Italian version of this article available

The 5 main food groups

Important — Both of these products are extracted from plants belonging to the botanic family of the Leguminosae; therefore there is a possibility of crossed reaction with other plants from the same family. In this case, the foods listed in the Legumes profile must be eliminated from or rotated in the diet. Carob seed flour (Ceratonia siliqua) is used in the food industry for its function of gelatinizing agent, stabilizer and emulsifier.

Guar seed flour (Cyamopsis tetramgonorobus), a legume indigenous to India and tropical areas, is used as a thickener and stabilizer and as a suspension agent. It increases the volume of preparations and is therefore used in many products used in weight loss diets. In addition, it seems that it joins lipids and sugars within the intestinal lumen and is thus frequently utilized in products for diabetics in order to help them keep blood-sugar levels under control.

There are many products that may contain these substances, so we suggest that you read the contents label carefully. These products may listed as such or with the initials E410 or E412, but they could also be present even if they aren’t specifically listed.

The following products should be checked carefully:

— Chocolated drinks

— Cocconut drinks

— Industrially prepared puddings

— Canned meat

— Chewing gum

— Jams and jellies 

— Candies

— Pastry cream

— Potato flour

— Candied fruit

— Some oven-baked products

— Sweets in general 

— Some ice creams

— Some industrially prepared sauces

— Nougat and marsipan

Many alternative recipes can be found, together with instructions for rotational diets, in the books by Dr Attilio Speciani “Le allergie: cause, diagnosi, terapie” [Allergies: Causes, diagnosis, therapies] (with Marina Speciani Necchi), “Resistere all’inquinamento” [Surviving pollution] and “Superare le intolleranze alimentari” [Overcoming food intolerances] (with Francesca Speciani), all published by Tecniche Nuove, Milan.

—
© This food profile is copyright of SMA Srl Servizi Medici Associati, Via Ariosto 28, 20145 Milan, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Health director: Dr Attilio Speciani, M.D., Clinical allergist and immunologist. This material may not be used or reproduced without the publisher’s permission.

Italian version of this article available