# Gluten, casein, soy and corn - the 'Big 4' triggers



## allyjellybelly (Aug 16, 2005)

The reason that I dropped dairy shortly after I dropped gluten was because I discovered that the reaction from gluten that was giving me diarrhea had been masking the reaction from dairy that gave me constipation.I suspect that is why many tend to alternate between the two - it all depends on what has been most predominant in the diet at any given time.Gluten-based foods were more predominant in my diet than dairy so I tended to suffer more with D.Apparently all of the 'Big 4' are used to make glue of some kind or other - some of them strong enough to stick metal together, so it is little wonder that we are suffering.We also lack the enzymes needed to process the stuff due to gut damage - we end up in a loop where the damage means we aren't producing the enzymes, the lack of enzymes means that we can't process the food properly and the undigested food contributes to the damage! Many of the digestive enzymes like lactose for instance, are produced at the tips of the villi but in a damaged gut they are the first to be decimated. No wonder so many are lactose intolerant. Without the enzymes many can't process the casein either.The high level of processing of the grains and starches like wheat, soy and corn and consequent alteration to its chemical structures causes problems for our digestion. The pasteurisation of milk means that the enzymes and bacteria that would normally be present to help us digest it are no longer present. The fact that these 'Big 4' are in virtually everything that is 'Man-made' just compounds the problem.I dread to think where I would be if I hadn't found the Specific Carb Diet. When my digestion finally collapsed after years of IBS I could hardly eat anything without ending up screaming with the most awful pain, everything was just running straight through me and I was terrified that I had pancreatic or stomach cancer. The Medical Profession did not appear to be very interested - because I had short-cut the Doctor from whom an appointment just to get a gall-bladder ultrasound would have taken a month, by going straight to the Hospital because I was in so much pain, and because I had done it before I had lost 3 stone in a week and I did not appear particularly pale and gaunt and as if I was dying, the arrogant Consultant who came round the following morning assumed there was nothing wrong with me. Yes, at that moment in time I was ok - but although it was 10.30 am I hadn't tried to eat anything yet!I had been left on a 3" wide (that's what it felt like) horrible hard examination bed all night, had to run to the lav all the way down the corridor and through the waiting room - hoping that I didn't have an accident on the way or the lav was unavailable, every 10 minutes and didn't sleep a wink - it had to be one of the worst experiences of my life and did absolutely nothing to decrease my opinion that most of the time the Medical Profession is a total waste of space!I realised then and there that if I was going to get better it would have to be by my own hand. Whilst my local Doctor is very helpful and supportive, she is confined by the restrictions of the National Health who do not supply anything remotely resembling what you actually need - unless it is a drug, and I definitely don't need any more of those! I am aiming to get rid of the things not acquire more!Digestive enzymes do help and so does the raw food but I would urge anyone with IBS to really consider givinge the SCD a try. Some feel that the diet is limiting - I never can figure out why some would rather have the D or C or both, than give up their overwhelming addiction to damage-causing food! Whilst it was a bit hard at first, now I am familiar with the diet and what my gut can cope with (and which is getting better all the time) I do not now find the diet particularly limiting - at the end of the day I was already limited as so much was causing me pain. Now I can eat a good range of foods - as long as they are natural and support my digestion instead of challenging it all the time. There is such a huge range of fruits, veg, nuts, meats, and fish along with honey and live probiotic yogurt that the only thing that limits those on the diet is a lack of imagination!!!There is loads of information now about the SCD on the internet but I am happy to answer any questions.This is a good site too if you are concerned about food and how it is affecting us - http://www.dogtorj.net/id4.htmlA good book that was recommended to me and that is well worth reading if you can get it is 'In Defense of Food' by Michael Pollan. He addresses the fact that it is the 'foodlike substances' that are doing so much damage to us, and why.


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## Leah* (Feb 23, 2009)

Did you ever have a problem with digesting fat? I wish I could do the SCD, but it seems the only way I can control my digestive problems is by eating mostly soluble fiber foods (certain grains, potatoes, etc.) and really limiting fat. It sucks because I know this isn't a healthy diet! I just wonder if completely eliminating starches would somehow improve my ability to digest fat eventually. That doesn't seem likely though.


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