Live With Allergies to Corn

It can be very difficult to live with allergies to corn because corn is such a common ingredient and also a vital source of nutrition. Corn allergy symptoms are often noticed during childhood. If someone is allergic to corn, the symptoms are usually very apparent and it is important to diagnose corn allergies at an early stage in order to take precautionary measures as soon as possible.

Steps

  1. Look for the common physiological signs for corn allergy. These can include any of the following:
    • Weight gain
    • Hives or an itchy rash that resembles poison ivy
    • Dark circles under the eyes
    • Eczema
    • Smelly breath
    • Runny or stuffy nose (at times causing sinus and breathing problems)
    • Aches throughout the body or in your bones
    • Swelling (especially around the ankles)
    • Stomach pains and digestive problems (sometimes leading to constipation, diarrhea or vomiting)
    • Loud snoring
  2. Look for the common mental corn allergy symptoms. If someone has corn allergy he may experience the following:
    • Headaches and migraine attacks
    • Compulsive behavior such as nail biting or nervous ticks
    • Mood swings
    • Mental blocks and thought problems
    • Depression
    • Feeling tired (especially after eating)
  3. Avoid the following ingredients if you are allergic to corn:
    • All of the following: Corn, grits, maize, polenta, popcorn, cornstarch, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup. These are all corn products.
    • Baking powder: Most baking powders contain corn starch. However, you can still use baking soda and baking powder that uses potato starch.
    • Caramel: Caramel is often used in soft drinks and bread. Most commercial foods use corn syrup, which must be avoided. However, you can still enjoy products that use cane sugar syrup instead of corn syrup in their caramel.
    • Cereals, packaged: Most of the packaged breakfast cereals you see on the grocery shelf contain corn -- this includes any cereal that claims it is a wheat cereal, oat cereal, flax cereal, etc. Because corn is so cheap, it is often used as an ingredient even where you'd least expect it.
    • Confectioner's sugar: Although this product is sugar-based it still often has corn starch as a type of preservative.
    • Dextrin and Maltodextrin: these thickening agents are made from corn starch and are frequently used in ice-cream, salad dressings and sauces.
    • Excipients: check the ingredients of any tablets you take to make sure they don't have this ingredient.
    • Fructose: Fructose is sugar, and in the U.S. it is usually derived from corn.
    • Glucona Delta Lactone: Make sure you don't eat cured meats that use this additive.
    • Glycerides: don't eat ice-cream, sauces or dressings that use mono-glyceride or di-glyceride.
    • Monosodium Glutamate (MSG): this ingredient is often used to enhance flavor in packaged food as well as in Chinese cuisine. MSG should be avoided because it is extracted from corn.
    • Multigrain breads and cereals: Anything that contains a variety of grains will likely include corn as one of those grains.
    • Natural flavorings: Anything called "natural" may be made with corn. Because corn is subsidized, it is cheap and therefore a favorite ingredient in the food industry.
    • Sorbitol: Sorbitol is found in many fruits and berries or produced commercially by breaking down dextrose. It may also be found in mouthwash and toothpaste.
    • Starch: all starch that is corn-based must be avoided, including food starch and modified food starch.
    • Sucrose: avoid all sucrose that has been extracted from corn.
    • Syrups: golden, invert, invert sugar, malt and malt extract syrups often contain corn starch, which must be avoided.
    • Vanilla extract: most vanilla extracts have corn syrup in them.
    • Xanthan gum: this ingredient is frequently used in milk shakes, mayonnaise and other prepared products. It is often used to thicken and ferment bacterium Xanthomonas Campestris X that may have been grown using corn sugars.



Tips

  • Cooking from scratch is the best bet for avoiding corn, but only as long as you are careful to avoid using corn-infested ingredients.
  • If you are highly sensitive to corn, you may find that you cannot tolerate prescription or over-the-counter medicines. There are pharmacists who can compound your medicines for you - his means they will custom produce your medicines using corn-free ingredients. You will have to work closely with your pharmacist, since it can be difficult for even a professional to understand the depth of corn usage in products in the U.S.
  • You will not find products manufactured for people who are allergic to corn. Foods are rarely made in corn-free form by manufacturers. However, you can contact the manufacturer of a food and ask if they have any products that are completely corn free. For example, a cereal manufacturer will send you a list of the corn-free cereals they offer.

Warnings

  • People who live with allergies to corn may experience nutritional deficiencies when avoiding certain foods. Make sure you are fulfilling your daily nutritional needs and seek guidance from a nutrition specialist if necessary.
  • Seek immediate medical attention if any corn allergy symptoms become extreme.
  • Never eat anything that is generally labeled as "vegetables" unless you are sure that corn is not among the used vegetables.

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Sources and Citations

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