food allergy

Although a fast is the ultimate approach in tracking down hidden food allergies, I don’t recommend it lightly. It is quick (fast!), inexpensive and an absolute yes-no statement on whether your illness really is caused by food allergy. Although it can be tough at first, by the morning of the fifth day, you can expect […] The post The Ultimate Approach in Tracking Down Hidden Food Allergies appeared first on Dr. Keith Scott-Mumby.

In my last post I discussed elimination dieting.  Now let’s talk about the 8-food plan. Not as severe as a fast but tougher than the previous regime, is what can be called the Few Foods Diet; I prefer to use an 8-food plan. Obviously it is more likely to succeed than the previous plan, since […]

In my last post I discussed elimination dieting.  Now let’s talk about the 8-food plan. Not as severe as a fast but tougher than the previous regime, is what can be called the Few Foods Diet; I prefer to use an 8-food plan. Obviously it is more likely to succeed than the previous plan, since […] The post The Few Foods Diet Plan appeared first on Dr. Keith Scott-Mumby.

I saw a forum topic running recently on what constitutes an anti-inflammatory diet. The answers showed appalling ignorance; most of it was the “me-too” pseudo-expertise of avoiding gluten, grains and manufactured foods. It sent me Googling and I found that over 97% of websites did not have much idea what an inflammatory food was or […]

I saw a forum topic running recently on what constitutes an anti-inflammatory diet. The answers showed appalling ignorance; most of it was the “me-too” pseudo-expertise of avoiding gluten, grains and manufactured foods. It sent me Googling and I found that over 97% of websites did not have much idea what an inflammatory food was or […] The post What is an anti-inflammatory diet? appeared first on Dr. Keith Scott-Mumby.

Back in the 1980s we had endless spats with the reactionary dinosaurs in the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. They couldn’t grasp that “food allergy” could cause all kinds of complex symptoms and reactions, not least in the intestines. It’s just so OBVIOUS it makes you cringe at this ignorance (to the patients’ disadvantage, of course). There were no antibodies, they said, therefore the whole concept was an illusion or fraud. People could not react to food in this way. The whole idea was called “Mumby-Jumbo” in my home city. Actually, I’m quite proud of that! Now, some 30 years later, they have FINALLY woken up to the fact that this happens. Actually, it happens a LOT and they haven’t got that far yet. But at least they have changed their tune. I just saw a study published that’s about what they call food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES). I think food allergy or food intolerance is far simpler! A case was presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2012 Annual Scientific Meeting. Progress! FPIES and its triggers (most commonly cow’s milk, rice, and soy) can be difficult to diagnose, lead researcher Tara Federly, MD, a fellow at the Children’s Mercy Hospital and the University of Missouri in Kansas City, told Medscape Medical News. FPIES is not mediated by immunoglobulin (Ig)E, “so it’s not the immediate hypersensitivity reaction that you see with peanut or milk or other allergy,” Dr. Federly explained. “The exact mechanism is not known, but it’s basically an inflammation of the GI tract that is triggered by certain foods. The interesting thing is that it happens hours after ingestion, instead of being a more immediate IgE-mediated reaction,” she said. Well, we told them that; but they wouldn’t listen! It was antibodies or nothing; no antibodies: patients was deluded and sent to a psychiatrist.

Back in the 1980s we had endless spats with the reactionary dinosaurs in the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. They couldn’t grasp that “food allergy” could cause all kinds of complex symptoms and reactions, not least in the intestines. It’s just so OBVIOUS it makes you cringe at this ignorance (to the patients’ disadvantage, of course). There were no antibodies, they said, therefore the whole concept was an illusion or fraud. People could not react to food in this way. The whole idea was called “Mumby-Jumbo” in my home city. Actually, I’m quite proud of that! Now, some 30 years later, they have FINALLY woken up to the fact that this happens. Actually, it happens a LOT and they haven’t got that far yet. But at least they have changed their tune. I just saw a study published that’s about what they call food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES). I think food allergy or food intolerance is far simpler! A case was presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2012 Annual Scientific Meeting. Progress! FPIES and its triggers (most commonly cow’s milk, rice, and soy) can be difficult to diagnose, lead researcher Tara Federly, MD, a fellow at the Children’s Mercy Hospital and the University of Missouri in Kansas City, told Medscape Medical News. FPIES is not mediated by immunoglobulin (Ig)E, “so it’s not the immediate hypersensitivity reaction that you see with peanut or milk or other allergy,” Dr. Federly explained. “The exact mechanism is not known, but it’s basically an inflammation of the GI tract that is triggered by certain foods. The interesting thing is that it happens hours after ingestion, instead of being a more immediate IgE-mediated reaction,” she said. Well, we told them that; but they wouldn’t listen! It was antibodies or nothing; no antibodies: patients was deluded and sent to a psychiatrist.

Yet again, the counter-intuitive idea that coffee is good for you is given a boost! It’s known that coffee drinkers are less likely to get dementia, stroke, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. Several studies have shown that. Now a new and pretty large study has shown that coffee drinkers are 10- 15% less likely to die from all causes. That’s big! However—a warning. These were adjusted figures, meaning other factors were written out. In truth coffee drinkers are more likely to smoke and therefore, truly, coffee drinkers didn’t do so well when all factors were taken into account. But it’s because of the smoking, not the coffee. In any case, nobody has proved that coffee is beneficial. Only that coffee drinkers are different in some way. It may not be the coffee but something else they do, like work out more in the gym. It reminds me of a food allergy patient of mine back in the 1980s. He got migraines every time he drank whisky. Case closed? No! It was the peanuts he ate along with the whisky!!

Yet again, the counter-intuitive idea that coffee is good for you is given a boost! It’s known that coffee drinkers are less likely to get dementia, stroke, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. Several studies have shown that. Now a new and pretty large study has shown that coffee drinkers are 10- 15% less likely to die from all causes. That’s big! However—a warning. These were adjusted figures, meaning other factors were written out. In truth coffee drinkers are more likely to smoke and therefore, truly, coffee drinkers didn’t do so well when all factors were taken into account. But it’s because of the smoking, not the coffee. In any case, nobody has proved that coffee is beneficial. Only that coffee drinkers are different in some way. It may not be the coffee but something else they do, like work out more in the gym. It reminds me of a food allergy patient of mine back in the 1980s. He got migraines every time he drank whisky. Case closed? No! It was the peanuts he ate along with the whisky!!

Let me back up a bit. I browse a lot of books in thrift stores (Oxfam shops for you Brits!) I get to find wonderful, old, often out-of-print books that I otherwise wouldn’t hear of. Bonus? They cost $1 or $2 at most! I found one only this morning, called “The Dictionary of Misconceptions”. Author Tom Burnam does a good job of dispelling myths and misconceptions. Like for example, that the deepest canyon in the world is NOT the Grand Canyon. It’s a myth that Americans love to believe. But the Copper Canyon in Mexico, is bigger, deeper and longer! Shhhh! Anyway, Burnam points out that, even in the USA, Hell’s Canyon on the Snake River between Idaho and Oregon, is half a mile deeper than the Grand Canyon. Another tourist B*S* myth bites the dust! No, I’m not doing geography today. There is a point…. Which is the Burnam, for all his good work, then messes up badly by stating, categorically: “It is absolutely untrue that different drinks which contain identical amounts of absolute alcohol can have different intoxicating qualities”. 

Let me back up a bit. I browse a lot of books in thrift stores (Oxfam shops for you Brits!) I get to find wonderful, old, often out-of-print books that I otherwise wouldn’t hear of. Bonus? They cost $1 or $2 at most! I found one only this morning, called “The Dictionary of Misconceptions”. Author Tom Burnam does a good job of dispelling myths and misconceptions. Like for example, that the deepest canyon in the world is NOT the Grand Canyon. It’s a myth that Americans love to believe. But the Copper Canyon in Mexico, is bigger, deeper and longer! Shhhh! Anyway, Burnam points out that, even in the USA, Hell’s Canyon on the Snake River between Idaho and Oregon, is half a mile deeper than the Grand Canyon. Another tourist B*S* myth bites the dust! No, I’m not doing geography today. There is a point…. Which is the Burnam, for all his good work, then messes up badly by stating, categorically: “It is absolutely untrue that different drinks which contain identical amounts of absolute alcohol can have different intoxicating qualities”. 

Paralyzed and cannot speak or move. What would you do? Locked-In Syndrome I recently read an amazing book: The Diving Bell and The Butterfly by Jean-Dominic Bauby. It is very moving indeed. Bauby was the Editor-In-Chief at Elle, the fashion  magazine in Paris, France. He was witty, rich, sought after by women, worldly and handsome. He had it all. Then, at the age of 42, he had a devastating brain stem stroke which left him totally paralyzed, unable to speak and move, yet fully conscious. We call this “locked-in syndrome”; the person is there, fully aware, but is unable to move and can’t communicate normally. [here’s the film trailer from YouTube]: It is a quite horrifying end for anyone but especially for Bauby, an intellectual and a socialite. There was just one saving grace. Fate left him with the ability to blink his left eye. Pretty soon he was using this to communicate. He gained a kind of a life.