Yeast Allergy
A yeast allergy can be a little more complicated than some of the other food allergies. That’s because there are two different types of yeast allergies–one is from foods and one is from an infection–yeast growing on a part of your body. Yeast is a fungus. It is present in fermented legumes, soy sauce and cheeses, beer, salad dressings, sour cream, vinegar sauces, bread and bakery products, spice mixes, cosmetics, medications, vitamins, minerals, enriched cereals, baker’s yeast, and hepatitis B vaccines, among other products.
Yeast is present in everyone’s intestinal tract. The immune system and good intestinal bacteria keep it in check. This control can get out of whack by immune system reactions, stress, antibiotics, and a diet of yeast-containing foods. When it gets out of control it can spread and cause infections–many women get vaginal yeast infections but both men and women can also get intestinal infections and skin infections on any part of the body that can get moist and is not kept hygienic.
Whether you have a yeast allergy that is from food or infection, the symptoms are basically the same, and include sneezing, diarrhea, irritability, constipation, abdominal swelling, mood swings, fatigue, difficulty in breathing, dizziness, osteoporosis, difficulty in concentrating, muscle and joint pain, respiratory and ear problems, menstrual problems, infertility, weakness, and bladder infections.
Diagnosis of a yeast allergy can be done by food elimination, and in the cast of a yeast allergy infection, by blood test.
The following foods should not be eaten by a person with a yeast allergy: beer, wine, and all other forms of alcohol, breads, rolls, pretzels, pastries, cookies, and sweet rolls, B–complex vitamins and selenium products (unless labeled “yeast–free’), vinegar or foods containing vinegar, such as salad dressings, mustard, pickles, barbeque sauce, mayonnaise, commercially prepared foods such as dry roasted nuts, potato chips, soups, soy sauce, natural root beer, olives, cider, sauerkraut, pickled, smoked or dried meats such as fish, and poultry, or cured pork bacon.
You also cannot eat any red meats, any kind of cheese, aged or fresh, mushrooms, tempeh and soy sauce, tamari, miso, peanuts, peanut products, and pistachios, herbs and teas that may be moldy, malt or foods containing malt, any tomato in a can (fresh tomatoes are fine) and no concentrated sugars– not even honey, maple syrup or brown sugar–no fruit juices (canned, bottled, or frozen), dried fruits, processed sugar, anything containing high-fructose corn syrup, high glycemic index foods, which includes all carbohydrates except for complex ones, such as beans.
If you are thinking, what can a person with a yeast allergy eat?– the following are OK–all fresh vegetables — be sure to include dark green leafy vegetables, fresh protein at every meal, including beef, chicken, fish, turkey, eggs, and shellfish (preferably organic), complex carbohydrates, including grains (rice, buckwheat, barley, millet), whole grain oatmeal, beans (kidney, lima, red beans), and certain types of pasta (whole wheat, spelt, corn, rice), unprocessed nuts (except for peanuts), unrefined olive, sesame, safflower and corn oils, lemon juice, soy milk, fruit but no grapes, raisins dates, prunes or figs.
Just in case you’re wondering, this is probably the lowest low-carb diet possible with only 15 grams of carbohydrates per meal. Still, results indicate that people who adhere to this yeast allergy diet not only don’t have any more allergy symptoms, but feel better than they have ever felt before.
