THis is long, but just one of the major pieces of the puzzle as to why my liver has not been healing, and probably why the parasites have continued to live.

Barefoot says this in his disclaimer information to enter his site, and I never knew how true that would be, and how it would apply to me until just this week.

"The human body is very complex. Although each person is similar in general structure and function, each is also uniquely different, responding differently to similar stimuli, therapies and conditions. What may help one person in a certain circumstance or condition, may not help another. This is also true with foods."

Everyone, including myself until a few days ago, "assume" that to be healthy, eat lots of fruits and vegetables. When a high number of fruits and vegetables showed up at the top end of my food sensitivity test, (Biomeridian computer test) I was baffled. I knew about the gluten, but the Alt. Med Dr. mentioned "Phenolics", which I had never heard before.

It was once again confirmed to be a problem for me when he specifically targeted the liver to see what was going on with it this past week. Once again, "Phenolics" showed up as being a cause of my liver problems--other interesting things I found too, but again, that word.

I came home and started doing research on what "Phenolics/salicylates" are, and why they would be causing me a problem in my liver.




http://www.feingold.org/Research/BLUE/Page-18-pst.pdf


"Some people have too little of an important enzyme called phenol sulfotransferase (PST). It is made in the intestines, which need PST to metabolize (detoxify) the salicylates and the high-phenolic petroleum-based additives. HOwever, the brain also requires PST for "housekeeping" duties involving neurotransmitters- those chemicals which jump the tiny space (synapse) between brain cells (neurons). Each time a neuron "fires" and the neruotransmitter "jums" that space, PST must prepare the space to "fire" again. This is measured in nanoseconds, occurs millions of times a second all over the brain and must be perfectly synchronized.

If a person is marginal or low in PST, and eats lots of high-phenolic foods and additives, there may not be enough PST left to do the "cleanup up" work in the brain, thus preventing neurons from firing effectively. Moreover, it seems that salicylates (which are also phenolic compounds) not only need PST but actually suppress it's production, making PST levels even lower. This explanation is over-simplified and the evidence is indirect, but it may help explain why the avoidance of salicylates at the start of the Feingold Program is important. Once suppression is stopped, there may be some recovery, leading to the later tolerance of salicylates usually seen. Surely, this is only part of a larger and complex picture, but in this area the circumstantial evidence is mounting.

In practice, the Feingold Program guides parents in choosing a low-phenolic diet, taking stress off a fragile sulfation system. This may be especially imporant for people with autism, who have been shown to have extremely low PST levels. Other interventions that may help include avoiding sourses of sulFITE, whicle increasing sources of the sulFATE, which is needed for PST production. Some people increase sulfate through the skin (epsom salt baths) or by drinking Evian water.
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This site has alot of good information on it. THe "Feinstein Diet" is aimed towards parents helping children with ADHD, autism, hyperactivity through eliminating high Phenolic/Salicylate foods, but it also names other conditions, including Rheumatoid Arthritis. When the foods are continued, and are not about to be broken down and eliminated because of a lack of PST, they become toxic.

BUT EVERYONE KNOWS FRUITS AND VEGETABLES ARE HEALTHY! Right? Wrong. Not in the case of Salicylate/Phenolic sensitivites..which also includes food additives/dyes etc.

I would never have known this was a problem for me had it not shown up in both the Food Sensitivity tests, and as a specific problem with Phenolic toxins in the liver.
Along with that, the Saliva test I took, testing the adrenal/hormones- showed I have a problem with the Immune System (IgA) "Normal" is 25-60 mg/dl, I am "depressed" at 10.




http://enzymestuff.com/epsomsalts.htm


The PST sulfation pathway is necessary for the breakdown and removal of certain toxins in the body. This includes the processing of a type of chemical called a phenol. Phenols are a regular and necessary part of life. All foods contain some phenolic compounds. However, some foods have a much higher content than others do. If the sulfation pathway is not functioning well, a person may not be able to process out the phenolic compounds as fast as they consume them. There is a cumulative effect. When the phenols start backing up in the system, it can cause a myriad of negative reactions.

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There's much, much more information that can be found on the internet, but now that I KNOW what Phenolics/Salicylates ARE--what foods are to be avoided, and for how long?? I did also find an enzyme (No Fenol)--http://www.houstonni.com/products
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http://enzymestuff.com/conditionsensitivites.htm


In the case of food sensitivities, either the cytotoxic test or IgG(4) test can help determine reactions to specific foods. Based on the test results, an elimination/rotation diet can be specifically tailored. Foods causing strong reactions in these tests, should (temporarily) be excluded from the diet. More moderate reactions allow for rotation of certain food items in the diet. These may be eaten once every four days. Especially during the first week(s) of the diet, withdrawal symptoms, similar to complaints stemming from the cessation of coffee, tobacco or alcohol consumption, may occur. The body seems to crave offending food items. Generally, these withdrawal symptoms disappear after a couple of weeks. Concurrently, those complaints relating to food sensitivity also diminish. Using this dietary approach, the reaction to food allergens may decrease in the course of time. After a three month moratorium, reintroduction of "forbidden" food items can be attempted, one at a time. In this way, food items still causing reactions can be isolated more easily. Often, at least part of existing intolerances completely disappear after an elimination/rotation diet.

Phenols are compounds that are everywhere in nature. You can't eliminate all phenols from the diet unless you totally give up all food and supplements.

So as the next best thing, researchers try to figure out which foods are 'high' or 'low' in particular compounds. These are measured diffently and catagorized differently. How foods are prepared may be different and this handling affects the content of particular compounds. So the lists given can be different. I look at the patterns and commonalities to get the general picture of which foods are usually high and which are not high, and which are low. Then see if a person has a particular intolerance to specific foods.

Salicylates are a subset of phenols. But there are many many other types of phenols that are not salicylates. Some lists look only at salicylates and some look at a wider range of phenols. This is another reason you can have variations in lists. The Feingold Program/Diet only looks at salicylates. Failsafe looks at a wider range of food chemicals.


Signs and symptoms of salicylate sensitivity

from Allergy Health Online which has links to more health and sensitivity information

Those who are sensitive to salicylates find that an excessive amount first stimulates, then depresses the central nervous system. This can lead to many different kinds of symptoms, including some that might seem incompatible. For example, both hyperactivity and lethargy are associated with salicylate sensitivity.

Symptoms of the condition may include:

Breathing difficulties
Wheezing
Headaches
Ear infections
Changes in skin color
Nasal congestion
Itching, skin rash or hives
Swelling of the hands, feet, eyes and face
Stomach pain
Hyperactivity
Lethargy
Inability to concentrate
Mouth ulcers, or red rash around the mouth
Nasal polyps
Coughing
Rhinitis
Sinusitis
Cognitive and perceptual disorders
In rare cases, sensitivity to salicylate can cause symptoms of anaphylactic shock.

Potential causes of salicylate sensitivity

Salicylates can be found in many different products, including foods, medications, cosmetics and certain ingredients. Any of these sources can trigger symptoms related to salicylate sensitivity. Sources of salicylates include:

Foods. Some raw foods, dry foods and juices contain more salicylates than cooked food. Salicylates are most concentrated just under the skin of certain fruits and vegetables, and in the outer leaves of vegetables. Salicylate content decreases as a food ripens. Some foods may be better tolerated than others in people with salicylate sensitivity, or can be consumed in a very ripe, peeled or cooked form.

Foods that contain salicylates include:

Apples
Alfalfa
Apple cider

Almonds
Broad beans
Alcohol (except
gin and whiskey)

Avocados
Broccoli
Beers

Berries (blueberries,
cherries, raspberries,
strawberries)
Cauliflower
Dry spices

Dates
Cucumbers
Herbal teas

Figs
Eggplant
Instant coffee

Grapefruit
Mushrooms
Jams and jellies

Grapes
Peppers
Orange juice

Kiwi
Radishes
Processed cheeses

Peaches
Spinach
Soy sauce

Plums and prunes
Zucchini
Teas

Pine nuts

Tomato paste
and sauces

Peanuts

Vinegars

Pistachios

Wines

Salicylate–containing products include:
Acne products
Fragrances and perfumes
Shampoos and conditioners
Herbal remedies
Cosmetics
Bubble baths
Lozenges
Medications
Topical creams
Wart or callus removers
Mouthwash and mint–flavored toothpaste
Shaving cream
Sunscreens and tanning lotions
Muscle pain creams


Salicylate–containing ingredients
Aspirin
Acetylsalicylic acid
Artificial food coloring and flavoring
Benzoates
Beta–hydroxy acid
Magnesium salicylate
Menthol
Mint
Salicylic acid
Peppermint
Spearmint
Phenylethyl salicylate
Sodium salicylate
FD&C Yellow No. 5 food dye (tartrazine)
Those with salicylate sensitivity should watch out for the following terms when selecting products:

Aspirin
Acetylsalicylic acid
Artificial food colorings or flavorings
Azo dyes
Benzoates (preservatives)
Benzyl salicylate
Beta–hydroxy acid
Choline salicylate
Disalcid
Ethyl salicylate
Isoamyl salicylate
Magnesium salicylate
Menthol
Methyl salicylate
Mint
Octylsalicylate
Peppermint
Phenylethyl salicylate
Salicylic acid
Salicylaldehyde
Salicylamide
Salsalate
Sodium salicylate
Spearmint
There are many foods that have few if any salicylates in them. They include:


Bananas
Bamboo shoots
Butter
Limes
Barley
Cheese
(except blue)
Maple syrup
Buckwheat
Chicken
Pears (peeled)
Cabbage
Decaffeinated coffee
Poppy seeds
Celery
Eggs
Saffron
Dried beans
and split peas
Fish
(except prawns)
Sea salt
Lentils
Meat
(except liver)
Sunflower oil
Lettuce
Milk
Soybean oil
Millet
Rice milk
White sugar
Oats
Soya Milk
Rice
Yogurt
Rye
Wheat
White potatoes
(peeled)

A more complete list can be found here:
http://salicylatesensitivity.com/food-guide


How would I have ever guessed that Olive Oil and Coconut Oil are high in Phenolics, and in my case, need to be avoided--apple cider, citrus too.