard potatoes more as
a starchy carbohydrate than a vegetable and wonder if my son has too many.
A.
Often called uber tubers, potatoes contain all the
vitamins, minerals, proteins, calories and cellulose necessary for life. A
healthy adult can survive indefinitely on potatoes alone. A potato crop can grow
in any climate and can yield four times the calories of a grain crop. (http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,2263286,00.html).
Jamie Oliver lists potatoes as the top crop for home gardeners: 'Everyone
deserves to experience home-grown potatoes - what a pleasure!' To be low in salicylates, potatoes must be large, old, brown skinned,
white fleshed and thickly peeled. Potatoes that are small, new, red skinned or
have coloured flesh - even cream colour
like Kipfler - are higher in salicylates.
Q. I seem to have troubling
neurological symptoms due to Rosemary Extract, commonly used as an antioxidant
in almost all vegetable oils. The amounts are so small as to avoid labelling laws, yet enough to upset a sensitive soul like
myself. Even rabid herbalists concede rosemary can cause gastric and neural
problems in some people. Are you aware of any reports on reactions to
rosemary?
A.
Rosemary extract would be very high in natural food chemicals called salicylates. These chemicals occur in most plant foods in
varying amounts and can cause the same problems as additives if consumed in
large doses or by sensitive people, see our salicylate factsheet. Compare the following figures from Swain et
al's 1985 paper 'Salicylates in Foods': pears 0.00
(mg per 100 mg); carrot 0.23; strawberries 1.36; sultanas (dried white grapes)
7.80; cinnamon powder 15.20; rosemary (dried) 68.00.
Q.I have just started my son
on the elimination diet, he is in the 3rd week and we have slowly seen some
improvement.
A.
By the end of the 3rd week most people see spectacular improvement if they have
the diet right. Have you read the Checklist of Common
Mistakes on the website? You are welcome to send me a list of everything
your son eats in a typical day so I can look for possible mistakes. I can
usually find about five mistakes - some serious enough to prevent improvement -
in food lists from people who swear they are sticking strictly to the diet.
Q. I am finding it hard to
come up with enough variety of foods for my son as he is very fussy and this
seems to limit what sort of foods he can eat. Do you have any suggestions?
A.
Fussy eaters usually improve when you get the diet right. One mother whose two
young daughters had previously been picky described how they turned into 'clean
plate' eaters after three weeks on the diet. For suggestions regarding a
variety of foods I recommend the Failsafe Cookbook. One mother whose son was
lunch swapping wrote: 'I was able to buy your cookbook, so now he is getting
enough interesting things and variety that he feels he is not missing out!'
Q. Since we started our
elimination diet I have been experiencing a lot of diarrhoea,
at one point, every day for a week. I thought maybe it was a withdrawal
reaction, but it has continued. I have stopped my 2 blocks of chocolate a day
habit and to get me through I am using xylitol which
the homeopath said was completely safe. Is xylitol
not recommended as a sugar substitute?
A. Xylitol is not safe for some people. It doesn't cause the
full range of food intolerance reactions such as behaviour
or headaches, but any of the sugar free sweeteners ending in '-ol' (e.g. Sorbitol, Mannitol) can cause diarrhea and irritable bowel symptoms,
especially if eaten frequently. See our Sugar Free Sweetener factsheet
for more details.
Q I've noticed that my brand of
contraceptive pill has artifical colouring.
I really don't want to be consuming this every single day! Do you know of any
brands of the contraceptive pill that are failsafe or where I might find out?
A. Contraceptive
pills aren't great for women with food intolerance because female hormones can
make symptoms of food intolerance worse, i.e. premenstrually
and when taking oestrogen in medication. For pills
without artificial colour, you can browse through the
Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) sheets for ingredients of oral
contraceptives at http://www.mydr.com.au/drugs/mediresults.asp.
(February 2008)
Q. I bought green grapes two
weeks straight – they were so cheap and I haven’t bought them since last year.
My son loved them but for those two weeks he was screaming and hitting me and
going crazy until I put it together - behaviour +
grapes. I was talking to another friend
and she said her daughter was reacting the same way. We took the grapes away and both the kids
calmed down within a couple of days.
There was a warning at the supermarket about sulphur
dioxide next to the price sign on the grapes. Is this a common phenomenon?
A.
Since the ‘salad bar’ asthmatic deaths in the 1970s due to overuse of sulphur dioxide on lettuce, sulphur
dioxide has been banned on fresh fruit and vegetables except for grapes. These
days they use sulphur dioxide generator pads instead
of sprays. However, growers are warned that high temperatures can cause
excessive sulphur dioxide in the grapes. January was
the hottest month ever in
Q. Would removing the crusts
on bread get rid of the preservative?
A.
In
Q. Can you tell me is bocconcini cheese failsafe? I assumed it was since it is a
fresh white cheese.
A.
White cheeses such as cottage cheese or ricotta are low in amines and failsafe
as long as they are recently made and preservative-free. Bocconcini
are small, mild, white, young mozzarella cheeses kept moist by storage in
natural whey or brine. Fresh bocconcini are probably
failsafe but if kept will develop amines.
Q. We have benefited greatly
from failsafe eating. However we are in a newly renovated house and although my
son is on the full elimination diet, his behaviour
which we discovered to be due to food has now returned to pre-diet due to the
effects of paint smells etc. Any suggestions?
A. The
best way to deal with new renovation smells is to ventilate - leave all the
doors and windows wide open as much as possible and run fans. If there are any
smelly removable items such as mattresses or new furniture, you can put them on
a verandah or leave them in the garage to gas off. Some people have dealt with
this problem successfully by getting their kids to sleep in a tent in the back
yard. Or could you stay with someone else for a month or two until the worst of
it is over. Formaldehyde (a common VOC in renovations) is a carcinogen so it's
not something you want to be exposed to anyway.
Q. My son aged 12 months is
allergic to soy. Do you know the number codes for soy derived emulsifiers etc?
A.
From a reader who is sensitive to both soy and legumes: “As well as 322
(lecithin) I also avoid additives 476,471,492 (emulsifiers), vegetable gums
410,412,415,416,461 (not all soy but derivatives of various beans), vegetable
gums & vegetable protein, TVP (textured vegetable protein) and vegetable
starch (even if they do not specifically state soy, I don't take the chance).
Soya beans, soya meal, soy flour (very common in
breads and cakes), soya sauce, miso,
tofu and chickpeas. In fact quite a lot of 'health foods' are grossly unhealthy
for me. Packaged health foods nearly always contain a soy additive.” See more
details in story [314] “13 years of intolerance to soy” (April 2004).
Q. It is easier for me to buy
goats’ milk than A2 milk. Is it the same?
A.
Goats milk contains the same A2 beta casein protein as A2 cow’s milk, but it
has a different nutritional profile. Babies who have goat’s milk may need extra
supplements including Vitamin D and Folic Acid. Your dietitian can advise about
this.
(November 2007)
Q. I came across "1422 -
thickener" in a packet of frozen meals. What is this please and is it a no
no? We really enjoy your informative site.
A. Thickeners
are only a problem for coeliacs and others who are
very sensitive to gluten. Also called modified starches, thickeners 1400-1450
may contain trace amounts of gluten if they have been derived from wheat. If
gluten is in the product, it will be listed on the label.
Q. I would like your opinion
on whether fresh coriander is failsafe or not. Also interested in seeing if
there is a difference between fresh coriander and ground seed?
A. Technically,
fresh coriander is moderate in salicylates. It
contains 0.20 mg per 100 mg (compared to fresh parsley leaves with 0.08 and Red
Delicious apple with 0.19, according to the Swain et al 1985 analyses). An
occasional small amount is probably okay for most salicylate
sensitive people, but I recommend caution if using it in a product you eat
every day. It is so easy for salicylates to build up
when you are not looking. Ground coriander seed was not tested but you would
expect it to be much higher in salicylates.
Q. My son’s aggression has
been increasing. He has been eating a lot of the new all natural jelly cups,
strawberry flavour (ingredients: sugar, thickener
(401), food acids (355,331), mineral salt (341), flavour,
colour (120).) What do you think, is this jelly
failsafe?
A. Those
jelly cups are fine for families who are simply going additive-free but they
are not failsafe because of the strawberry flavour
which contains natural chemicals called salicylates. Salicylates can cause the same problems as additives if
consumed in large doses or by sensitive people. Note that colour
(120, cochineal) doesn’t cause behaviour problems but
because it is made from insects it should be used with caution by children with
a family history of food allergy (also not kosher).
Q I feel very confused about which is the
lesser of two evils - the trans fats in butter (which is listed as 'natural
trans fats' - what does that mean???) or the preservative 202.
A. It
is the unnatural trans fats that are the problem. We ourselves eat pure butter
(Mainland Buttersoft from NZ) and totally avoid 202.
We also avoid synthetic trans fats. Nuttelex
additive-free dairy-free margarine is low in trans fats. However, we minimise our intake of saturated fats including butter. For
example, when baking I will often choose to make muffins or a cake recipe with
vegetable oil rather than rather than butter or margarine. For vegetable oil,
we use canola oil. It's a monounsaturate with one of
the best omega ratios despite scientific-seeming internet criticism probably
started by an opposing industry. Olive oil is similar but we can't eat it
because of salicylates.
Q. I recently asked our
Swedish food safety authorities if they do tests on additives themselves, or do
they rely only on the tests done by the producers of the additives? They
answered that neither they, nor the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), do
any tests at all. The approval of an additive is based solely on tests
performed by the producer of the additive. Isn´t this
a bit like asking Phillip Morris if smoking is safe? – Stefan from
A. It’s even worse than that – before additives are
approved there are no tests at all regarding their effects on children’s
health, behaviour and learning – and there is no
monitoring afterwards. When consumers report adverse effects, they are advised
to carry out their own double blind placebo controlled studies.
Q. I found the following radio story a bit of a worry: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/20/2095831.htm [A leading CSIRO scientist says there is no
reason to fear that future gene technology will threaten food safety. Deputy
chief of plant industry research, Dr TJ Higgins, says consumers have been using
oil from genetically modified cotton for the past 10 years. Most of the fish
and chips that we eat are cooked in the oil from cotton seed, and there are 33
other foods have been approved for consumption. "So there are already many
products that are in the food chain that we have been consuming safely."]
A. We are worried too. Dr Higgins says there are strict
regulations to protect consumer food safety, but as we have already seen,
regulations about food additives haven't done anything to protect our children.
Here's what you can do. This Saturday, vote for your local Green candidate and
vote Green in the Senate. The Greens have a strong policy about GM foods,
including mandatory full labelling. Of course they
won't win, but every vote sends a message and if there are some Greens in the
Senate, there is a chance of controlling what happens with GM foods.
(August 2007)
Q. I have
just read your fact sheet on 635 (riborash). It seems that any time we eat a food with
this in it (particularly cream of chicken and corn soup used in risotto), my 16
month old gets severe nappy rash. Could
this be a reaction to the additive?
A.
Yes. The rash can appear differently in different people. One of the original
observations of ribo rash was in twin 10-month-old
boys who suffered severe rash in the nappy area and extending down to their
feet and on their faces when at its worst.
Q. I have
been using a saline spray for my son’s seasonal itchy nose with great success.
However we have experienced aggressive episodes since using the product (Narium). I did a
double check and found a preservative Benzalkonium
Chloride (BAC) is in the product. Have you had any experience with this?
A.
There have been some reports of nasal burning, dryness, or irritation due to
nasal sprays preserved with
Q. Why is sulphur dioxide added to wine?
A.
According to Erl Happs,
maker of the excellent Happs range of
preservative-free and low preservative wines, sulphur
dioxide ‘hardens the palate’ of a wine, see http://www.happs.com.au/pages/PFQandA.html.
Q. Is there
a product like muesli bars that can be bought directly off the shelf that is
homemade without all the additives?
A.
Thanks to Jenny Ravlic from Additive Education (www.additiveeducation.com.au)
for the following answer: We don't suggest any of the standard packets of
muesli bars available in supermarkets because they all have either
sulphites, annatto, flavours
and/or nasty antioxidants in the oil. There is a great product called Naturally
Organic Oat Slice (few varieties) made by the All Natural Bakery. They are sold
individually in 100g slices with no artificial flavours,
colours or preservatives - very much like a homemade
product. There is also the Amore Fruity Nut Bars, sold in multi packs. Both of
these are available in Coles, possibly Safeways and
IGA. Please note that these suggestions are additive free but not failsafe (low
in salicylates and amines).
(May 2007)
Q. What is the best way to stay
with the most current info on the salicylate content
in foods?
A.
See the latest edition of Friendly Food by the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Allergy Clinic, http://www.cs.nsw.gov.au/rpa/Allergy/default.htm
Q. My daughter suffers from
dizzy spells. Specialist testing, from MRI scans to epilepsy, has found
nothing. I was wondering if intolerance to certain foods can cause dizziness, I
am at my wit’s end as my daughter cannot even close her eyes sometimes at night
because her head starts to spin.
A. Dizziness
and a spinning head (vertigo) can be related to chemicals in foods and
medications. The most likely culprits are: synthetic salicylates
in medications such as aspirin, nurofen and other
pain killers or anti-inflammatory medications, acne cleansers, wart medication,
sports liniments and medicated lotions; artificial colours
and preservatives in foods and medications; natural salicylates
in most fruit and some vegetables - particularly high in tomato sauce, juice,
broccoli, grapes and citrus fruits - (see the Salicylates
and Meniere’s factsheets).
If avoiding salicylate-containing medications doesn't
help, the best way to find out if foods are your daughter's problem would be to
do a 3 week trial of the RPAH (
Q. I would like to contact Woolworths with an enquiry about their Home Brand products.
Do you have an email address for them?
A. Go
to www.woolworths.com.au and click
on Contact Us
Q. Since we are off dairy I
thought we would have to do an amine challenge without chocolate, otherwise how
will we know if we are reacting to amines or the milk solids in the
chocolate?
A. You
can buy dairy-free chocolate (read labels, e.g. Sweet William www.sweetwilliam.com.au, contains
soy flour and soy lecithin).
Q. Where can I get the
dietician’s booklets for information about challenges?
A. Your
dietitian will give you one or you can buy them direct from Royal Prince Alfred
Hospital Allergy Clinic: www.cs.nsw.gov.au/rpa/Allergy.
Q. My husband and I are having severe
relationship problems, and I'm not sure how much of it might be due to ODD
(oppositional defiance). When he is calm and rational and nothing immediate is
happening, he seems normal, mature, etc. Says all the right things. But if a
situation arises where he is confronted with a problem he seems to react badly.
His behaviour is like that of a child throwing a
tantrum. I am finding it very hard to cope and have noticed this comes in
cycles. This is really difficult for me because it feels like I have 3 children
sometimes, not 2 and honestly, our children behave better than he does, and
appropriately for their ages whereas he doesn't. The symptoms that really stood
out when reading the ODD factsheet were “deliberately
annoying other people” (He says he knows he does this sometimes and to the
point where he can't stop himself) “blames me for mistakes or problems related
to him” (He is very good at this, most of the time I end up wondering what it
is that I have done wrong). Living with him is like walking on eggshells. I
don't know what might set him off - what triggers him one day doesn’t trigger
him the next. He keeps putting off responsibilities and either refuses to do
them or puts it off so long that I end up doing it or he is too tired to do it
and leaves it for the next day. If I remind him or ask him, he often reacts
with anger, resentment and refusal. I'm aware of a few food additives such as tartrazine that trigger aggressive moods in him but I feel
there are other things influencing his behaviour. His
mother told me recently he was a problem child and on drugs for ADHD. Is this
possible - that adults can have ODD too?
A. Yes.
The most important behavioural effect of food
chemicals is irritability, which is also the core feature of ODD. There are
numerous reports of ODD-type symptoms improving in the father or mother when
the whole family goes on the diet to support a difficult child.
Q. Recently my husband has
awoken with awful headaches after eating a "Healthy Choice" meal
which is supposed to be "good for you". One was a stuffed shell
dinner and another one was a beef stroganoff meal, which he used to eat without
getting a headache. I wonder if they're currently sneaking in things which
produce the same thing in him that MSG does; i.e., bad headaches?
A.
Since you already know your husband gets headaches from MSG, it is most likely
he is affected by some new flavour enhancers that can
enhance the effects of MSG by up to 15 times. Here in
Q. My daughter who is 3.5
years old suffers from eczema and around the age of about 10 months she went
completely bald from Alopecia Areata (she lost all
hair on her head, eyebrows and eye lashes), but fortunately the hair started to
grow back around 19 or 20 months. However, we are very disappointed to discover
the alopecia appears to be returning as a bald patch has recently appeared on
the top of her head. I am wondering if you are aware of any food additives
which may have triggered this condition?
A.
Alopecia areata (patchy baldness) or totalis (total hair loss) has been associated with coeliac disease and may respond well to a gluten-free diet,
see http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/factsheets/Symptomalopecia.htm.
Coeliac disease is a serious condition, if you
suspect you have CD, see more information at www.coeliac.org.
Q. Is strawberry Nesquik OK for a homemade milkshake on the elimination
diet? The ingredients are: cane sugar, maltodextrin, natural colour
(120), natural flavour.
A.
No. The natural flavour is obviously strawberry. It’s
probably in a very strong, concentrated flavour and
would contain at least as many salicylates as a
milkshake made with real strawberries, possibly much more.
Q. Do you know anything about
brilliant scarlet 4R CI6255? It is one of the active ingredients in Polaramine antihistamine tablets. I gave this to my son
(10yrs) tonight under instruction from my pharmacist for sedative reasons. My
son’s reaction to the tablet was very defiant/angry, definitely did not want to
go to sleep etc and we could not reason with him at all.
A.
That’s another name for artificial colour (124) also
known as Ponceau 4R. It is one of the worst of the
artificial colours – known as synthetic coal tar dyes
and azo dyes – that have been associated with
irritability, restlessness, inattention and sleep disturbance in children, and
also with asthma and many other problems such as hives. Children who have a big
reaction to an artificial colour are likely to be
sensitive to a range of other additives, and salicylates
as well. If your son has problems enough to need medication, you might want to
try the elimination diet supervised by a dietitian to find out exactly what
affects him. You can request our list of friendly dietitians from confoodnet@ozemail.com.au.
Q. Sago pudding is on your
recipe list (and we like eating it) yet every brand of sago I have seen so far
contains 220. Do you know if it possible to buy sago without it and from where?
A.
Howard tested Lion brand sago from Anchor foods with sulphite
test strips. This brand lists preservative 220 but Howard couldn’t detect any
either cold (uncooked) or when cooked. We also buy Cock brand Tapioca Pearl
(really sago) from
Q. My 5yr-old daughter has
been diagnosed with severe food intolerances and a moderate allergy to soy. I
do not have the finances to use a private dietician. I went to the public
hospital yesterday with no positive outcomes – they can’t offer the service of
their dietician as they are understaffed and are not taking outpatient
appointments – and I was told to go home and try the elimination diet again.
This is hard work on your own. I need some support. – by email
A. I
recommended the Failsafe booklet
and our email support groups to this mother.
A week later, she replied “Thank God for the Failsafe booklet. I am now
managing to keep the whole family on the elimination diet due to the extra
recipes”. She had also joined an email support group.
Q. We have dairy and soy issues.
Is there a substitute for yoghurt?
A.
We have been unable to make yoghurt or kefir out of rice milk and have found it
only works with soymilk and cows’ milk, due to the protein content. If you can
tolerate A2 milk you can make your own A2 yoghurt using sheep’s yoghurt as a
starter. If you are asking because you want an alternative to eat, see Narni’s custard recipe in the new version of the Failsafe
Cookbook. If you are asking because of
the probiotic effects, an alternative is the Inner
Health Plus dairy-free probiotic capsules – these are
not on the RPAH elimination diet list so you would have to introduce them as a
challenge. Note that there is little scientific evidence for the effectiveness
of probiotic supplements other than Lactobacillus GG;
however, some people say they help and others report no effect.
Q. After eating a lot of
dried fruit we noticed our sons’ behaviour worsened
as well as asthma. Are sulphites also likely to cause hyperactivity and/or
aggression?
A.
Yes, but they are not the only problem with dried fruit - most dried except
pears contain high levels of natural salicylates and
some (e.g. sultanas) contain very high levels of both salicylates
and amines. Although sulphites
have been associated with a range of symptoms including asthma, headaches,
irritable bowel and behaviour, so too have other food
chemicals including salicylates and amines. It is
worth suspecting sulphites in dried fruit first for
asthma, but everyone is different, and you might need to consider any or all of
these food chemicals.
Q. Is Aussie mite (vegemite
alternative) failsafe?
A. Yeast
extracts are never OK because they are loaded with natural glutamates (MSG is a
yeast extract) as well as high in salicylates and
amines.
Q. Is benzoyl
peroxide (for acne) failsafe? My teenage son seems to have had a reaction to
it.
A. Benzoyl peroxide breaks down into benzoic acid and is
excreted as benzoate, so unfortunately it is not suitable for failsafers. It would be like drinking products preserved
with sodium benzoate (211). (Would the person who sent this question please
write again as I deleted your email by mistake. S)
(January 2007)
Q. Over the last two months I
have consumed 4 bottles of a special juice from the
A.
I agree with your sister. Benzoic acid and other benzoates (310-319) can be
associated with a very wide range of adverse effects. Reactions are related to
dose and delayed, so the effects will be worse when you are consuming a
benzoate-preserved product every day. The effects can build up so slowly you
would not be able to notice the connection between a new food and how it is
affecting you. You could test this for yourself by avoiding your special juice
until your eye symptoms disappear. Then reintroduce the special juice in the
same doses that you have been consuming while keeping a diary of your eye
symptoms. If you want to test the benzoates without the juice - there is always
a possibility that something in the juice itself is affecting you - you could
use Schweppes lemonade in cans (contain preservative 211) not bottles
(preservative free).
Reply (two weeks later): As you suggested I went off the special juice.
It has been 2 weeks now and my eyes have improved 100%. Who would have thought
that something like that could do this? Thank you for your reply because if it
was not for you and my sister I would probably still be taking it.
Q. I’m confused. On page 16,
Friendly Food says shallots are low in salicylates,
but the recipes and shopping list refer to “spring onions (scallions)”?
A.
These members of the onion family lack a fully-developed bulb and are milder
tasting than other onions. I call them shallots but they have various regional
names (scallions, spring onions, eschallots, green
onions). See what to buy on our DVD, Friendly Food p7 or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scallion
Q. We're on day seven of our
elimination diet for my six-year-old daughter, and every day since we've been
on this new diet she's gotten a little worse - more insolent, less able to keep
still than normal, much MORE day-dreamy and going off on tangent-ish, slightly 'violent' - absolutely driving me crazy! How
long does it take to see positive effects?
A.
These turned out to be withdrawal symptoms, and the answer was, it took 8 days
to see positive effects.
Q. The website is so handy
and I refer to it frequently, but I often get lost looking for a piece of
information I know I have read somewhere. A search tool would be very useful!
A.
You can search our website using google. Search for: fedupwithfoodadditives <whatever you are looking for>
Q Can you direct me to any
research that shows how diet can affect an adolescent with ADHD & ODD?
A.
Superintendent Peter Bennett from the West Yorkshire police did a diet trial
with 12 chronic juvenile offenders (aged 8-16) who had an average arrest rate
of more than once a month. All improved. Those who remained on the diet did not
re-offend. These were children whose ODD had progressed to Conduct Disorder,
see citation below. You can see this study on our
Q. Can the elimination diet
help these children: • a four year old girl who can be quite defiant when asked
to do something she does not want to do, blames others for her behaviour (mainly her six-year-old brother), is very loud
and chatty, and sings all the time when she is not chatting • a three year old boy son is very defiant,
answers back "no", won’t listen to instructions, almost shouts when
he speaks and wakes early (5.30am) in the foulest mood?
A.
The symptoms described generally improve if you can get the diet right.
Q. I have a son in his thirties who has been on
the diet since the age of 6 (salicylates,
preservatives, colours and dyes are the problem, not
amines). Unfortunately, he has recently begun getting quite serious depression
and is seeing a psychiatrist who just keeps prescribing different
anti-depressants as none seem to work. I
recently wrote a letter to the psychiatrist explaining my son’s dietary
problems and the symptoms he gets. The psychiatrist told him that all food
intolerance is psychosomatic. You can imagine how much help that was. Are there
any psychiatrists or counsellors who understand this
chemical sensitivity problem? While he does try to stick to his diet, I do
suspect there may be too frequent diversions from it or something is catching
him out he is not aware of. Trying the elimination diet again is something I
think I shall try to persuade him to do.
A.
Symptoms of food intolerance can change throughout the lifespan, and it is not
uncommon to find the foods that caused hyperactivity in childhood can cause
depression in adulthood. There is case history describing a young adult with a
history of childhood ADD whose severe treatment-resistant depression improved
dramatically on a low salicylate elimination diet
(Parker G and Watkins T, Treatment-resistant depression: when antidepressant
drug intolerance may indicate food intolerance, Aust
N Z J Psychiatry, 2002). The article concludes that clinicians should be aware
of food intolerance-related depression and that it may be worsened by psychotropic
medication. You can request our list of supportive health professionals -
including some psychologists – from confoodnet@ozemail.com.au.
It may be worth consulting a dietitian, as safe foods for this diet change
constantly and your son could be following an out-of-date diet. To send the
article’s abstract to your son’s psychiatrist, see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Select+from+History&db=pubmed&query_key=1
Q. I know it is a mistake to
buy anything without checking the ingredients, but the name on the packet of
"Traditional Home Style Preservative Free" Egg Noodles sort of lulled
me into a false sense of security. These egg noodles contain two artificial colours Sunset Yellow (110) and the dreaded Tartrazine (102)! ... I wouldn't have even noticed if the
water I cooked them in hadn't turned a sickly yellow colour!
The back of the packet talks about how the family began making traditional
noodles back in the 'thirties from a time-honoured
family recipe and also says that that the family has a commitment to quality
and hand-made authenticity ... isn’t this a bit misleading? I intend to email
them to register my disappointment.
A.
It is always worth emailing a food company with feedback about their product.
Let us know about their reply and if you need any backup. Or nominate it for
our Nasty Food Awards – send us the packet or a good photo of the packet and
ingredients list.
Q. Because everything on the
elimination diet is so 'green' I decided it would be a great idea to get red
cabbage to liven my fried rice up a bit! ... problem is (being a novice) I had
no idea that the red cabbage would colour the eggs in
the fried rice an amazingly rich blue!!! ... lovely but it didn't look so
appetizing! Then the next day I was thinking of using the cabbage to colour icing for some 'gingerless
pigs'. How do I extract the colour without my icing tasting
like cabbage??? ... Also, although I noticed the eggs went bright blue, water
left in the bowl with some leftover cabbage in it went a kind of a beetroot
'red'... Just curious as to why, how and whether I can make two different colours out of my cabbage?
A.
Cabbage juice will be different colours depending on
whether it is acid or alkaline - you can make it acid by adding citric acid
(red; that will also take care of the cabbage taste), and alkaline by adding
soda bicarb (blue).
Q. I believe my six-year-old
son may be affected by food additives as he is erratic, runs, yells loud and
then fights with his two older brothers, although he can behave when he wants
to. After observing my son, our paediatrician decided
that he did not have ADHD nor did the food he eats affect him, instead he said
it was my parenting skills. I do not believe this as I have two older boys who
do not behave badly. The paediatrician refused to
write me a referral letter. I need help.
A. There
are a number of ways around this. If you need to prove to the paediatrician that behaviour
management isn’t the answer you could do a parenting course such as 123 Magic
(many community organisations are now offering this)
or see the 123 Magic
Q. Are there any laxatives
that can be used during our elimination diet?
A.
Your dietitian may recommend one of the following laxatives – though obviously not
the coloured or flavoured
options:
• psyllium hulls or husks - a type of dietary fibre that is used as a bulk forming laxative, the husks
swell when they come in contact with liquids so should be taken with plenty of
liquids - available from your health food store or as plain Metamucil from
pharmacies
• Ispaghula husks act in the same was as psyllium, available from your pharmacy as Fybogel
• guar gum - a vegetable gum sold in health food stores as a gluten free
baking aid that you can add to muffins, bread etc, or as Benefibre
in pharmacies
• lactulose - a synthetic sugar available as Actilax from pharmacies
• Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate - do not
confuse safe sulphates with nasty sulphites,
only for occasional use as a laxative). A bath of Epsom salts is sometimes used
to calm autistic children, see www.epsomsaltcouncil.org for health benefits
including a claim to ease migraines. Consult your pharmacist about dosage.
• vanilla parachoc.
The
information given is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your
doctor for underlying illness. Before beginning dietary investigation, consult
a dietician with an interest in food intolerance. You can find a supportive
dietitian through the Dietitians Association of
© Sue Dengate
