Subject:      Food Phenolics & Auto-Immune Disease
From:         sshapiro@oregon.uoregon.edu (Steve Shapiro)
Date:         1997/02/28
Message-Id:   <33174566.2212653@neonlights.uoregon.edu>
Newsgroups:   alt.support.food-allergies
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Hello Everybody,

I've been posting to the sci.med groups for a while, and just found
you.

I have an interesting tale to tell.  I'll keep it brief:

For the last two+ years, I have been living with the auto-immune
condition known as Pemphigus Vulgaris.  My skin and mucus membranes
are attacked by my immune system. They form bloody blisters all over
my body.

On the advice of an ND (Naturopathic Doctor), I had an IgG4 food
immunology test run, and it showed that I was allergic to many of the
common foods I was eating, including rice, carrot, soy & lettuce.

Over the course of the next 8 months, I ultimately learned what these
foods have in common, and what it is that my body is reacting to!
It answers the question: what does a carrot have in common with
lettuce.

Phenolics.

Basically, phenolics are molecules in plants/animals that provide
taste, aroma, color & protection to the host.  Over 200 of these
compounds have been identified.

Although the literature on this subject is scarce, I have found by
testing and mono-meal/rotations that I am reacting to at least 6 of
these substances. By avoiding foods that contain them, I am able to
much better manage my condition.

I am now attempting to desensitize my reactions to these compounds
using a modified form of homeopathy.

I am curious if anybody else has or would like more information about
this for themselves or to offer me.

(I have no products to sell, nor do I wish to purchase any)

Thanx for your time,

Steve Shapiro

PS: for the curious, I react to Cinnamic Acid, Gallic Acid, Coumarin,
Octopamine, Thyroxin & Malvin