What's Up With Soy ?

Food Family line:

Legume:

Acacia; Acacia Gum; Alfalfa; Arabic; Black-eyed pea; Carob; Carob (St. John's Bread); Cassia; Chick Pea; Field Pea; Green Bean; Green Pea; Guar gum; Jack bean; Karaya Gum; Kidney bean; Lentil; Licorice; Lima bean; Locust Bean Gum; Mungo Bean; Navy Bean; Peanut; Peanut oil; Pinto Bean; Soybean; Soybean oil/flour/lecithin; Split Pea; String Bean; Talca Gum; Tamarind; Tonka bean; Tragancanth Gum; Urd Flour.

Food allergy sufferers - Here are just a few answers that may help you:

* Nutmeg, litchi nuts, coconut are not usually included as a "tree nut" for folks with tree nut allergies. If you're not sure, get tested. Water Chestnuts are not a nut, they are part of the sedge family (a vegetable) - Cyperaceae Eleocharis dulcis (Burman f.) Trin. ex Henschel.

* Peanuts are part of the legume (bean) family and grown in the ground. It is not a "tree nut".

* People with peanut allergy are not necessarily allergic to tree nuts (e.g., walnuts) although they are usually counselled to avoid all nuts due to the possibility of cross-contamination in processing or packaging.

* Peanut Oil made in the heat treated process such as Planter's Peanut Oil is generally regarded as safe for people with peanut allergy (no guarantees though). However, cold pressed peanut oil, commonly used in Asian cooking are NOT safe for those with peanut allergy -- a good reason for them to avoid eating in these restaurants.

* Nut oils, other than peanut oil as described above, must be avoided by people with allergy to those nuts.

* The Lily family is often used in products with fragrances.

* A sensitivity to wool can cause problems with products containing lanolin such as lip balms and lipsticks, hand lotion, bath products, soaps and other beauty products (my wife discovered this is why her lips were always chapped and she got face rashes until she switched lipsticks and face cream.

* Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), according to the book "Hard to Swallow - the Truth About Food Additives": is not currently considered a food additive, usually made up of soy protein broken down into amino acids- one of which is glutamic acid. This amino acid is the main ingredient for MSG monosodium glutamate. HVP may contain up to 40% MSG.

* Corn is in practically everything under a variety of names -glucose, fructose, etc.

* Medications also have non-medicinal ingredients, including milk.

Also, watch the imported goods because other countries have different labelling laws. For example, in Europe, they are allowed to used up to a certain percentage of "reused" chocolate (which may have been used to make chocolates with nuts) and they can call it "pure chocolate" and not label it as having or may having nuts in it.

In Britain, an ingredient does not have to be listed unless it is 25% or more of the product.

Terms of Use: The information on this site does not constitute medical advice and is for your general information only. We cannot be held responsible for anything you could possibly do or say because of information on this site. Consult your family physician or allergist for specific questions or concerns