Food Additive Triggers Autoimmune Response

[knitty kitty]

Branching into another topic from a different post, Cycling lady suggested we discuss this in its own thread, so here goes...

Do you and your family consume manufactured gluten free products?  I tried some of them and found that I have trouble with products made with corn and potato flour.  In researching, I came across a scary food additive.  Here's a couple of articles.

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These articles explore how this food additive used in gluten free products causes an immunological response. The food additive is transglutaminase.  Yep, people make tissue transglutaminase as part of an immunological response.   But this additive is produced by genetically engineered bacteria.  It is used in gluten free breads to get that doughy texture. It is also used in sausage and formed meats like luncheon meats and is referred to as "meat glue". It is used in yogurt to get a creamy texture.  While it may improve the taste, eating lots of stuff with this additive can't be good. 

I hope this helps us on our Celiac journey.

Kitty

[Ennis-TX]

I have reactions with modified food starch from corn, asuflame potassium. aspartame, yeast extract, olive oil, few other random things they seem to have obsessions with putting in our foods. I know a few have issues with xantham gum, I stick to agar or guar gum as I have less issues with. Food industry is full of odd things they like doing to our foods for ungodly reasons.

[icelandgirl]

This is very interesting.  Does it say anywhere what it would be called on the ingredient list?

I personally can't handle the additive carageenan.  It's added to a lot of yogurt, ice cream type things to make them creamier.  For me it causes tremendous bloating.  6 months after diagnosis I was still having painful bloating daily that my Dr and I couldn't figure out.  

I scoured my food diary.  Nothing.  Then I saw an article on additives that cause issues for some and carageenan was on it.   I checked and sure enough it was in the almond milk i was using to make smoothies every day.  I cut that out and my bloating improved by 75%.

 

[RMJ]

If used in "formed meat" in the US it is supposed to be listed as an ingredient.  Here is information from the USDA.  I will see if I can find something from the FDA about its use in other foods.

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[RMJ]

Here is some information about labeling (or lack of) in other countries.

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[RMJ]

Here is an older thread on the subject:

I'm having trouble finding FDA labeling requirements.  It is considered GRAS (generally recognized as safe).  The GRAS document I looked at gives examples of use in yogurt, tofu, and various baked goods.  It might be considered a type of processing aid in which case it might not be required to be on the label.  In the yogurt example it was heated to inactivate it so its enzymatic function was not in the finished product, but heat might not destroy its immunologic potential.

[knitty kitty]

Here's one more article....

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This article says "Tight junction leakage is enhanced by many luminal components, commonly used industrial food additives being some of them. Glucose, salt, emulsifiers, organic solvents, gluten, microbialtransglutaminase, and nanoparticles are extensively and increasingly used by the food industry, claim the manufacturers, to improve the qualities of food. However, all of the aforementioned additives increase intestinal permeability by breaching the integrity of tight junction paracellular transfer. In fact, tight junction dysfunction is common in multiple autoimmune diseases and the central part played by the tight junction in autoimmune diseases pathogenesis is extensively described."

It is very scary that these food additives are being put into our foods without knowing the long term effects.  

Thanks for posting additional sources.  

I think RMJ is correct in saying that transglutaminase is considered a processing aid and doesn't have to be on the label, but I've come across other studies where the transglutaminase is is found in the finished product and is still active and able to cause problems in the gut.  

 

 

[RMJ]

This seems like another good reason to eat whole foods - but I never would have guessed that plain yogurt,  with cultured milk as the only ingredient, might not be "whole."

[Ennis-TX]

Maybe this is why I have trouble with meats, I still have very little issues with fish fillets, and REAL CRAB from millers select, and no issues with making broths with the grass fed longhorn from a local guy. Most processed, canned, hamburger, packaged, etc. All seem to cause me to puke them back up or come out undigested out the back when consumed in smaller amounts.  I also have issues with a lot of random processed foods. Only certain brands do not bother me -_-.

[knitty kitty]

You're right, RMJ!  Food additives are definitely my reason for eating whole foods! Lol

I'm allergic to Sulfites used as preservatives or antimicrobial agents in foods.  Long ago, Sulfites used to be added to meats to keep them pink and fresh looking, but that practice was banned.  However, those little moisture absorbing pads under some cuts of meat are allowed to contain Sulfites.  I found that I reacted to meats packaged that way.  

Ennis, I wonder if that could be a possible reason for your reaction to meat.  Have you had Lyme disease?  Some people who've been bitten by infected ticks develop an allergic reaction to meat.  

Curious Kitty

[GFinDC]

The red meat allergy from ticks is described in this article.  The symptoms described are typical allergic reactions like throat swelling. itching etc.  Anti-histamines ought to have some positive affect on symptoms of allergy, so that might be something to try.

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[Posterboy]

To All,

this is a fascinating thread.  Thank you knitty kitty for starting it and rmj for your great research.

I am always' trying to find out as much as I can about gluten and it many hiding places but didn't know it could be hidden in food additives as it where. 

I have always been wary of products of that contained "natural flavorings" because they didn't say exactly where these "flavorings" come from.

But I just read a fascinating article how a teenager uses a gluten sniffing service dog to help her avoid "natural flavoring" gluten contaminated products even when gluten was not in the ingredient.

This probably could be a whole another thread . . . like who would use such a dog if they could afford one for example but I wanted bring out the discussion in the article that confirms what rmj and knitty kitty said about food additives that others like myself might not not have known that unless "gluten is contained in wheat itself" then the gluten content does not have to be declared.  Kind of alarming to think about and could explain some super sensitivity in those who are eating "naturally flavored foods" that are seeming gluten free from the label (anyway).

Here is the article that talks about how food containing gluten not declared (in the label anyway) because wheat is not one of their ingredients can be found by a gluten sniffing dog.

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quoting from the article confirming what rmj and knitty kitty said about food additives.

"According to Watters, Zeus can detect the scent and presence of gluten in food and other products down to .0025 parts per million.

What the Lapidats have discovered, is it is relatively unknown that some products contain gluten in the absence of wheat. The gluten molecule can be removed from wheat protein and solubilized for use in cleaning supplies and as a thickener.

Under current food industry regulations, "if it's not encased in wheat we don't have to know that it's there," Wendy said. "So that's a problem for us because we don't know where gluten is."

Often times, gluten is used as a "natural flavoring" and the only way for a consumer to tell if a certain product contains gluten would be to call the company.

Before the Lapidats had Zeus, Wendy said she would spend hours in the grocery store line calling companies, waiting to talk to someone who could tell her what their product's natural flavor was.

"So now I can take Zeus and he can detect through a lot of packaging," Wendy said. ". I can ask him right in the grocery store and he can tell me right away if it's safe or not."

Zeus also checks Evelyn's meals at school and in restaurants. He pretty much monitors anything she might end up putting her hands into, including the glue used for a paper-mache project in a recent science class."

Here is another link that talks about the service that helped the parents train the dog for their child to help her "sniff out" hidden gluten in as the article says

"Though humans cannot detect it, gluten shows up almost everywhere — foods containing wheat, some foods and candies not containing wheat and even Soft Soap.

For those inflicted with celiac disease, which is incurable, this constant possibility of contamination and the accompanying worries can be exhausting. Evelyn has a high sensitivity to gluten and has avoided it as much as possible for the last three years since being diagnosed. The only way to manage the symptoms of celiac disease is to adhere to a strict gluten-free diet.

With such a high sensitivity, however, that often proved difficult for Evelyn and her parents, who are both pediatricians in Elkhart. When exposed to gluten Evelyn could become quite ill."

"I was up at night and upset, and wondering what we were going to do," explained Dr. Wendy Lapidat, Evelyn's mother. "I started looking up devices, electronic devices and I was dissatisfied with them. (Then) out popped this website for Nosey Dog Detection Partners."

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I once saw a piece a pbs special that said dogs can even track time with their noses.  as your essence in the room gets lower and lower at a certain point they know by smell alone you will be returning home and it is true for my dog.  He is always at the door even before I get there.

here is the link on dog's ability to smell is 10 thousand times better than us humans and maybe even 10x that amount.

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Now only if I had the money to train my dog.

I hope this is helpful.

posterboy,

 

[Fbmb]

This makes me want to cry. I'm already almost phobic about everything I eat. What are we supposed to eat? I'm so upset.

[cyclinglady]

3 hours ago, Fbmb said:

This makes me want to cry. I'm already almost phobic about everything I eat. What are we supposed to eat? I'm so upset.

Just keep doing what you are doing.  Honestly, I find the topic fascinating.  I think having celiac disease or not, food manufacturers need to accountable for the items that they use to put in food and process it.  

Here is why I am not freaking out.  We have too many members who eat processed foods and they have blood tests and endoscopies showing that they have healed.  The research on this product  indicated that more research is needed.  

We already have a bill prepared that will require drug companies to at least comply with FDA regulations in foods.  Let's get that passed!  

I am not financially tied in with the GlutenFreeWatchdog (GFW) other than I subscribe (I also subscribe to Consumer Reports too).  This might be a topic that Trisha (GFW) can research.  I did a quick search but was not able to find much (other than to buy this stuff).  

So, no sense in worrying!  People with celiac disease heal! ?

[ravenwoodglass]

I am very sensitive and have DH that is activated with even tiny amounts of gluten. I eat a lot of processed food and have since diagnosis. I was close to death at diagnosis and I healed. It takes time and it is best to eat as much whole food as possible. I agree with Cyclinglady that this is nothing to freak out about if you are healing keep doing what you are doing.  If you are worried about additives in your food just try to eat as much organic as you can.