Unrecognized Food Allergies and/or Intolerances
On a random Friday afternoon, Tellïo looks out his window admiring the grey clouds in the sky. He is contemplating joining his bicycle mates for a social bike night. During the process of getting ready, he notices that there are a few boils under his armpits. It looks like there are two boils not far apart. There is something uncomfortable about the large boil, and it is not pretty. What is going on?
His attention is now focused on the two knots. Afterward, he reflected on his week to see if anything strange had happened to him. He inspects his laundry hamper for any bloodstains or strange spots on his shirt. Negative. Ingrown hair cannot be the cause since he doesn't have hair in his armpits. The clothes he wears are washed on a weekly basis. Exercise gear and regular clothing are separate for the man. In terms of hygiene, he's on point.
Uncertainty tightens his chest. In search of answers, the man turns to the internet. A Google search revealed that boils and bumps in the armpit area are caused by several factors. These are:
Poor hygiene
Bacterial infections
Broken skins
Poor nutrition
Weakened immunity
Poor hygiene, bacterial infections, broken skin and poor nutrition are all ruled out. Probably his immune system has weakened since his vitamin D status is low. According to his food journal, the man eats wild-caught fish and adheres to a Mediterranean-paleo diet. As the raindrops bounce off the living room window, he reflects on what new activities he has introduced to his lifestyle. It struck him. What if this was a food allergy? Early in the week, Tellïo begun to nibble on some grains such as quinoa. Prior to the quinoa introduction, there were no boils or painful knots under his underarm.
Not all healthy foods are considered healthy for everyone. Some vegetables, grains, meats, nuts, dairy and other food products contain substances that are toxic or unfavorable for specific people. In Tellïo situation, if quinoa is the only added food to his diet, then there's something in this particular grain causing his immune system to flare up. Tellïos' immune recognizes quinoa as a foreign substance. This is a bummer since he loves himself some quinoa. Easy to incorporate into his meals.
Quinoa contains proteins that protect the seeds from being attacked during maturation by predators. These proteins are known as lectins, and anti-nutrients like saponins, phytic acids, trypsin inhibitors and oxalates. The most popular lectin is gluten. Symptoms associated with lectins and anti-nutrients are bloating, joint pain, skin rashes, and neurological issues to name a few.
Tellïo took matters into his own hands (DO NOT DO THIS WITHOUT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL). He first decided to remove quinoa and grains from his diet until further notice. Second, he applied a wet and warm cloth to the boils to soften and loosen the content built up inside them. In addition, he wore loose clothes to allow his armpit to breathe. Interestingly, over the next week, the boil size reduced and eventually disappeared.
For further measure, Tellïo avoided quinoa for another month before reintroducing it to determine the severity of his allergy. The boils returned. This time around the bumps sprouted in his groin and beard line. His lymph nodes are the organs impacted when quinoa is consumed. These finds help Tellïo determine he has a sensitivity to quinoa and may be dealing with digestion issues.
To restore his gut lining, Tello avoided grains until further notice. In addition, he added Design For Health's GI Revive and Ancient Nutrition's Gut Recovery Probiotics. He included D-Evail(TM) Supreme to address his low vitamin D status. A few weeks from now, we'll see how things have changed. Until next time, Stay Strong & Stay Vivid!
Reference
InformedHealth.org [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-. Overview: Boils and carbuncles. [Updated 2022 Nov 22]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513141/.
Lin HS, Lin PT, Tsai YS, Wang SH, Chi CC. Interventions for bacterial folliculitis and boils (furuncles and carbuncles). Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Feb 26;2(2):CD013099. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013099.pub2. PMID: 33634465; PMCID: PMC8130991.
Emadeldin H.E. Konozy, Makarim Elfadil M. Osman. From inflammation to immune regulation: The dual nature of dietary lectins in health and disease. Heliyon. Volume 10, Issue 20, 2024.
e39471. ISSN 2405-8440,. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39471.
Gundry, S. R. (2019). The plant paradox family cookbook: 80 one-pot recipes to nourish your family using your instant pot, slow cooker, or sheet pan. First edition. Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers.Gundry, S. R. (2019). The plant paradox family cookbook: 80 one-pot recipes to nourish your family using your instant pot, slow cooker, or sheet pan. First edition. Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers.
