A Very Personal Story

Having had a history of odd, unrelated and seemingly inoccuous symptoms over the years, with no apparent common factor, in the spring of 1995 my symptoms began to accelerate seriously. My lifetime set of symptoms included: a very temporary allergy to acidic fruit, a long time allergy to sunlight from age 18 to approximately age 65, years of gray fungus patches which itched, itchy spots without the discoloration, swollen feet where my shoe size went from 7 to upwards of 8-1/2, and then the joint pain got so bad I could no longer knit, crochet, quilt or even get onto my knees to wash my tile floor. I became arthritic whenever I ate potatoes and for approx. 30 years I was also troubled with pin-head sized patches of water blisters. I suffered night sweats from age 45 to age 69. I had difficulty with mental focus as a young person, not good for good grades.

    When my symptoms got to the point where I could no longer even turn over in bed at night for the joint pain, I made an appointment with my general practitioner, and then I called my friend the naturopathic physician. Essentially I asked the same question of each of them. My friend advised I forego the use of both potatoes and wheat. So I did. By the time I saw my GP a week later, 90% of my symptoms were completely gone! The GP tested me for "celiac", but the test proved negative. He advised me to keep doing whatever I was already doing, because I'd already proven a connection of some sort.

    About 9 months later my friend the naturopathic practitioner called me again. She shared with me that with the exception of Red Star Yeast Company, all of the yeast manufacturers in the United States grow their yeast on POTATOES. (The Red Star Yeast Company grows their yeast on corn, so corn-sensitive folk should not use that brand of yeast.) That solved the mystery as to why I could eat a muffin but not a slice of bread. Muffins are not made with yeast!  Now I could have bread again as long as it was made with non-potato yeast.

    I've researched several resources for yeast and have learned the following:

1.    Most bakeries use what I call "brand x" yeast which cannot be used by potato sensitive folk.

2.    The King Arthur Flour company uses Red Star saf-T Instant Yeast. Safe for potato sensitive folk.

3.    Bob's Red Mill in Milwaukee Oregon sells a brand of yeast manufactured in Mexico, and grown on molasses. Safe for potato sensitive folk.

4.    Dave's Healthy Bread Store across the street from Bob's Red Mill uses Red Star saf-T Instant Yeast.

Safe for potato sensitive folk.

    Today I can do nearly everything I could when I was 17 years old! I was widowed a year ago. I am now nearly 71 years old, and am once again doing knitting, crocheting and quilting, washing my tile floor on my knees with no pain, not to mention doing my own wood-handling for my huge wood furnace. I am active (and I mean ACTIVE) in my church and community. My mental focus is in good shape, unless I eat a potato product. Then I can count on being a bit foggy for a day or so. My friends joke with me about it.

    The challenge for potato sensitivity is easy and cheap. Simply cease to use potatoes and anything with potato ingredients for a week or two. Keep in mind the sort of bread product you use: if it has yeast, beware unless you know the sort of growth medium in which the yeast was produced. Be aware that many products have potato flour as one of the ingredients. Label reading is important.

    It is my hope that this information will prove many of you to be NOT gluten intolerant, just potato intolerant. Now to get this information to folk suffering with fibromyalgia, and see if it is of any help to them. When I shared this information with my GP two years ago, he was excited with the possibilities for many of his patients, both gluten-intolerant and fibromyalgia.

    My prayers for all of you.

Carol Tedder