Omg...i Might Be On To Something

[CarlaB]

yes. an LLMD.

i'm going to search for the post ......... let me try to find it. their opinion was that even though i didn't test positive, with my symptoms and the fact that the test was taken when I wasn't in a "flare", plus, that everything wasn't negative....it was something to look at. then when i tested positive (IgG) for rmsf.....

It's good that he's keeping it in mind that you still could have it. From what I understand, tests can be false negative. It is odd that you have a coinfection and not Lyme. I guess that's possible, but seems odd to me.

I tested negative for babesia, but my LLMD is treating me for it and is sure I have it. But I had a positive Lyme test, so it's a little different for me.

[happygirl]

x

[CarlaB]

Laura, after spending some time on the Lyme boards I'm actually amazed I do as well as I do, too!! I have little energy, but I do seem to get by. My only household responsibilities right now is feeding everyone ... everyone else does everything else, but so many Lyme patients are very disabled.

I've tried to figure out how it is that I can have LD in this advanced stage and be doing so well. I really think it's all the immune support I've done over the years with supplements and eating right in addition to exercise. I am like a different person on days I exercise! Yesterday I laid on the couch all day and didn't even cook, the kids were scavengers ... but today I worked out and actually went to the grocery.

Thanks for thinking of me all the time . I wish you had clear answers, too. In fact, I wish I had had clear answers years before, but I have learned a lot and grown a lot from the experience. I think the most important thing, whether Lyme, celiac, candida, or anything else, is to eat right, get enough rest and sleep, have time for fun/relaxation, don't stress, exercise, and supplements. Our culture is not good at these things ... everyone eats junk and overextends themselves.

Ironically enough, I even ate salads for lunch all the way back in high school when everyone else was eating burgers, fries and shakes! I always was an ice tea drinker, not a soda drinker (except for college when they came out with Diet Coke). I mean, there were certainly times my diet was bad, usually when I was busy ... but for the most part over the years, I've taken care of myself.

You'll get better. You'll be a stronger person mentally and spiritually for having gone though this. All our experiences make up who we are, so even the negative ones make us better.

Okay, step down from soapbox .... What medicine made me say all that stuff???? I need to double dose it, it would make me much more sensitive than I really am!!

[CarlaB]

LLMD is a "she" not a "he"......which is apparently why I like her much better than my other doctors (male).

My witch doctor was a she, the only she I've ever gone to. My ob/gyn, who I really like and still drive over to Indiana to see for my checkups, is a he. And my LLMD is a he. But I know other women who will only go to women docs ... apparently they're more sensitive ... which I don't need ...

[AndreaB]

Hm, I didn't mention mono and don't remember that post either.

Laura,

Thanks for the update. I'm glad you found a doctor that you like. That is sooooo important. Keep us posted as you can about how things are going with the flagyl and further treatments. Would I be correct in assuming that your intolerances could stem from L?

I just got off the phone with my new friend from the new forum I joined recently. She has kids that are the same age as mine. Would be so nice if we lived closer together.

[diamondheart]

Laura, after spending some time on the Lyme boards I'm actually amazed I do as well as I do, too!! I have little energy, I think the most important thing, whether Lyme, celiac, candida, or anything else, is to eat right, get enough rest and sleep, have time for fun/relaxation, don't stress, exercise, and supplements. Our culture is not good at these things ... everyone eats junk and overextends themselves.

You'll be a stronger person mentally and spiritually for having gone though this. All our experiences make up who we are, so even the negative ones make us better.

That's worth saying again!

Hm, I didn't mention mono and don't remember that post either.

Either I got you mixed up with someone else or I hallucinated it . I mean, it's so hard to keep up with all the posts here .

Claire

[Lisa]

NEWS:

In case some of you have not crossed over to the other threads today.....Watch the "View" tomorrow. Elizabeth is "coming out" as Celiac and they are doing a segment about Celiac. (Friday morning as posted)

Lisa

I hope I did not interrupt a train of thought. Just though ya should know, if not already.

[CarlaB]

I hope I did not interrupt a train of thought. Just though ya should know, if not already.

It is very easy to get us off track!! Thanks, Lisa.

[Rachel--24]

It's good that he's keeping it in mind that you still could have it. From what I understand, tests can be false negative. It is odd that you have a coinfection and not Lyme. I guess that's possible, but seems odd to me.

She could still have Lyme but its just not showing up for any one of these reasons....

1. Antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) are present, but the laboratory is unable to detect them.

2. Antibodies against Bb may not be present in detectable levels in a patient with Lyme disease because the patient is currently on, or has recently taken, antibiotics. The antibacterial effect of antibiotics can reduce the body's production of antibodies.

3. Antibodies against Bb may not be present in detectable levels in a patient with Lyme disease because the patient is currently on or has previously taken anti-inflammatory steroidal drugs These can suppress a person's immune system, thus reducing or preventing an antibody response.

4. Antibodies against Bb may not be present in detectable levels in a patient with Lyme disease because the patient's antibodies may be bound with the bacteria with not enough free antibodies available for testing.

For this reason, some of the worst cases of Lyme disease test negative -- too much bacteria for the immune system to handle.

5. Antibodies against Bb may not be present in detectable levels in a patient with Lyme disease because the patient could be immunosuppressed for a number of other reasons, and the immune system is not reacting to the bacteria.

6. Antibodies against Bb may not be present in detectable levels in a patient with Lyme disease because the bacteria has changed its makeup (antigenic shift) limiting recognition by the patient's immune system.

7. Antibodies against Bb may not be present in detectable levels in a patient with Lyme disease because the patient's immune response has not been stimulated to produce antibodies, i.e., the blood test is taken too soon after the tick-bite (8-6 weeks).

Please do not interpret this statement as implying that you should wait for a positive test to begin treatment.

8. Antibodies against Bb may not be present in detectable levels in a patient with Lyme disease because the laboratory has raised its cutoff too high.

9. Antibodies against Bb may not be present in detectable levels in a patient with Lyme disease because the patient is reacting to the Lyme bacteria, but is not producing the "right" bands to be considered positive.

I had asked Anna about having co-infections w/out Lyme. She had said that its not entirely impossible but not usually the case. When there are co-infections ...Lyme is almost always present as well.

Laura,

I have never heard of that lyme co-infection...now I have something new to look up.

Here is the link to the C.Diff board

Open Original Shared Link

Looking at your recap....it looks similar to my own stuff....with some differences

positive IgG for rmsf (a lyme co-infection)

I was only tested for 3 co-infections and they were negative.

some bands positive for lyme...most were not....but enough to make them "concerned"

Same here....except they believe I have it since I tested very positive through BioSET. I dunno though.

IgA deficient

I've been wanting to find out if I'm IgA deficeient for two years now...I dont think I am but would like to know *for sure*.

I have been told that I'm IgG deficient right now.....most likely because I'm sick. They say my IgG is below whats "normal"....my body isnt producing enough and it may be preventing me from getting any positive IgG's. However I did get a positive IgG for HHV-6....a past infection they say I had. Nothing showed up positive on my IgG food panel...over 115 foods and nada....I only had a few very lows with spices and banana.

trace amounts of yeast

I had a "light" overgrowth in stool but recent bloodtest showed BIG TIME elevated IgM antibodies against yeast.....indicating a major infection.

autoimmune thyroid antibodies

Yeah...Graves Disease

mildly high levels of C.Diff

Tested positive for C.Diff Toxin A

+ for mild colitis

I dont know about this?? How is it tested?? My Endoscopy and colonoscopy were normal...although my colonoscopy was incomplete because the GI couldnt get past a sharp turn in my intestines.

Things that are ok include:

adrenal functioning

My adrenals arent normal but not terrible either.

parasites

Yup...they havent found any parasites in me yet.

other co-infections

Negative for the main co-infections

TSH, T3, T4

I wouldnt say my thyroid is functioning normal...cuz it got killed with radiation....but the labs are normal with my Armour. I'm pretty sure the autoimmune response is still occurring even though my thyroid is mostly "dead". I showed up with all kinds of thyroid issues in my BioSET testing....they said the autoimmune stuff is still going on. My thyroid is still *physically* there so the antibodies can still be "attacking" it I guess.

[Rachel--24]

NEWS:

In case some of you have not crossed over to the other threads today.....Watch the "View" tomorrow. Elizabeth is "coming out" as Celiac and they are doing a segment about Celiac. (Friday morning as posted)

Lisa

I hope I did not interrupt a train of thought. Just though ya should know, if not already.

Thanks so much Lisa!!!

I wanted to watch this but I wouldnt have re-checked the thread cuz everyone was saying it was going to air some time next week??

Thank you for popping in here and sharing that! Now I wont miss it.

I would have been sad if I missed it.

[happygirl]

x

[Rachel--24]

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Ahhh....ok...I've read about this one but I had thought it had very specific symtpoms or something??? I think I always assumed from the name that you must have a fever.

I'm gonna re-read about it.

If I remember correctly, I think you had some more positive bands. Although, at this point, what does it matter---I feel like I'm just grasping...I don't know if I'll ever "know" what I have.

Yeah...I think I may have had 1 or 2 more positive bands. I had a positive IFA test but its not 100% specific for Lyme so I dont feel 100% sure that it is Lyme. There can be cross-reactivity with other bacteria/virus.

Hmmm....since my yeast antibodies were through the roof I wonder if that could have reflected on my IFA test...

The IFA was a collection of all the antibodies (IgG, IgM and IgA) against Lyme.

I definately DO think we will *know* what we have and we will treat it and we will rebuild our immune systems and we will be healthy again.

Laura....I really do think this. We work hard and we are persistant...everything happens for a reason.... we are strong-willed and have alot of determination and faith. We will get through this and be better people for having gone through it.

The answers dont come as fast as we'd like.....(heck, I wanted mine like 4 years ago ) but they'll get here. You're on the right path and just starting to get answers.....same as me. You didnt waste as much time with stupid doctors though....so you wont have to be still searching after 4 years. I promise.

I still want to find out about IgA but since most tests I've been doing arent IgA related....I'm not gonna worry about it too much.

Is it true that if you are IgA deficient you are more likely to catch alot of colds or virus?? This is what the BioSET lady told me. If its true then I definately dont have a shortage of IgA because I dont catch anything.

I also thought that if your digestive tract gets imflamed and damaged you can lose IgA protection?? Isn't secretory IgA present in the mucousal barrier??

OK....I found this.....

Imbalanced secretory IgA (sIgA) levels may provide the link between gut imbalances and systemic illness. SIgA is found throughout the gastrointestinal tract, and in mucus secretions throughout the body. This important immunoglobulin is the first line of defence against bacteria, food residues, fungi, parasites and viruses, and a deficiency of sIgA is common.

Low levels can make us more susceptible to infection and may be a fundamental cause of asthma, autoimmune conditions, Coeliac Disease, chronic infections, Crohn's Disease, candidiasis, food intolerances, allergies, autism and other behavioural problems. Very high levels of sIgA can also be found in people who have chronic infections and whose immune system is overloaded or hypersensitive. Lifestyle, stress and nutritional factors can all influence sIgA levels.

Functions of sIgA

Immunity: sIgA reduces the uptake of enteric food molecules, bacterial toxins and other macro molecules

Anti-inflammatory

Viral neutralisation

Plasmid elimination

Inhibition of pathogenic colonisation

Who should test sIgA?

Deficiencies or low levels may be associated with asthma, autoimmune disease, high stress levels, high antibiotic use, candidiasis, Coeliac Disease, autism, food allergies/intolerances, Ulcerative Colitis & Crohns Disease. Individuals with sIgA deficiency usually show varying degrees of nutrient malabsorption and are susceptible to food allergies.

Hmmm...I wonder if I have high or low sIgA???? Probably high.

I'm thinking all of us with these intestinal problems and "bad bugs" definately do not have "normal" functioning sIgA.

I definately had/have malabsorption but it wasnt verified or seen in any testing I had. I came back with a score of 913 through Enterolab.

I'm sure I have some imflammation/damage along my mucousal barrier.....my old Dr. used to stress the importance of the mucousal barrier and sIgA (first line immune defense). He said gluten intolerance and the "infections" that often go hand in hand with it damage the mucousal barrier and the immune systems first line of defense.

I've read that the stool tests for candida are unreliable....that blood tests are better. I had 3 stool tests and only the one showed a "light" overgrowth but my symptoms and bloodwork say its a HUGE problem for me.

Candida can also cause "autoimmune stuff".

At this point I'm not sure if it was Lyme or Candida that may have caused my Graves but the autoimmune stuff is still going on...along with these infections.

If you take Diflucin make sure they test your liver function. Its important to check this...its really hard on the liver so you dont want to take it long term.

Wow...you've never been on antibiotics??

Well....I never took antibiotics till after I was sick but if you think about it....I actually took plenty of antibiotics daily for all of my life. I was a serious milk drinker....ate plenty of burgers, loved cheese and all dairy products, ate alot of processed meat.....plenty of chicken nuggets...and TONS of eggs. So yeah....alot of our food is actually loaded with antibiotics.

I would imagine that our good guys could get wiped out from our diets if we eat like I did.

Even more so if something else is weakening our defenses too.

I cant imagine you ate as horribly as I did but even still....you would have gotten *some* amount of antibiotics through meat and dairy products.

I've been meaning to ask you this and I always forget. I can't remember which -if any- leaky gut test you had.

Laura,

I've never bothered with a leaky gut test since in my case its just so freakin obvious.

None of my Dr.'s have even suggested testing....its just *known* that I have it. My old Dr. said it wouldnt be necessary to test.

He specialized in gluten intolerance and gut issues. He said that most everyone with gluten intolerance has leaky gut at some point. When a person has gluten intolerance + a whole lot of other intolerances.....its because of leaky gut. After gluten-free when a person doesnt heal...he said its usually because of infections.

He was the first Dr. I had to focus on infections.

There is a test though....you have to drink something and they will test your urine to see how leaky your gut is.

Do you want to get tested?? Did your Dr. say anything about leaky gut....with regards to all of the food intolerances?

Oh yeah....leaky gut showed up in my BioSET testing.....so I guess I have had *some* testing.

[Rachel--24]

SIgA is found throughout the gastrointestinal tract, and in mucus secretions throughout the body. This important immunoglobulin is the first line of defence against bacteria, food residues, fungi, parasites and viruses, and a deficiency of sIgA is common.

Low levels can make us more susceptible to infection and may be a fundamental cause of asthma, autoimmune conditions, Coeliac Disease, chronic infections, Crohn's Disease, candidiasis, food intolerances, allergies, autism and other behavioural problems

See....everything I read points to infections having some relationship in the development of autoimmune disease.

The purpose of sIgA is to ward off the "bad guys" If the sIgA is not functioning properly or there is deficiency.....we cant fight these guys off as well....and then we get disease.....or "syndromes" like Fibro.

Infection (bacteria, parasitic, fungal and virus) seems to be the reoccurring theme here in the OMG thread.

[happygirl]

x

[AndreaB]

Still following along......

Very interesting info as usual Rachel.

Laura,

Thanks for clarifying what rmsf was. Do keep us posted. I don't post much normally but I always read.

[dlp252]

Infection (bacteria, parasitic, fungal and virus) seems to be the reoccurring theme here in the OMG thread.

Ain't that the truth!

[diamondheart]

IgA deficient

I've been wanting to find out if I'm IgA deficeient for two years now...I dont think I am but would like to know *for sure*.

Mine was tested through "Diagnos-Techs" "Extended GI panel" (it included a lot of things, but I'm sure you could just get that one). I also was low on the Celiac panel this spring (total IgA) which alerted me to the problem. I would say this is the first thing I've been certain about, other than Celiac. My recent score was 69....and normal is 400-880.

Hi Laura (and everyone else),

Both my husband and I have been tested through Diagnos-Techs Lab. We both had a low SIgA, my husband's being lower than mine! My score was <69 and DH was <28. We both have bacterial dysbiosis. Mine is the Klebsiella/Enterobacter group and his is C.diff plus yeast (not Candida). My doctor told me that the SIgA will be low if you have been fighting off an intestinal infection for a long time. I'm pretty sure DH and I have had our "pets" for a long time. He could have gotten his C. diff as far back as 3 years ago when he was in the hospital. It's very common to pick it up in a hospital. He also travels to Asia regularly, so who knows what he has picked up there. I clearly have had my issues for a long time, but don't know how long.

Initially, I wondered if I was IgA deficient. But when hubby tested lower SIgA than me through the stool testing, I figured that I would have to do serum blood testing to know for sure.

This is a very good reference I've found on Selective IgA deficiency:

Open Original Shared Link

Selective IgA Deficiency is the most common primary immunodeficiency disease. Studies have indicated that as many as one in every five hundred people have Selective IgA Deficiency. Many of these individuals have relatively mild illnesses and are generally not sick enough to be seen by a doctor. Therefore, they are never discovered to have IgA deficiency. In fact, the majority of individuals with Selective IgA Deficiency are relatively healthy and free of symptoms. In contrast, there are also individuals with Selective IgA Deficiency who have significant illnesses. Currently, it is not understood why some individuals with IgA deficiency have almost no illness while others are very sick. Studies have suggested that some patients with IgA deficiency may be missing a fraction of their IgG (the IgG2 subclass) and that

may be one explanation of why some patients with IgA deficiency are more susceptible to infection than others.

Just because you are IgA deficient doesn't mean you get a lot of colds. I never get colds or flus anymore. Your body adjusts and switches to the other immunoglobins to compensate. However, I think being IgA difficient would affect your ability to fight off anything that comes in contact with your mucosal lining, like sinus infections and picking up parasites. I had a lot of ear and sinus infections as a kid.

A common problem in IgA deficiency is susceptibility to infections. Recurrent ear infections, sinusitis, bronchitis and

pneumonia are the most common infections seen in patients with Selective IgA Deficiency. This is easy to understand because IgA protects mucosal surfaces from infections. These infections may become chronic. Furthermore, the

infection may not completely clear with treatment, and patients may have to remain on antibiotics for longer than

usual.

However, IgA deficiency can also be a problem with autoimmune diseases:

A second major problem in IgA deficiency is the occurrence of autoimmune diseases. In autoimmune diseases an

individual produces antibodies or T-lymphocytes which react with his/her own tissues with resulting damage to these

tissues. Some of the more frequent autoimmune diseases associated with IgA deficiency are: Rheumatoid Arthritis,

Systemic Lupus Erythematosis and Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). These autoimmune diseases may

cause sore and swollen joints of the hands or knees, a rash on the face, anemia (a low red blood cell count) or

thrombocytopenia (a low platelet count). Other kinds of autoimmune disease may affect the endocrine system and/or the

gastrointestinal system.

Anything sound familiar there ?

I also figured I had leaky gut, so never bothered with the tests. It seems to be getting better, but I'm still working on it. It could be several more months, but the bacterial dysbiosis is definitely a problem for me. I too have wondered if I have mild colitis, but I figure it will heal as long as I'm working on my digestive issues as a whole. I'm not keen to get a colonoscopy.

I think it doesn't matter when you took antibiotics, but having had any antibiotics will have an effect on your digestion. I have had a lot of antibiotics as a kid and also when I was in the Peace Corps. I think I was taking Flagyl every other month for ameobas. I had no clue it was an antibiotic, not that I cared about it back then.

I've been thinking a lot about how I got into this mess. Antibiotics, not eating well, stress, bacterial dysbiosis, then the ensuing food intolerances. It's all an insidious cycle. I'd like to find out if I'm truly IgA deficient since my aunt has an autoimmune disease. But I also worry about all these genetically modified foods and the impact they have on our bodies. Plus, the constant bombardment we get from chemicals that we are not even aware of, like flame retardants that are in our furniture, on airplanes, etc. I'm sure all this stuff adds up and effects us.

I think healing is possible, though it takes patience, persistance, and perserverance. My doctor, Dr. F who is an acupuncturist, told me the other day that he finally got his son on dairy. Dairy was the one food allergy that he couldn't clear in his son. I asked him what he did? He said he just kept treating him. He said he thought in his case that the MMR vaccine caused his problem. There is something with the measels portion of the vaccine that transfers the virus into your intestines. I'm relaying what Dr. F told me, and I haven't researched it further. Luckily, I didn't test for any problems with vaccines, but who knows what effect it had on me in the past? They made me get the MMR vaccine in graduate school because I hadn't had the mumps vaccine, even though I had the disease as a kid . So, we don't even know the extent to which viruses affect our intestines!! There's a whole 'nother unknown field that could be triggering celiac disease and food intolerances.

I should get back to work, but this whole IgA thing is very intriging to me. Take some time to read the paper that I linked above.

Claire

[dlp252]

He said he thought in his case that the MMR vaccine caused his problem. There is something with the measels portion of the vaccine that transfers the virus into your intestines. I'm relaying what Dr. F told me, and I haven't researched it further. Luckily, I didn't test for any problems with vaccines, but who knows what effect it had on me in the past? They made me get the MMR vaccine in graduate school because I hadn't had the mumps vaccine, even though I had the disease as a kid . So, we don't even know the extent to which viruses affect our intestines!! There's a whole 'nother unknown field that could be triggering celiac disease and food intolerances.

See vaccines came up on my testing. Anna said that she could see that I had had a reaction to one of my vaccines and/or flu shots. I had all kinds of vaccines and shots when I was younger, not to mention all the amalgam put in when I was 11-12...several rounds of antibiotics...over my lifetime I'd have to say at least 30 rounds of antibiotics, some of them for 30 days at a time!

Now I'm wondering if I'm IgA deficient too.

[AndreaB]

Can you guys remind me why green potatoes are bad for you? I forget what the green was. I want to say chlorophyl (sp?) .

[jerseyangel]

Can you guys remind me why green potatoes are bad for you? I forget what the green was. I want to say chlorophyl (sp?) .

Hi Andrea

The green spots happen when the potatoes are exposed to light. It's ok to use the potato, just cut away the green spots.

[Rachel--24]

Anyone know if Imagine broths (come in a box) are still gluten-free??? I thought it used to say it on the box but I might be confused with another brand.

I've been having some beef broth the past week...its yummy and warm.

I wake up feeling kind of nauseus but it goes away fast.

I posted this last month....and guess what....the freakin stuff was making me sick!!

Yeah...every time I ate it I got worse and after about a week I had a major reaction with one spoonful and that was the end of it.

I was having some swelling in my head, naseuea, tummy rumblings, numbness and other symptoms.

So a month went by and I havent had any other bad reactions with my food....I was just sticking to my ice cream and the 4 other safe foods I have.

I decided to try the broth again night before last.

So again....I got major head pressure, eye pain.....woke up nauseus with upset stomach and I got burning all across my neck, shoulders and back.

It seems like it would be from MSG...but the freakin box says "NO MSG" real big on the front.

So I was answering an MSG question on another thread and I had to look up some of my bookmarked pages and then I realized the freakin broth has MSG!

Yeah...I have stared at the ingredients on the box soooo many times and I totally missed it. I forgot that "Natural flavors", "beef flavor", or any type of "flavor" usually means MSG.

The distinction between having MSG poured into an ingredient and processed into an ingredient is important because the glutamate industry plays on this distinction in their efforts to hide the presence of MSG. One of their favorite ways of hiding MSG is to claim that there is "no added MSG" in a product. If MSG is processed into a product instead of being poured into a product, they declare that there is "no MSG added" or "no added MSG," in the product, even though they know full well that the product contains MSG.

I wasnt paying enough attention. I'm upset because I knew all of this and have posted several times about it...yet I've been getting my own self sick from it.

Then I saw this on a page that listed a couple products that contained MSG with a deceptive label of "NO MSG" right on the package.

Imagine ORGANIC Free Range Chicken Broth

Ingredients include "natural flavor" -- and Imagine doesn't tell what is in the "natural flavor" and/or provide an analysis of the amount of processed free glutamic acid in their product.

I went to Whole Foods last night and looked for any broths that might be safe and only found one...Pacific organic vegetable broth. I ate it today and had no problems with it.

All of the other Pacific broths and soups had MSG in them but at least they didnt have a big BOLD FACED LIE right on the front of the box.

Heres what I read about the regulations regarding this kind of misleading labeling.

Manufacturers are acutely aware that many consumers would prefer not to have MSG (1) in their food.(2) Some manufacturers have responded by using "clean labels," i.e., labels that contain only ingredient names they think consumers will not recognize as containing MSG -- names such as "hydrolyzed soy protein." Others advertise "No MSG," "No MSG Added," or "No Added MSG," even though their products contain MSG.

Most offenders are small processors who are possibly being misguided by the FDA, the USDA, and/or consultants. Hain and Campbell's, both large companies, are among those who have been alerted to both the deception that they are perpetrating and the illegality of what they are doing, yet continue with what the FDA has termed deceptive and misleading labeling.

Placing "No MSG," "No MSG Added," or "No Added MSG" on food labels has been deemed by the FDA to be false and misleading under section (403)(a)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act when the label also lists any hydrolyzed protein as an ingredient since it contains MSG."(3) Thus, to advertise "No MSG," "No MSG Added," or "No Added MSG" when there is MSG in a product is illegal.

At one time, the FDA responded to the illegal use of the term "No MSG Added," with both a Regulatory Letter and threat of seizure and injunction in case of non-compliance.(4) At one time, State Attorneys General sued manufacturers that made such claims, and won consent decrees from them, and sometimes imposed fines.(5-6) But when the FDA began to look the other way, and the State Attorneys General turned their attention to other matters, the deceptive and misleading use of "No MSG" and No Added MSG" once more began proliferating.l

Following the FDA's announcement in 1995 that "...FDA considers foods whose labels say "No MSG" or "No Added MSG" to be misleading if the food contains ingredients that are sources of free glutamates, such as hydrolyzed protein,"(7) the incidence of such misleading and deceptive labels regulated by the FDA began to decline. At the same time, similar labels regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) continued proliferating. At the USDA they don't simply fail to enforce the regulation. The USDA actually approves labels of meat and poultry products that claim "No MSG," "No MSG Added," or "No Added MSG" when they contain free glutamic acid.

Clearly, it is false and misleading to claim "No MSG" or "No MSG Added" on a product label when MSG is present, even if it is present as a constituent of an ingredient.

Those making such claims should be able to demonstrate, through valid tests for free glutamic acid content, that there is zero free glutamic acid in their products. Even if one could assume that a particular label reflected the ingredients actually in the product (which one cannot), review of product labels to determine the presence of MSG would not be satisfactory, and will not substitute for analysis of end product. The number of products/ingredients /substances that contain MSG is not finite, i.e., new ingredients that contain MSG are invented and/or renamed every day. To keep track of them would be virtually impossible. Moreover, MSG can be freed from protein during processing or manufacture given appropriate conditions. For example, any ingredient that contains a bit of protein can be hydrolyzed if hydrochloric acid, enzymes, heat, and/or other substances or conditions that cause glutamic acid to be separated out of its host protein are present. Hydrolyzation of protein inevitably creates some (processed) free glutamic acid (MSG).

Only if there is zero free glutamic acid in an end product can one legitimately claim that there is no MSG. The burden of proof for a claim about the absence of MSG must lie with those making the claim.

You can see some of the companies/products that have mislead the public with this kind of deceptive labeling on this page...

Open Original Shared Link

[Jestgar]

The green spots happen when the potatoes are exposed to light. It's ok to use the potato, just cut away the green spots.

I wanted to add that if you're at all sensitive to potatoes, don't eat the ones with green on them.

I have no supporting evidence at the moment, but I recall that the green part is toxic, although it is water soluble, so if you boil your potatoes it goes away.

[AndreaB]

Thanks guys.

My mom brought down potatoes that were on there last days. I threw them out. Even after peeling down through the obvious green they still seemed to have a green tinge. We don't have any problems with potatoes and don't want to develop any.

I had read here that the green was toxic, just forgot why.

Rachel,

Once you can tolerate more meats you can make your own broth. Won't be as good without the "no msg added" but it's healthier. uswellnessmeats sells beef bone to make beef broth. I still need to order some. I use chicken carcasses when we have whole chicken for chicken broth. Veggie broth would just be veggies you want in it. Usually onion, celery and carrot. I'm glad you found a broth you can have.

[dlp252]

Adding to the potato thing...isn't it also bad to eat the "eyes" that develop?

And, I think Pacific tastes better than Imagine anyway, lol. Hum, wait, I probably had one of the ones with MSG in it...

Well, I have officially been put on an anti-candida diet by Dr. Rick. After our appointment today he is very sure I have a candida issue and thinks I need to get that under control. I've just really been struggling to stick to it, and in fact haven't been. He gave me some Chromium Piconolate(SP?) which is supposed to help with the sugar cravings, which is one reason I haven't been able to stick with it. He said that if I can just get past that initial craving period I should be okay and I tend to agree...the chromium should help with the cravings. Must remember to take them tomorrow to BioSET to have them tested cuz I'm pretty sure chromium came up on my testing, but I don't know if this is the same thing or not.

[jerseyangel]

Just this past week, I saw a "potato expert" on Rachel Ray. She said that the eyes were not poison--they were just the new sprouts. A lot of people think they're poison, but they're not. Not that you'd want to eat them...

Also, she said the green part that happens because of the light isn't poison, either. It would taste bitter, so it is best to cut it out. In Andrea's case, since the potatoes were pretty much green all the way through, I'd have tossed them, too.

I love Pacific broth--I've never had problems with it. Early on, I tried Imagine, and didn't like it as well.

Donna, good luck with the anti-candida diet. Isn't chromium picolonate also good for weight metabolism? I seem to remember that from my old weight loss diet days