Herbal News Magazine
All About Herbal Medicine, Alternative Health News and Natural Supplements
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Quorn Vegetarian Chicken Causing Allergic Reactions
Filed under Alternative & Herbal Health News, FoodsDec 9I was kinda disappointed when I read this, I must admit. I LOVE the Quorn line of fake chicken meat. It’s a vegetarian line of vegetarian chicken-like food products such as chicken cutlets, chicken patties and breaded chicken nuggets that is pretty darn tasty.
I actually think they are much better than Morningstar or Boca chicken products, and I liked that they didn’t give me the awful breath that these other soy-based products tended to give me (not sure if anyone else has that problem with soy products, but I always have).
But of course, there is some bad news out there about these Quorn chicken products. Apparently some people are having adverse allergic reactions to the chicken substitute. There are a few hundred documented cases thus far. So, what is in these chicken patties that is making some people react negatively?
They are made out of a type of micro fungus, that’s the reason people are thinking there are allergic reactions. Some people reported itchy throats, others reported swelling, and not being able to breathe as well as a range of other typical inflammatory allergic responses.
While the company argues that the products are safe and tested, others are saying they are not safe enough to be out on the open market as they are today, causing too many allergic reactions in people. They actually are supposed to have a higher allergy causing effect than common food allergens such as shellfish and soy (ironically).
One consumer group is arguing that the products should contain a warning or possibly even be pulled for safe consumption. I’m not sure I agree. I have eaten their products several times without so much as a tiny reaction or nausea.
Every food is going to have people who have adverse reactions. However, I suppose this needs to be something that potential consumers could be warned of on the label so that if they do have a reaction, they know what to correlate it with.
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Whole Grain Pasta : Any Healthier?
Filed under FoodsNov 11A lot of people, including myself, question whether whole grain pasta is really a healthier alternative to the refined, “whited out” version of pasta. I can tell you from experience that from a taste standpoint, whole grain pasta really does not taste any different than regular pasta.
This is one of the few foods that I can tell almost no difference in the way it tastes from the less healthy version that is stripped of any beneficial fiber and other vitamins and nutrients that are stripped of the hull of the grain, which contains that majority of the fiber, antioxidants and vitamins in the grain.
I really do feel that eating whole grain or enriched flax pasta, or even these newer quinoa based pastas, are better for you. They are slightly lower on the glycemic index since they are not absorbed and injected into the blood stream as quickly as refined pastas are.
This spikes your blood sugar quickly and increases risk of obesity and diabetes by making your appetite unpredictable. At least with whole grain pasta, you are also getting some extra vitamins and antioxidants. I like to eat the flax seed enriched ones since they have the added benefit of omega 3 fatty acids as well as an increased presence of filling fiber.
Eating too much pasta is still not a good thing for the waist line. It still can cause ebbs and highs in the blood sugar, which increases the appetite, and makes you eat more than you need to.
If you are eating whole wheat pasta, then the whole wheat grain should be the first ingredient in the pasta. This means that it truly contains the most whole grain it can. Whole wheat flour contains more antioxidants, and is part of a heart healthy diet that helps lower cholesterol and improve overall health by increasing the antioxidant levels in the blood.
Antioxidants, as you well know by now, help to reduce the circulation of cell destroying free radicals. They can promote healthy cell regeneration and reduce the likelihood of cancer, heart disease and other diseases that are related to cell death and unhealthy cell replication.
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Tagged as: antioxidants, enriched, fiber, flax enriched, flax seed, healthier, healthy, whole grain pasta, whole wheat -
Black Licorice Can Cause Heart Arrythmia?
Filed under FoodsNov 9This was a first for me. You know how black licorice has that very distinct taste that either seems to turn your stomach, or is the best thing in the world to some people? It’s actually a compound, in addition to the anise that gives it that very distinct spice flavor, that contains bioactive compounds in it that can actually disrupt important bodily functions if consumed in any sort of abundance.
Apparently, the compound in black licorice can actually cause heart arrythmias because it can lower potassium levels. It does this because it makes the kidneys excrete too much potassium. Potassium is an important electrolyte in the human body, and when it is depleted, muscle cramping and heart arrythmias and other heart beat irregularities like rapid heart beat can occur.
So, if you’re a big fan of black licorice, you may definitely want to watch your intake of the dark sweet, chewy stuff!
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Oct 22
This is often misleading since the consumer would probably assume this type of cheese uses nothing but soy or rice in it’s processing. However, many vegetarian cheeses are not really dairy free. They often contain a product called casein, which is a milk protein.
So, many of these cheeses are not truly dairy free which could cause huge problems for individuals who are allergic to milk or lactose intolerant. There are cheeses that state on the label “casein free” which means they are truly dairy free.
Casein is found in other products where you probably wouldn’t expect to find it. Certain types of processed meats and canned tuna fish use casein as a binder. Another unexpected source of dairy products is in steaks ordered from a steakhouse.
Often, butter is melted on the steak as it is grilled. If you are allergic to milk, always ask how your food is prepared in restaurants. Other areas of concern are, for vegans, looking for hidden products, such as fish.
It is not unusual for worcestershire sauce or bottled salad dressing to use anchovies as one of their ingredients. Gelatin listed as a food ingredient can also be derived from animal products.
Individuals with a peanut or tree nut allergy have to use a lot of caution about what they consume.It is not unusual for chili, hot sauces or pesto to contain peanuts. Coconuts are considered a tree nut and it is found in many different food products such as pancake mixes and breads.
One of the best choices for consumers is to buy products with the least amount of ingredients to be sure of what is in the food you are buying. The closer to fresh our food is, the more certain you can be of what you are eating.
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Why is Gluten Sensitivity Rising in the US?
Filed under FoodsOct 4Gluten free diets seem to be all the rage now. I’ve even seen a special gluten free section pop up at my local grocery store – not even the type of store that offers specialty foods that often- just a regular grocer, so I figured it had to be popular enough to warrant that.
You hear more and more about people developing allergies to gluten, which is a binding ingredient used in many, many processed foods that make up the American diet staple. It is in breads, pasta, soups, canned goods, gravies, sauces, you name it. It’s often used as a cheap binding agent to make things stick together or become thicker.
In people who are sensitive to gluten, they really cannot eat foods that contain it. They may experience diarrhea from eating foods that contain gluten. They may gain weight unexplained from eating it, or they may have other side effects.
The interesting thing is that gluten intolerance, otherwise known as celiac disease, was not nearly as common in the US mere decades ago. Celiac disease seems to be a thing of the present. It is basically an immune reaction to the consumption of gluten, and the antibodies developed by those with celiac disease can be identified via blood test.
Because those with gluten intolerance suffer from lack of nutrient absorption thanks to the attack on their small intestine cause by gluten immune response, they can become nutritionally deficient without even knowing it.
Science theorizes that because our diets have become much safer and with less bacteria, this reduced the variety of bacterium we see in the body, and thus lead to an increase in celiac disease. I’m not so sure about that explanation. It seems that people develop this disease – they are not born with it, so I’m not sure what the explanation is.
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