Corn Allergies
In this chapter of Seattle Organic Restaurants I’m going to talk about corn allergies. Corn is widely used in thousands of processed food products in super markets across the US.
When you go shopping, you have the illusion that you have many chices. Many processed foods are just rearrangements of corn and corn products. You can find corn in almost every processed food in America. Corn can be found under differnt names such as corn oil, vegetable oil, corn syrup, corn meal, cornstarch, corn sugar (glucose, puretose, dyno, dextrose), breakfast cereals, corn chips, corn fritters and corn tortillas everywhere.
Sometimes, it’s hard to avoid eating corn as there are many products in stores that have corn in them. Some of these products are peanut butter, hams, hot dogs, pork or sausages, deep fried foods such as fried potato or rice (with corn oil), chili, canned vegetables or commercial soups, cheese, fish sticks, American cheese and yogurt, salad dressings, soy milks, chocolate milks, eggnog, English muffins, tacos, gravy (usually made with corn starch), ice creams, American whiskey, gin, beer, ale and wine, sodas like Coca-Cola or Pepsi, crackers, pancake syrups, instant coffees, powdered sugar, jams, candies, sauces like catch up, baking powder and even some toothpastes. If you feel tired most of the times, have little or no energy after you eat, suffer from breathing or respiratory problems and have headaches or migraines you might be allergic to corn.
The symptoms of corn allergies are malnutrition (obesity or underweight), dark circles around eyes (shiner), eczema, runny or stuffy nose, respiratory problems such a asthma or shortness of breath, exhaustion and fatigue, anxiety, moodiness and depression, swelling body especially around ankles, bad breath, margins or headaches, stomachaches, constipation and diarrhea, fluctuations in blood pressure and anaphylaxis. The best way to stop corn allergies is to follow a corn free diet.
This means no processed foods in cans or plastic bags and choosing on a healthy organic diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Read the labels of products you are purchasing carefully for different kinds of corns, including high fructose corn syrup.
90% of corn in US have been genetically modified.
Genetically modified foods have been linked to a wide range of diseases including cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and autism. More than 50% of US farm lands are used to grow GMO corn and soy and only 3% of the farmlands are used for planting organic fruits and vegetables.