The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Even good foods can cause havoc in your life. Here are a few to keep your eye on. Food: Dried fruits. Problem: Exaggerate symptoms of candida and other yeast-feeding infections. What happens: According to Jackie Keller, author of Body After Baby: A Simple, Healthy Plan to Lose Your Baby Weight Fast, ÒDried fruits are a concentrated source of naturally occurring fruit sugars that can exaggerate symptoms of candida and other yeast-feeding infections.Ó Candida albicans is a type of yeast-like fungus that inhabits the intestines, genital tract, mouth, esophagus and throat. Under normal conditions, this fungus lives in healthy balance with the other bacteria and yeasts in the body; however, certain conditions can cause the bacteria to multiply out of control. This can, in turn, lead to a weakened immune system and an infection known as candidiasis. How much do you have to eat: ÒEveryone is different, so itÕs impossible to generalize, but I would think that since a ÔnormalÕ serving size is (about 1 ounce), having any more than twice what a serving size is supposed to be is having too much,Ó says Keller. Food: Carrots. Problem: Eating too many carrots may result in hypercarotenemia. What happens: According to Maurice A. Ramirez, a Florida-based emergency room physician, ÒExcess beta carotene ingestion can cause yellow or orange discoloration of the skin and eyes that mimics jaundice and liver disease.Ó How much do you have to eat: The amount of beta carotene you must eat to turn orange depends on your size (body surface area). A few decades back, adults were using beta carotene pills as a way to tan without sitting in the sun. The problem with using large doses of beta carotene as a Òtanning pill,Ó however, is that your tan is orange. ÒFortunately, This is a benign problem that resolves over several weeks once the overconsumption of beta carotene stops,Ó says Ramirez. Food: Barley, rye, wheat and sometimes oats. Problem: Gluten sensitivity or celiac disease. What happens: ÒPeople who are sensitive or allergic to gluten, a protein found in barley, rye, wheat and sometimes oats, may experience diarrhea, lactose intolerance, iron deficiency and other malnutrition-related problems. Non-gastrointestinal symptoms include a dermatitis rash typically found on the elbows and knees,Ó says Lona Sandon, M.Ed., R.D., a professor of nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. How much do you have to eat: Any amount of gluten is a problem. ÒPeople who are sensitive to gluten may have a reaction to food that simply touched other food with gluten in it,Ó says Sandon. Food: Asparagus. Problem: Urine smells odd and takes on a slight green tinge. What Happens: ÒAsparagusic acid and thioesters in asparagus are excreted in the urine, creating the odor change and, when combined with other urine components, changing the color of the urine,Ó says Ramirez. ÒNot everyone has the enzymes to convert asparagusic acid to an odor-forming compound. The presence or absence of the enzyme is a genetically controlled function and has no relationship to individual health. ÒBecause the effect is not absolutely consistent, people do occasionally seek medical care / evaluation for a first-time occurrence of the odor and color. On a parallel track, the use of amino acid supplements (by weight lifters and other athletes) can also cause a similar effect in those with the enzymes, and different enzymes are required to cause the effect with different amino acids. ÒThus, very few people have all the enzymes and experience urine odor changes with all the amino acids.Ó. How much do you have to eat: Even small amounts of asparagus can cause this effect (as can cabbage and Brussels sprouts). ÒThis effect can be disconcerting, but is harmless and resolves in a few hours,Ó says Ramirez. Charles Stuart Platkin is a nutrition and public health advocate and founder and editor of DietDetective.com.
