Allergic reactions can broadly be divided into two types: immediate reactions and delayed reactions.
With an immediate allergic reaction, symptoms such as difficulty breathing or hives can appear soon after eating the food that triggers the reaction.
With a delayed reaction, symptoms appear some time after eating the triggering food.
Symptoms can include shortness of breath, heart palpitations, headaches, stiff shoulders, lower back pain, indigestion, fatigue, feeling mentally unwell, and difficulty thinking clearly.
In my experience, symptoms can gradually develop after the triggering substance enters the body and may peak around 48 hours later.
The other day, I started experiencing some of the symptoms mentioned above, so I carefully thought back to what I had eaten 48 hours earlier.
And then I realized there was something that stood out…!
Baking powder.
I had been craving bread, but because I can’t eat commercially made bread, I decided to make some myself. That’s when I used the baking powder.
As it turned out, the baking powder contained cornstarch, a starch derived from corn.
And I had previously tested positive for a delayed reaction to corn.
I had completely overlooked it myself.
Things like this happen to me from time to time…
That’s why I generally try to avoid processed foods as much as possible.
Once foods are processed, it can become harder to understand exactly what ingredients they contain, making it easier to overlook something that may be causing a reaction.
There are also substances used during food processing that may not necessarily appear on the ingredient label.
For example, silicone resin, which can be used as an antifoaming agent when making tofu, may be exempt from labeling requirements when only trace amounts remain.
Another example is soy sauce containing benzoic acid, a preservative. If it is used to season rice crackers, the preservative may be exempt from labeling when the amount is so small that it no longer has a preservative effect.
In this way, there are additives used in food processing that may not appear on the ingredient label.
In the case of the cornstarch this time, it was actually listed in the ingredients. I simply overlooked it.
Looking back at my symptoms, the headache started about 24 hours after I ate the baking powder.
At around 48 hours, I became so short of breath and exhausted that I couldn’t move.
By 72 hours, I was feeling considerably better.
It wasn’t until the fourth day that I finally felt like the reaction had completely passed.
Once again, the peak was around 48 hours later.
So, when symptoms are at their worst, thinking back to what you ate about 48 hours earlier may sometimes help you identify a possible trigger.
One more thing: if you continue eating the same trigger without realizing that it may be causing a reaction, the symptoms can gradually become stronger.
When you’re feeling unwell all the time, it can become even harder to figure out what is causing the problem.
In situations like this, I think it can be helpful to temporarily stop eating or drinking something you regularly enjoy or consume every day, and see how you feel.
There are also foods that are commonly thought to be more likely to cause delayed reactions.
These include milk, wheat, eggs, legumes, nuts, and yeast.
Yeast can be found in foods and drinks such as bread, beer, sake, wine, and fermented seasonings.
It is also widely used as “yeast extract” to enhance umami flavor in foods such as soups, sauces, dressings, snack foods, and ready-to-eat meals.
Delayed reactions can be quite tricky to figure out, but I hope my experience may be helpful to someone going through something similar.
Thank you for reading. 😊