Yeast And Mold
ALLERGY
Yeasts and molds belong to the kingdom Fungi. Fungi are neither plants nor animals, but because they are made up of living cells, like all cells they contain proteins, and these proteins can be allergenic. We are constantly surrounded by fungi, in the air we breathe, and in the food we eat. Most people are familiar with the commonest forms of fungi-mushrooms, molds, and yeasts. Some people are allergic to inhaled fungi, especially to the spores that are their reproductive structures, in a similar way that seeds are the reproductive parts of plants. You will usually experience allergy to inhaled molds and mold spores as asthma or other respiratory-tract symptoms. Sometimes molds and their spores are inadvertently eaten in moldy foods.
We also consume fungi as food-all of the mushrooms are fungi-and some people may be allergic to mushrooms, although such allergy is rare. Illness (and occasionally death) caused by eating a poisonous mushroom is more common than an allergic reaction to a nonposionous one. We use yeasts in a variety of food manufacturing processes, such as in brewing beers, making wines and vinegars, and baking bread and other bakery products. A range of different fungi, especially molds, are used in making cheese and other fermented food products.
Just like plants, each fungus contains its own protein, which is responsible for a person’s allergy. However, because it is extremely difficult to separate the different types of fungal proteins, when a person has a proven allergy to fungus, he or she is usually advised to avoid fungi of all types. This chapter will provide you with the information you need to avoid the most allergenic food fungi — the yeasts and molds. So, let us start with a discussion of these fungi in a little more detail, so you will know what you are dealing with.
Occurrence of Yeast and Mold
Yeasts and molds are tiny single-celled fungi. Mold colonies are often seen growing on the surface of moist foods such as bread, jam, and cheese. Yeasts (Saccharomyces species) are used in food production to ferment the nutrient source on which they grow. This property is used in the leavening of bread (by baker’s yeast) and the manufacture of wine and vinegar (by brewer’s yeast). Yeast is a source of B vitamins and is present in many multivitamin preparations containing B vitamins.
Sensitivity to Yeast and Mold
The spores of some mold fungi, such as species of the genera Aspergillus and Cladosporium (sometimes called Hormodendrum), are common causes of inhalant allergy, especially for people with asthma. Anyone who is sensitive to inhaled fungal spores must avoid all sources of the fungi such as the moist soil of house plants and damp rooms, especially basements where molds grow. Because mold spores are released from damp ground softened by the first thaw of spring, mold-sensitive persons with asthma may need to limit their time outdoors to avoid inhaling the spores in the air at this time of year.
A small percentage of asthmatic persons sensitive to inhaled fungal spores, and some people who are not asthmatic, develop urticaria (hives) when they eat or drink substances containing yeast or molds. Extremely sensitive persons can suffer an anaphylactic reaction, with breathing difficulty, hives, angioedema (tissue swelling) especially in the throat, and cardiac symptoms. These people must be particularly careful to avoid all sources of fungi in their diet.
Managing Yeast and Mold Sensitivity
Management of yeast and/or mold sensitivity requires the elimination of all foods that might contain yeast or mold (Table The yeast- and mold-free diet: foods allowed and foods restricted). Foods excluded as obvious possibilities are leavened (risen) baked products, most cheeses, certain fruits and vegetables, certain beverages, and moldy foods. Some lists of foods to avoid for yeast sensitivity cite milk because it could be a source of penicillin, an antibiotic derived from fungi belonging to the genus Penicillium. In the past, dairy cows were treated with penicillin to protect them from infection. However, this practice has been discontinued because of the danger to penicillin-sensitive people, so milk need not be avoided.
Some diets free of yeast and mold advocate avoiding wheat flour. However, because modern flour milling does not permit the use of moldy wheat, sensitive persons do not need to avoid flour. Nevertheless, they must avoid all baked goods containing flour leavened with yeast. Also, because enriched flours contain vitamins that may be derived from yeast, these products must also be avoided.
Malt is made by fermenting barley or other grains with yeast and is used to flavor foods such as cereals, candies, and beverages. All sources of malt should be avoided.
All obvious sources of mold such as moldy jams and jellies must be avoided. Leftover foods and leftover tea and coffee are potential media for the growth of molds; therefore, only fresh foods and freshly brewed tea and coffee should be consumed. Fruit may also be a source of mold, so fruit should be eaten only if it is fresh or freshly cooked.
Candida albicans
Candida albicans is a dimorphic fungus, which means that it grows as a yeast form in a carbohydrate-rich environment and forms hyphae (strands) when the growth environment is low in nutrients. Thus it is commonly referred to as a “pseudoyeast.” Other species of Candida exist and have the same characteristics as C. albicans: that is, they are “pseudo yeasts.”
The role of species of Candida, especially C. albicans, as a cause of allergy has been much disputed. Positive skin reactions often occur in persons without clinical evidence of Candida infection or allergic disease. Candida species are extremely common members of the body’s resident microflora. Usually they are harmless, as they are kept in check by other resident microorganisms such as bacteria. This balance can be upset, however-for example, when antibiotics eliminate several species of bacteria or the immune system is not functioning efficiently. In these instances, Candida multiply unchecked and soon cause infections such as oral thrush, vaginal candidiasis (sometimes called monoliasis), and skin eruptions.
Some practitioners believe that repeated imbalances of this sort can lead to chronic Candida sensitivity, which in turn can lead to numerous food and chemical sensitivities. A “Candida diet” is prescribed to treat this condition, usually excluding foods that contain sugars and other carbohydrates such as simple starches. In addition, the sensitive person should avoid dietary forms of other fungi, which are believed to cross-react with Candida and produce similar reactions.
Although Candida infection or sensitivity may contribute to mold and yeast sensitivity, this connection is not scientifically proven. The instructions in this chapter are for a yeast and mold allergy (Type I hypersensitivity) and should not be used to manage a suspected Candida sensitivity.
Table The yeast- and mold-free diet: foods allowed and foods restricted
| Type of Food | Foods Allowed | Foods Restricted |
| Milk and
Milk Products |
• Butter
• Buttermilk • Cottage cheese • Cream • Ice cream • Panir • Plain milk • Quark • Ricotta cheese • Sherbet • Yogurt |
• Feta cheese
• Malted milk • Sour cream • Fermented cheeses such as Danish Blue and Camembert, and all others with mold as the fermentation agent |
| Breads and Cereals | • Any flour or grain not enriched with vitamins
• Any bread, bun, pita, or pizza dough not leavened with yeast or sourdough starter, or with malt, or with enriched flour |
• Flour or grains enriched with vitamins
• All others, including -Au gratin dishes - Bread coating - Bread crumbs - Bread stuffing - Bread pudding |
| Vegetables | • All pure fresh, frozen or canned vegetables and their juices
except those listed at right |
• Fungi such as mushrooms, truffles, and morels
• Sauerkraut |
| Fruit | • All pure fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and their juices except those listed at right | • Grapes, raisins, and other dried fruit |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish | • All fresh, frozen, or canned meat, poultry, or fish prepared without bread crumbs | • Meat, poultry, and fish dishes made with bread crumbs:
- Breaded fish - Croquettes - Fish cakes - Hamburger patties not labeled as 100% meat - Luncheon meats - Sausages |
| Eggs | •All | • Any prepared with restricted foods, such as eggs Benedict with cheese sauce, quiche with cheese, cheese in omelettes, etc. |
| Legumes | • All plain legumes | • Fermented legumes such as soy sauce |
| Nuts and Seeds | • All plain nuts and seeds | • Any nut products containing restricted ingredients (e.g., snacks) |
| Fats and Oils | • Butter, cream, margarine,
shortening • Pure vegetable oils • Salad dressings made with oil and lemon • Lard and meat drippings • Gravy |
• Salad dressings with vinegar or
fermented products such as soy sauce |
| Spices and
Herbs Sweeteners |
• All fresh, frozen or dried
herbs and spices • Sugar, honey, molasses • Jams, jellies, and sweet syrups (once opened, refrigerate and use quickly) |
• Herb or spice mixes
containing restricted foods • Malted sweetener • Moldy jam, jelly, and syrups • Candies and candied fruits |
| Beverages | • Milk and milk drinks
without malt • Fruit and vegetable juices • Carbonated beverages except root beer • Freshly brewed coffee • Tea made from fresh herbs such as mint • Mineral water • Distilled alcoholic beverages such as vodka, rum, gin, and whiskey |
• Malted milk drinks and any
beverage containing malt • Leftover coffee • Tea other than herbal teas • “Health” drinks made with nutritional yeast • Wine, beer, cider, and other fermented alcoholic beverages |
| Fermented Foods | • None | • Marmite and other manufactured foods containing yeast extract
• All types of vinegar and all foods containing vinegar, such as pickles, ketchup, relishes, and sauces for meat such as Worcestershire, HP Sauce, barbecue sauce • Soy sauce and other fermented oriental sauces |
| Vitamins and
Medications |
• Check with your pharmacist for
yeast-free vitamin supplements; these are permitted. • Check with your pharmacist for medications free of penicillin and its derivatives. |
• B vitamins and multivitamin
supplements with B vitamins derived from yeast • Penicillin and its derivatives • All other antibiotics derived from fungi |
| Miscellaneous | • Yeast such as brewer’s yeast baker’s yeast, torula yeast nutritional yeast |
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