Although corn is nowhere near as common an allergen as dairy or, indeed wheat, for those who are allergic to it, it is a very trying allergy to have! If you think that wheat is ubiquitous – just try corn. Even when it is not an ingredient it will almost inevitably have been involved somewhere in the processing not only of food but of drinks, face care products, cleaning products, fabrics, clothes, disposable crockery, glues, paper, nutritional supplements, drugs– and sanitary products…
I was made aware of how trying it was by a correspondence a couple of years ago with a corn allergy sufferer and since then Micki Rose has written several articles for us on and around the subject (Grain and corn-free supplements: a nightmare!, Barrier breakdown: the cause of multiple sensitivity?) plus a multiplicity of material on her own Truly GlutenFree site.
And it was there that I discovered all about corn in sanitary products – and the amazing (and amazingly pretty) alternatives on offer! (These are Angel Padz…)
I will say no more as Micki says it all so much better and in far more detail than I could ever achieve – check in to her post here. Incidentally, the reason that she started investigating was that she just wondered whether the migraine that inevitably accompanied her monthly period was in fact not hormonal, but as a result of being ‘glutened’ – or in this case ‘corn-ed’! As it indeed turned out to be…
Thanks for your lovely comments there, Michelle. One of the most graphic posts I have ever written, I must say, but it seems to have hit the spot for many judging from the emails I’ve got today from gob-smacked women who suspect the same problem.
I am not remotely surprised! Sadly, sanitary wear is not what most people choose to discuss – which means that those who suffer from any related problems tend to just go on suffering in silence. So, may the blessings rain down on you – as they would say in Ireland….