What happens when a food that any one of us might consume daily as part of a healthy diet starts to stir up trouble in our bodies? As any one of the 12 million Americans living with a food allergy can attest, mealtime can instantly change from tasty to tricky following an allergy diagnosis. But what about the millions of other food allergy sufferers who are unaware of their sensitivity? One food allergy that can commonly go undiagnosed is a sensitivity to yeast. Yeast shows up in dozens of the foods we consume each day, from bread to wine and beer. Sufferers of a yeast allergy are often unaware that their headaches, fatigue and skin conditions signal their bodies' resistance to yeast since these can be symptomatic of many other conditions as well. Read on to learn if you have the symptoms of a yeast allergy and how you can find relief.
Symptoms and Causes
Symptoms that yeast allergy sufferers may experience include fatigue, eczema or skin rashes, difficulty concentrating, muscle aches, chronic tiredness, headaches, hives, sneezing and irritability. If you often notice tiredness after eating bread or drinking a glass of beer, you are likely allergic to yeast. If you believe you could have a yeast allergy, it's important to consistently monitor your symptoms and track how you feel from day to day. If your symptoms seem to follow situations where you have eaten yeast-containing foods, you should see a doctor or an allergist for a professional diagnosis. An allergy to yeast can also develop suddenly from candidiasis, an overgrowth of yeast in the body. Candidiasis can result from a diet high in sugar, a repressed immune system or oral contraceptives, antacids, steroids and anti-ulcer medications. This type of yeast allergy can be controlled and cured through special diet and lifestyle changes.
What to Avoid
The first foods any yeast allergy-sufferer will want to eliminate are those containing yeast. This includes beer, wine and alcohol, fermented beverages and foods, breads and baked goods, spice mixes and salad dressings, and B-Complex vitamins, unless they are labeled 'yeast-free.' If the yeast allergy is a result of yeast overgrowth in the body, other dietary restrictions, including the elimination of sugar, are necessary. This is temporary and should be discussed with your doctor or allergist.
What to Cook
Living with an allergy can seem daunting at first, but once you get to know the foods that will nourish your body, you'll begin to get creative with your new dietary restrictions. For those diagnosed with a yeast allergy, fresh meats, vegetables (with the exception of mushrooms), most fruits, nuts and grains (including buckwheat, millet, rice barley and couscous) and many types of pasta (whole wheat, spelt, corn and rice) are safe to eat. You can find many yeast-free recipes online, posted by yeast allergy sufferers.
Initially it will be easier to prepare meals in your own kitchen, where you can control each ingredient, but later you may venture out to restaurants where you can request meals that suit your diet. Planning meals ahead of time is often helpful to allergy-sufferers. Make a list of the yeast-free foods that you enjoy eating and use it to plan meals in advance. If you mistakenly eat food that contains yeast, you may feel symptoms return, but you should simply carry on with your yeast-free diet.
Overall, controlling your allergy with a restricted diet can bring you far better quality of life than maintaining your current diet and living with allergic symptoms. If you feel that you have signs of a yeast allergy, or that you may have developed candidiasis, see your doctor for diagnosis.
