…and the real purpose of the new “hypoallergenic” peanut

nut allergies

When news of the novel USDA approved hypoallergenic peanut spread through the social media, I and many other FaceBook parents of peanut allergic children reacted with horror.
Despite the media filtered promise that this new peanut would reduce chances of a reaction and might even, through the early introduction of low doses, prevent the allergy, they weren’t buying it.  It didn’t matter that Dr. Oz had posted that this was “good news for peanut allergy sufferers”.  Parents were adamant.  “I still wouldn’t play with my daughter’s life.” “No way!” “Russian roulette!”
A closer read in fact revealed the opposite to be the scientific case.  Horticulture expert at U. of Georgia Peggy Ozias-Akins confirmed, “Given the number of allergenic proteins in peanuts, I doubt that developing an allergen-free peanut is realistic.”  The parents’ instincts were right.  So why the dangling carrot?

The peanut industry is nervous. Peanut is not just in sandwiches or served on planes. Peanut oil that is refined to reduce sensitizing proteins is used in vitamin capsules, baby formula, disguised as vegetable oil in many foods.  In fact, the FDA’s move to reduce trans fats recently paved the way for increased use of refined peanut oil because it is a healthy alternative. This peanut oil is everywhere, except on the label.
The FDA acknowledges the existence of trace proteins in refined peanut oil.  But with a history of use, the oil appears to be safe (GRAS, generally recognized as safe) says the FDA and is exempt from food labeling.  This decision is fully supported by the WHO.
But things are changing.  A new study by Scott Sicherer, Jaffe Food Allergy Institute, NY, has revealed an “alarming” and unexplained increase in the number of peanut/nut allergic children to 2.1%, or 1.6 million. Given this mysterious epidemic, the very valuable GRAS status for refined peanut oil is poised to change along with its labeling exemptions.
If you saw peanut oil as an ingredient, and you had a life threatening peanut allergy, would you buy the product?
Indeed, between 1993 and 1999, at the start of the allergy epidemic, the peanut snack market fell from 14.4% to 12.%.  But peanut food use was in decline less from allergic concerns than from perceived worries over “bad” fats according to a 2008 MA thesis by Emmanuel Foko.  And so, when news emerged that peanuts actually contained “good” fats, sales rallied not just to individual consumers but also to manufacturers.
In short, peanut food sales are up.  So why is the Georgia Peanut Council fighting so hard to keep peanuts on airplanes? A $20 million annual loss is marginal within a multi-billion dollar industry.
It is an industry liable to the winds of policy and government regulation.  Is this a slippery slope?
If the threat of peanut to society is perceived to be so bad as to ban it from planes, next might be trains, public spaces.  And if the threat to millions forces the FDA to revoke the GRAS status of refined peanut oil and demand labeling, this would turn consumers away from it in foods.  The European Food Safety Authority in 2004 investigated the safety of this oil concluding that “fully refined peanut oil” in foods could indeed cause allergic reactions.  It should be labeled.
But the likely consumer backlash to finding refined peanut oil in their food might pale in comparison to the response of parents when they learn that the oil is also a common vaccine ingredient.
Peanut oil made its debut in injected meds at the end of WWII.  An army doctor invented a method for prolonging levels of penicillin in the blood by mixing the drug with refined peanut oil.  As the body metabolized the oil, the drug was slowly released.  Doctors quickly recognized that the oil had sensitized some people and moved to better refine it. Peanut oil thus gained a history of use so that by the 1960s, peanut oil was a simple choice for Merck to include in its new aluminum based vaccine additive, Adjuvant 65-4. Since then, peanut oil has been a common ingredient in vaccines.
Labeling the oil on vaccine package inserts has also been debated.  While it makes sense to warn consumers of sensitizing ingredients, corporate law and ethical guidelines have been at odds for years over whether consumers really need to know.  Proprietary vaccine formulae are protected from Freedom of Information provisions in the UK, US, Canada.  New guidelines from the European Medicines Agency recommend that consumers have a right to know – and yet, there continues to be no legal obligation for a maker to reveal this information.  And why would they? The US government says trace proteins in peanut oil are safe.
And so, now enters the protein-reduced peanut that Dr. Oz tells viewers is good news.  Its arrival follows Dr. Sicherer’s alarm and a rumor that 5% of Americans are now peanut allergic.  Saving the day is the USDA and U. of Georgia to solve our worries with a hypoallergenic peanut. They already know that for those allergic, buying GMO peanut butter would be like buying a bullet-resistant vest.  But the new peanut is not for these non-consumers.
The GMO reduced-protein peanut it is intended to maintain the threatened GRAS status and the labeling exemptions for refined peanut oil.  Refining an already low protein peanut would allow it to pass new standards of safety so that they can continue to use the peanut oil without informing consumers.  Here’s the big picture:  the peanut industry has backed itself into a corner and without these government protections, it and the vaccine makers would be met by a blow to consumer confidence such as they have never seen.

Article submitted by: Heather Frasier, guest contributor for What Can I Eat and author of “The History of the Peanut Epidemic”

Source delicious Nut Free Recipes and Nut Free Products at What Can I Eat.

Oats were once thought to contain a type of protein called gluten. This is difficult for some people to break down efficiently, which leads to a wide range of physical,

Rolled Oats

cognitive and mood problems.  Especially affected are those with Coeliac Disease. Their immune systems produce gluten antibodies, which attack the gut and prevent it from absorbing critical nutrients such as iron and calcium.

Oats’ reputation has had a polish. Now scientists state that the only gluten in oats is due to trace contamination from commonly being processed with other gluten-grains: wheat, rye and barley. Several studies published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition report that the health of most (but not all) Coeliacs benefited with daily intake of oats, even over 12 weeks exposure. One large Swedish study was of coeliac and non-coeliac participants who achieved increased levels of bilirubin. This is a significant blood test marker. Low levels indicate damage to the endothelial gut lining, as well as higher risks for cardiovascular disease.

However, each individual food may contain hundreds of constituents. If someone is intolerant to most members of a botanical or food family then there may be many factors – other proteins or starches, not just gluten, for instance – which are not tolerated. Highly gluten-sensitive people should discuss oats with their health practitioner before experimenting. In Europe and North America guaranteed gluten-free oats are available.

Australian can purchased these Oats which are sourced from Gluten Free Oats LLC -  See the product listing here on the What Can I Eat website.

Article sourced from Maria Middleton

There are many sources of antioxidants available to help boost your health.

organic diet

Most sources come directly from consumption of high quality, fresh, organic and preferably locally grown vegetables and fruits. But there is a catch.

The catch is that, to get the most potent antioxidant content from the fruits and vegetables – they need to be organically grown and processed.

Here’s why.

Research shows that certain organically grown fruits and vegetables have significantly higher levels of potent antioxidants than traditionally grown foods.

The key to all this is a large family of natural antioxidant compounds called polyphenols.

Polyphenols exist in plant floods and their contribution to the antioxidant capacity of the human diet is much larger than even that of vitamins.

And a subclass of this antioxidant-rich family found in fruits and vegetables is flavonoids.

In response to environmental stressors like insects and other competing plants, plants produce flavonoids with potent antioxidant activity.

Unfortunately, conventional growing methods that use pesticides and herbicides hamper the production of flavonoids.

Plants exposed to pesticides and herbicides have less of a need to produce such compounds. And therefore, these plants produce fewer antioxidants than organically grown food.

You don’t want to miss out on polyphenol flavonoids because they can:

• Improve your memory and concentration
• Boost the effectiveness of vitamin C in your antioxidant network
• Regulate nitric oxide – a potent free radical that regulates your blood flow
• Help promote your healthy heart
• Bolster your immune system

So, to take advantage of the highest potency flavonoids and rich antioxidants, always choose organically grown fruits and vegetables.

Fresh organic foods are important not only for what they give you, higher levels of antioxidants and nutrients, but also for what they don’t give you… exposure to pesticides, herbicides, and non-organic fertilizers.

This article was sourced from one of my favourite’s Dr Mercola.com.  Read more here…

Go to the Organic Pantries of What Can I Eat to source great organic products

Making the decision to go wheat free…

When you’ve decided that you are going to live wheat-free for medical issues such as intolerance or sensitivities or for health reasons, it can be a complete minefield. Suddenly you are faced with, what am I going to eat? Although there is so much other food out there as opposed to wheat, you do get the sense of feeling a little lost and it can be very daunting. Read some recommended books as it gives you ideas, motivation and opens your mind. Here are my recommendations:

What to eat when you can’t eat anything

wheat free diet

This book changed my life. It’s the complete allergy cookbook by Chupi & Luke Sweetman. As a result of their own food challenges, it made the Sweetmans rethink the way they ate. They teamed up with nutritionist Patricia Quinn, and created healthy, nutritious, fun dishes that make up this book. What to eat when you can’t eat anything is packed with innovative recipes and is perfect for everyone. Different levels of food sensitivities require different diets. This book does this too. It has different categories depending on how sensitive you are. Specific allergies and food intolerances are described, including wheat, sugar, yeast, dairy products, gluten and artificial additives. It also includes tips on what and how to buy ingredients. I’d really recommend buying this book if you are struggling with wheat/gluten free living and looking for new recipe ideas.

You are what you eat!

Gillian McKeith has been my saviour! Although she is not a practitioner, nutritionist or doctor, she talks a lot of sense. Colour on your plate, fruit and veg etc, plus Gillian is an advocate of no wheat. She believes that we don’t need it for our bodies. Her cookbooks have loads of alternatives and I’ve found it great for recipes and meal ideas, soups, salads, especially her delicious chickpea burgers. Check out her cookbook “You are what you eat cookbook” and website, some great health info and advice.

Submitted by Aoife Luykx guest contributor for What Can I Eat.

To source wheat free products and recipes go the Pantries of What Can I Eat and the Wheat Free Support Pages.

Food for Health – gluten free bars, fruit bars, plain, gluten free muesli, gluten free clusters.

gluten free product give away

Customer review from Alison Edwards, winner of our Product of the month promotion.
I have seen this product before in the supermarket and the “What Can I Eat” website, however I had not tried them.  I can highly recommend to all my friends and family, not just those with food intolerances and the products were delicious and are packed with healthy ingredients.  The gluten free bars were chewy but with a crispy texture – a great mix of yummy nuts/seeds/grains.  Fruit bars were packed with delicious fruity pieces.  Great for breakfast or snack “on the run”.

The muesli’s were scrumptious and easy to digest, as were the fruit free clusters. Great with rice milk.

Generally I found this product range to be “light” but filling – they gave me sustained slow release of energy.  This company has found a way to create a delicious range of foods that are gluten free, low GI, wheat free and with no added sugar.  All the factors I am looking for when searching for packaged goods.  I am currently experimenting with making yummy, healthy biscuits with the gluten free muesli.

Thank you to Food for Health for participating in the What Can I Eat Product of the Month free give away promotion.

View Food for Health full range of products here…

Gluten free products from Food for Health

Your weekly shopping can be a mine field if you are consciously trying to avoid certain ingredients but add in there the avoidance of toxins and you can seriously be trouble.

toxic chemicals in food

You need to be aware that many foods can be labelled are “safe” or “healthy” products however they can contain hidden toxins.  So be ware and don’t be fooled by those labels that make health proclamations.

Here are 10 ingredients you need to look out for on your labels.

1. Sodium Nitrate.  This ingredient is often in processed foods such as  bacon, hot dogs or savloy meat and sausages’.  Sodium nitrate can cause the formation of nitrosamines in your system which are cancer causing.
2. Bisphenol-A. This ingredient in used to line cans with.  So reduce the amount of canned food you eat.  Over consumption of this ingredient has been associated with diabetes and heart disease.
3. Aspartame.  This artificial sweetener is commonly found in diet sodas and other products labelled with the word “diet”on the packaging.  Prolonged exposure to aspartame, which is a neurotoxic chemical additive can lead to nerve cell damage, dizziness and headaches.
4. Arsenic. Traces of this ingredient has been associated with non-organic chickens.  Long term exposure to this dangerous chemical can lead to cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
5. Hydrogenated Oils.  These are used to lengthen the shelf life of products that we generally use as snack foods.  Such as crackers, cookies, bars etc.  These foods are also generally loaded with salt, corn syrup and other healthy ingredients that have been related to diabetes and heart disease.
6. Artificial Colours. Excessive exposure to colours blue, red, yellow in a study of mine and rats found they suffered from brain, adrenal gland, thyroid and kidney tumors.  Look out for them in confectionary,  maraschino cherries and gelatine.
7. Pesticides. These are used in main stream farming.  Pesticides that linger in our fresh fruits and vegetables can lead to nervous and reproductive system damage and cancer.
8. Noxious gases.  In our everyday cooking we can be exposed to noxious gases commonly found in Teflon cookware.  These surfaces when exposed to high temperatures release gases which enter our food and puts us at risk of a large variety of diseases.
9. Bisphenol-A in plastic. This chemical we talked about above, but here it is found in plastic not meant to be exposed to high temperatures.  When the plastic is exposed to high heat such as in microwave ovens or in cars on a hot day, this chemical will contaminate your food or drink.
10. Monosodium Glutamate.  Also known as ingredient 621 or MSG.
    This ingredient has been subject to many heath studies and has been linked to some minor to serious health reactions.  Anything from headaches, migraines, behavioural issues in children to worsening of asthmatic conditions.

Sources: Dr Mercola, wikipedi.
Article written by Kylie Hollonds, Allergy Consultant,  Go to the pantries of What Can I Eat to search for chemical free foods

The following is the latest food product recall in Australia.

Recall Orgran Gluten Free Molasses Licorice (FSANZ2010/19)

gluten free foods

FSANZ was advised as at the 17th June Roma Foods are recalling this product in the 200g Plastic pouches Best before 31 Oct 11.

Reasons for Recall:  Labeling – undeclared allergen (gluten)

To register for emails from Food Standards Australia go to www.foodstandards.gov.au

Years ago the skin was thought the perfect barrier to protect us.

Harmful chemical

However we now know that the skin is not only the largest organ of the body, but it also serves as a delivery system for whatever we put on it. This is why today we have nicotine patches, hormone patches and other patches that are placed on the skin to deliver ingredients through the skin and into the body.

These chemicals that are in our personal care products get in through our skin and as Dr. Samuel Epstein says, they get into our blood stream and accumulate in human tissue. So even if used in small amounts they accumulate in our system and we are using numerous products on a daily basis.

Dr. Epstein, in one of his books “Unreasonable Risk – How to Avoid Toxic Ingredients in Cosmetics and Personal Care Products” reports on the daily use of these products. According to daily use estimates, three personal care products are used on infants and children, men use ten personal care products and women use six cosmetics and 13 personal care products ; with some products that are used several times daily. Assuming that main stream industry products each contain only two carcinogens (and we know they contain a lot more), this can result in daily exposures to six different avoidable carcinogens for infants and children, 20 for men and 38 for women.

That’s right they are avoidable!

The great news is that each and every one of us has a choice. Become an educated and informed consumer. Know what to look for and read the labels. The focus is on prevention and choosing to avoid as many of these potentially harmful ingredients as we can to protect us, our children, our homes and our environment, as these chemicals are washed down our drains and into our environment too! It’s as simple as taking steps of prevention that we do in many other areas, just like wearing a seatbelt or putting a helmet on our kids when they ride their bikes.

1000 Mums Making a Difference is committed to addressing the issues of toxin overload and nutritional deficiencies by assisting and supporting those who are committed to living healthier lives in healthier environments.  We have partnered with those who share a similar view and provide some great safe alternatives.

Ubeaut Kidz is one of our partners who is leading the way in providing BPA, phthalate and lead free lunchboxes for our children, so this is a simple way to avoid and protect our children from one daily activity that you wouldn’t think for a moment was a concern – taking their lunch to school or kindy!

To learn what your exposures may be take our “Chemical Body Burden Challenge” available as a free download on our website.

Jodie Davies guest contributor for What Can I Eat and  Founder – 1000 Mums Making a Difference

Every day we take care of our children, love them and pray that they stay out of harm’s way.

Hidden chemicals

We take the simple steps of prevention to keep them safe, things that we do automatically like ensuring they wear a seatbelt in the car and have a helmet for when they are learning to ride a bike.

Yet you, like most parents, probably don’t know and don’t give a second thought to the harmful , corrosive ingredients that are found in brake fluid, degreasers and anti-freeze that you are using  yourself and on your children on a daily basis.  The everyday products that we bring into our homes such as soaps, shampoos, bubble bath and cosmetics are also loaded with such insidious chemicals.

So what are these potentially harmful ingredients and what products are they in?

According to Dr. Samuel Epstein, a world renowned toxicologist and chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition in the USA, most bubble baths, lotions, skin care and shampoos contain harmful chemicals.  These chemicals can enter the blood stream and accumulate in human tissue.

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) is one such chemical, used as a skin irritant in laboratory tests, and has been linked to tumours in mice.  SLS or SLES (Sodium Laureth Sulphate) can be found in almost every personal care product in your bathroom and even in toothpaste.  SLS is essentially a foaming agent that is extremely corrosive and is used in industry as an engine degreaser and floor cleaner.

Propylene Glycol is another chemical found in toiletries.  This corrosive chemical can be found in most hair conditioners, deodorants, bubble baths, hand and body lotions, baby wipes and even in medications.  This, in spite of the fact that Propylene Glycol is used in paints, brake and hydraulic fluid and the kind of anti-freeze they use to de-ice airplanes. Incidentally, propylene glycol has also made it into our food and pet food, as it is used as a humectant to stop foods drying out. You may see it listed as E1520, if it’s listed at all!

These are only two of the many chemicals that may undermine your health and the health of your children.  You may be aware of the many issues that are now coming to the surface about BPA and phthalates in plastics and there are serious concerns about these two ingredients.

In a 1989 report completed in the USA on 2,983 chemicals found in personal care and cosmetics they found that:

• 884 were toxic
• 146 cause tumours
• 218 cause reproductive complications
• 778 cause acute toxicity
• 314 cause biological mutations
• 376 cause skin and eye irritations

You may now be wondering why these ingredients are used in products that we use daily.  Basically they are cheap, they are permitted by our government and essentially they do the job.

This may surprise or even shock you however these are the facts which are thankfully becoming more prevalent and well-known.  However, there are still many parents who do not realise that they are unknowingly inflicting exposures on their infants and children, let alone on themselves.

Article submitted by Jodie Davis – 1000 mums making a difference

A Gluten and Dairy Free Camping Experience

Camping with food allergies and intolerances

My husband and I have just spent 1 month in the Pilbara/Kimberly with a Hilux towing a camper trailer.  When planning the trip I thought it would be a great way to test out some of the gluten free alternatives in a camping situation.  As you can imagine the catering challenges on this type of a trip include; refrigeration, variety and ease of preparation.  So if you are gluten or dairy intolerant that is an extra challenge.

Breakfasts were easy; Dairy alternative milks are all long life, eggs, baked beans, gluten free cereals and the Brighterlife range did itself proud. The old fashioned oats, pancake mix and bread rolls made great breakfast items, with added fruit (frozen and tinned).

Snacks were easy too; the bread rolls, cake and cupcake mixes came out beautifully in the Cobb (mini traveling weber) or camp oven.  I used egg replacer. On days when I couldn’t bake we had trail mix. (fruit, seeds and nuts)  Protein bars were also great traveling snack when fresh fruit was not available.  I also found a great Pate (Tartex) which was great on crackers in the afternoon and could be used for other things.

Lunches were tricky; mostly sandwiches, gluten free bread with tomato, lettuce, carrot, and tuna/salmon.  Fresh salad items were the first thing to go so we ended up with Tuna/salmon at times.

Dinner was another meal that was easy.  We had meat/fish frozen, frozen (spinach, peas, corn) and fresh veg.  Pumpkin, corn and sweet potato keep really well.  We also had some tinned veg for back-up.  We took Trandos hydroponically grown corn, tomatoes and beans which lasted really well.  The corn was great cooked on the open fire.

I hope my gluten/dairy free camping experience is helpful.
Best health wishes Kim.

Thanks to Kim Meade, Naturopath  and guest contributor for this helpful article.

For more great articles to assist with Dairy and gluten intolerances go to our Allergy Support Pages.