> I regularly have different patterns of reactions to the same chemical.
> It usually relates to the amount of chemical, but sometimes I simply
> have no idea why my body has chosen to react differently. I react
> differently to additives than I do to salicylates. In plant foods,
> there are a wide range of polyphenols which have similar effects to
> salicylates, but which could cause you to react in a particularly
> unique way. For example, the chemicals in grapes and wine have a
> particular violent effect on my digestive system. :)

I haven't seen that with her. She had the same reaction every time to
tree nuts, and it was the same reaction that she had to wheat and
coconut. Her food chemical reactions are pretty subtle and more
cumulative (like eczema after a while).

>
>
> I wasn't aware that wheat had
> > any food chemicals at all, and she reacted to coconut and tree nuts in
> > the same way as she did to wheat.
>
> Were these digestive, physical, or behavioural reactions? I can see
> why all three would cause digestive reactions.

Primarily digestive. She would get very restless at night and then
have green poop in the middle of the night (normally she didn't poop
at night). She had a night terror after tree nuts once, and the
coconut made her eczema worse (probably the others too, but the
coconut for sure).

>
> Something RPAH/food intolerance network haven't really clarified is
> that reactons to wheat/gluten, oats, and dairy products can be caused
> by "opiod-like" chemicals (these are known to affect autistics/PDD).
> They do not have to be immune system mediated.

I've heard of the opiod-like chemicals, but given that she had the
same reaction to tree nuts and coconut as she did to wheat, I think
it's probably something else that's causing the reactions. We have
been eating regular oats for the past couple of months with no
apparent reactions (were GF for several months before that).

Grains, beans and nuts
> also contain a range of chemicals called lectins that some people are
> sensitive to - they tend to cause arthritis, autoimmune disorders, and
> upset digestion.
>

My understanding is that soaking breaks down the lectins, and the nuts
that DD reacted to were soaked.

>
> > I do understand that she was more likely to develop allergies since
> > she is food chemical sensitive, but I don't understand why she reacted
> > to something new (chickpeas) after we'd been on Failsafe for a few
> months.
>
> Chickpeas have some different plant chemicals in them that can disrupt
> hormones, and they're also pretty sulphurous. I don't tolerate
> chickpeas well. I would be interested to know specifically what the
> reaction was, and more information on the type and preparation of the
> chickpeas. Canned? Dried? Soaking conditions?
>

I actually can't say for sure that she reacted to the chickpeas, but I
think she was. Her cheeks would get a bit pink after she ate them and
after a couple of days she had a weird poop, so I just stopped them.
They were dried chickpeas (organic I think) that were soaked for 8-12
hours (on the counter in warm water...we've been able to re-introduce
soaked grains and legumes), cooked, and then baked in the oven for an
hour or so (I made "crunchy garbanzos"). It wasn't an amine reaction
as I later did the same process with black-eyed peas and she's been
eating those for over a month and is fine with them.

>
> > I just don't see how food allergies/intolerances can be genetic since
> > they were pretty much unheard of just a few generations ago.
>
>
> That is not true at all. This is a persistent claim of WAPF and
> orthomolecular nutrition types, but it is baseless. There is a lot of
> genetic evidence out there, you just have to look for the studies.
> I've even found anecdotal evidence going back centuries, and in native
> cultures. For example:
>
> - An innuit woman described by Stefansson who suffered heart
> palpatations and felt ill when she ate meat.
> - In the diary of Samuel Pepys in the 1660s, describing how he was
> covered in hives after eating pickled gherkins, and had to "sweat" the
> reaction out.
> - In 1860, Mrs Beeton wrote a long piece of child rearing advice in
> her book of household management describing how lactating mothers
> should avoid rich/tasty foods to prevent their babies from crying and
> coming out in rashes. She said a mother should eat "light" foods and
> her diet should be very low in vegetables and fruit and she should not
> have any stocks or broths. She even blames episodes of thrush in
> babies on the mother's rich diet. The confidence of her writing
> suggests this was common knowledge.
>

That is interesting...I still think nutritional deficiencies or
exposure to toxins probably has something to do with both food
chemical intolerances and food allergies, though. Although there
might be pre-set limits of tolerances for food chemicals even with
optimal nutrition and minimal exposure to toxins. As far as genes go,
from what I understand (and I could be totally wrong as I am
definitely not a scientist!) genes can be changed/mutate after birth
due to things like vaccinations, and I'm sure a whole host of other
things.

> There is a genetic dopamine receptor polymorphism, DRD4, that has been
> strongly linked with ADHD, and this gene actually appeared in the
> population about 10,000 years ago.
>

Well...I believe the earth is less than 10,000 years old, but that's a
whole 'nother topic!

New question: any idea what (nutritional deficiencies, etc) could
cause cradle cap and a persistent red butt crack diaper rash in DD?
The rash seems to be linked to the acidity of her stool or something
as it often seems worse after she poops, even when she poops on the
potty. We tend to eat the same foods every day (of course who doesn't
on Failsafe!) so I don't think it's a reaction to a particular food.
Candida is the suggestion that everyone makes but we did candida diets
and loads of anti-fungals for months with no impact on the cradle cap
and rash. Maybe they did't work because of food chemical reactions, I
don't know.


Valerie