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Guar Gum is a food additive used as an emulsifier and thickening agent in many food substances including many gluten free and, so called, ‘allergy free’ foods. It is frequently seen as a safe additive as it is natural – the gum is extracted from the guar bean.
Unfortunately, just because something is ‘natural’ does not mean that it is ‘safe’ for everyone. As yet there have been virtually no reports in the medical literature dealing with adverse reactions to ingesting the additive but there are an increasing number of studies that have linked guar gum with health problems in the work environment.
My research experience shows me that this is often an indicator that, in the future, reports will begin to appear dealing with reactions from ingested guar gum. Papanikolaou et al have already reported on a case of a 52 year old man who experienced an anaphylactic shock to guar gum in a meal substitute. Less severe reactions may have been experienced by people and not been identified as the result of ingestion of guar gum.
The type of food products guar gum is found in include: baked goods and baking mixes, cereals, fat reduced spreads, non-dairy deserts, beverages, some cheeses, gravies, jams, jellies, sauces, soup mixes and soups, syrups, toppings, vegetable juices, processed vegetables and deep-frozen foods.
Non food products include supplements, slimming aids, face creams, toothpastes, cosmetics, local anaesthetics, carpets, pet food, rubber cables.
Roesch et al report on the case of a 63 year old man who experienced a life threatening reaction to a local anaesthetic gel used by his dentist. After various tests, guar gum was identified as the problem ingredient.
The use of guar gum in slimming aids is proving to be a controversial area as there are potentially serious health consequences if too much is ingested.
The article, complete with references.
You can find out more about food allergy and food intolerance in
Change Your Diet and Change Your Life.
Identifying the correct problem food can sometimes be quite a challenge. I recently came across a research paper that identified pectin as the cause of one individual's problem. Pectin is a common ingredient in jams, jellies and some fruit based drinks. It is not an ingredient you would immediately think of as the cause of a problem and demonstrates how absolutely essential it is, when you are trying to identify a food problem, that you make a note of all the ingredients in every food that you eat so that you can check back and not make assumptions. I have produced separate sheets for complex foods (those with more than one ingredient) in the free Food Diary available on my site.
The details of the 'Pectin Allergy' paper are given below:
Ferdman et al note that inhalation of pectin has been identified as a cause of occupational asthma but that allergic reactions to ingested pectin have previously not been reported.
They then provide details of a young boy who developed anaphylaxis, once after eating cashews and later after eating a pectin-containing fruit "smoothie." He also has a history of generalized itching after eating grapefruit.
Skin tests or radioallergosorbent tests (RASTs) were performed using pectin and other suspected food allergens. They found that the boy had a positive skin prick test reaction to pectin and a high RAST reaction to cashew and pistachio. He had a low-level positive RAST reaction to grapefruit.
The pectin in the smoothie was confirmed to be of citrus origin and their review of previous case reports of pectin-induced occupational asthma revealed several cases of allergies to and cross-reactivity with cashew.
They conclude that:
Reference: Ferdman RM, Ong PY, Church JA. Pectin anaphylaxis and possible association with cashew allergy. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2006 Dec;97(6):759-60.
CChiu and Zacharisen note that allergic symptoms caused by spices and herbs are infrequent and usually mild but they were able to confirm a case of allergy to dill.
The person developed symptoms of oral pruritus, tongue and throat swelling, urticaria, and immediate vomiting and diarrhoea after eating foods cooked with dill or inhaling vapours from foods prepared with dill.
Skin testing with fresh dill preparation was positive and they were able to confirm that dill can cause IgE-mediated reactions
Reference: Chiu AM, Zacharisen MC. Anaphylaxis to dill. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2000 May;84(5):559-60.
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Can Make You Ill site for articles and information on food allergies and
food intolerance.
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Group Calls for Ban on Artificial Food Dyes
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), notes that none of the nine artificial food dyes approved for U.S. use have been proven safe. However, human and animal studies suggest that at least several of the chemicals carry health risks...
On July 20, a European Union regulation passed in 2008 will take effect. It requires foods containing any of six food colors to carry a label warning "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children." This is the concern that in 2008 led the CSPI to ask the FDA to ban the dyes. Now the group points to animal studies suggesting that the dyes -- and other chemicals bound to them -- can cause cancer.
European Database on Food Contact Materials
This database is a tool to inform you about the substances to be used in materials and articles intended to come into contact with food. There is a wealth of information on this site to explore – if you only get a chance for a quick look it will give you an overview of the range and type of chemicals that food come into contact with.
Palm Oil
It is heavily linked to the destruction of rainforests, but is it possible to avoid palm oil when buying margarine?
Interesting debate around the whole issue of palm oil and margarine from the
Guardian.
More on Palm Oil... (from CSPI)
Palm oil is used around the world in such foods as margarine, shortening, baked goods, and candies. Biomedical research indicates that palm oil, which is high in saturated fat and low in polyunsaturated fat, promotes heart disease. Though less harmful than partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, it is far more conducive to heart disease than such heart-protective liquid oils as olive, soy, and canola. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, World Health Organization, and other health authorities have urged reduced consumption of oils like palm oil.
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Copyright: Sharla Race 2010
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Food Can Make You Ill
Your Complete Guide to Food Intolerance and Food Allergy
www.foodcanmakeyouill.co.uk