X is for Xanthan

I've seen xanthan gum listed as an ingredient but didn't think to look it up until recently. It is created by a fermentation process. This raises a red flag for me because many fermented foods don't agree with me due to my allergy to yeasts and molds.

I haven't experimented with xanthan gum and I don't think it was included in any of the allergy tests I had. However, I see on the Wisegeek website that a lot of folks are volunteering their stories of allergy or sensitivity to xanthan gum.

It is used as a thickener in a lot of foods including many gluten-free foods, ice creams, and even some herbal extracts. I'm going to go back and read some labels of foods that I've suspected of causing me indigestion and see if it's listed as an ingredient. If it is, keeping track of whether I react to those foods should let me know if this is a missing piece to the puzzle of "why hasn't my digestion gotten better even though I'm eating healthier."

Actually, keeping a food diary with notes on symptoms is a valuable tool to diagnosing food sensitivities, but doing it for more than a few days is difficult. I've tried it and it just takes too much time. Plus who wants to obsess over every bite and every little ingredient?

More Sources of Yeast Allergy Reactions

I discovered another yeast-related cause of itching: kimchee (also spelled kimchi). It contains yeast, so I'm allergic to it. Too bad, it's supposed to be good for you.

In researching yeast allergies further, I found the following:

• Olives can contain yeasts of several varieties. (This explains my occasional coughing spells when trying to consume olive oil on salads.)
• Berries, grapes and citrus fruits often have mold or yeast on their skins.
• Molds and yeasts have been detected on ready-to-eat salads, whole fresh vegetables and sprouts.

Three Health Articles to Consider

1. CoQ10 seems to improve Gulf War Syndrome as well as Parkinson's.
2. Teflon component linked to arthritis
3. Broken CFL bulbs release mercury for up to 10 weeks.

What's Wrong With Antibacterial Soaps?

Triclosan kills "weak" bacteria but favors the tolerant, among them species of bacteria that eat triclosan.

That's one of the facts you'll find in this disturbing report on antibacterial soaps on the Scientific American website.

Most people who use antibiotic soap are no healthier than those who use normal soap. AND those individuals who are chronically sick and use antibiotic soap appear to get SICKER.

Triclosan is still found in most liquid soaps and various other products. Watch the labels and avoid it.

Saccharomyces and Itching

My doctor recommended the probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii to help with long-standing diarrhea. I took it for a while and recently read that it may cause a reaction if you are allergic to yeast. Which I am, both to baker's yeast and brewer's yeast, and even to candida yeast. So I stopped taking the Saccharomyces capsules to see what happened and the next day noticed that the itching that had been causing problems for several months went away. It was a severe itch under my breasts which was somewhat helped by athlete's foot cream.

And no, the capsules did not cure the diarrhea. I'm now taking a different probiotic L. plantarum (as LactoflamX) and it does not make me itch.

Ouch! Dog bite!

My dog bit me! He got his leash wrapped around one of his legs and could not get free and was barking furiously. I reached down to help him and he bit my hand! He looked startled as soon as he did it and I was able to finish freeing his leg.

After I washed the wound on my hand, I decided it needed medical attention. Although not huge, it was a lot more than a scratch. Since my doctor's office was already closed for the day, I went to the hospital.

I had to wait for a couple of hours but finally I saw a doctor. She cleaned the bite with saline solution and had me get an X-ray and a tetanus shot. She returned to say the X-ray was fine and prescribed an antibiotic. Then she applied a splint and gauze and an elastic-type wrapping. She said that bites often get infected so the antibiotic is important.

Patient Info: Animal Bites

Now a couple of days have passed and I'm doing well. Need to work on dog behavior though!

Bloating is Miserable When Flying

Probably the most uncomfortable flight I ever had was one where I suffered bloating. As soon as the plane got up in the air, minor gas bubbles turned into severe bloating! I spent the entire 5-hour flight in severe pain. Finally when the plane descended the pain subsided.

Read: Bloating and gas are part of air travel.

Ouch! Mouth Sores...

Canker sores, fever blisters, cold sores... whatever they are, they are painful when they erupt on you gums!

One showed up a couple of weeks ago and I pretty much ignored it. (I tend to ignore pain unless it is pretty horrible.) Then a few days ago, another one erupted. That was a wake-up call that I need to do something different.

I found some Gly-oxide in the bathroom cabinet but it was out of date. So I went to the web. Since I wanted a non-commercial site, I first looked at a page from the National Institute of Dental Research (NIH). They have some tips for avoiding the sores:

• Use a lip-sunscreen. (I knew that sun bathing can set off these sores but haven't tried this tip. It makes sense.)
• Some investigators have suggested adding lysine to the diet or eliminating foods such as nuts, chocolate, seeds or gelatin. This is not thoroughly tested but I recently ate walnuts and remember that they set off cold sores before. Guess I will put the rest of them out for the squirrels!
• British studies show that, in about 20 percent of patients, canker sores are due partly to nutritional deficiencies, especially lack of vitamin B12, folic acid and iron.
• In a small percentage of patients, canker sores occur with gastrointestinal problems, such as an inability to digest certain cereals. Patients with food allergies can reduce the frequency of canker sores by avoiding those foods.
• If you have sores, avoid abrasive foods, acidic and spicy foods.

Sores due to herpes are contagious, but canker sores are not. Get a diagnosis if you haven't already.

Read the report here. For another site that includes home remedies, click here.