Fructose intolerance/sensitivity cause of my MGD!

[rhad]

I have found the cause of my MGD/Blepharitis at last! I have suffered with this problem for almost 5 years, since I was 16 years old. I am now almost 21 years old, and i have finally found that what is causing my MGD and inflammation and dry eye problems is a food sensitivity/intolerance to FRUCTOSE!

I had always figured that sugar exacerbated the problem, but I didn't know for sure, until a few weeks ago. A few weeks ago I took a Food Intolerance/sensitivity test from ALCAT Laboratories. They can test you for up to 200 foods, and how sensitive your body is to the foods tested. I had a test done for 150 foods, which uncovered or verified my sensitivity to Fructose sugar. alot of foods have fructose in them, including: High fructose corn syrup(almost every processed food contains this), table sugar(because it is 50% glucose and 50% fructose), all fruits, some vegetables such as beets, carrots, etc.

when I look back to when all these eye problems started, I was 16 years old, working at a fast food franchise, they gave us as many fountain drinks as we wanted free, I drank soda everyday, which contains alot of High fructose corn syrup, I think that is how my body became sensitive or intolerant to it.

Anyway, if I completely avoid everything with fructose(it is a very constricting diet, because almost all processed foods contain high fructose corn syrup) all my symptoms of MGD/Blepharitis clear up, and my eyes feel great! all the inflammation in my eyelids vanishes. I was tested to have no reaction to gluten or casein in milk, so that's good.

anyway, I found the ALCAT test after watching Channel 5 news, they talked about it on the news, it is an advanced testing, it is a blood test, it tests how sensitive certain foods are to your white blood cells. oh yeah I forgot to say, that food allergies are different than food intolerances or sensitivity. food intolerance and sensitivity is a delayed reaction in your body, it could appeare several days or hours after consuming a food or substance that you are intolerant to, food intolerances cause inflammation in the body.

Well, I hope this information is useful to any of you.

Rhad

[marykate]

That's great Rhad!! I have long suspected food intolerances/sensitivities contributing to my ocular rosacea/mgd.

Did you have a doctor administer the test, or did you simply purchase a testing kit?

Thanks!

[Plat]

Rhad, I agree with you as I am a sugar junky(Fructose - not natural sugar glucose) and always thought that to be a problem. I used to work in a restaurant for 8 years when at University and I drank pop for free everyday. I would also drink pop at home and still do. Also, I have said this before, the day or two prior to my eyes becoming dry, I drank 3 cans of orange pop and ate chocolate. The next day, my eyes were inflammed. Also, one year before this problem, I ate some much sugar each day until, I guess, it caught up to me. Also, you know how doctors say sugar does not cause pimples. BS, everytime I eat ice cream or chocolate or something with lots of sugar, I get a pimple or two. If I stop, no pimples. It may not be the direct cause, but the sugar affects the hormones and thus pimples result. MGD is a skin condition - sugar affects the hormones which affects the skin.

Are you fully recovered? What does a day of eating consists for you now? Any vitamins? I am so happy for you!

Plat

[rhad]

MaryKate,

I actually called up ALCAT Laboratories, they are located in Florida. They then made arrangements with my local hospital to draw my blood at no charge, they then sent me a kit in the mail which costs about $500. the kit includes a prepaid fedex overnight envelope and all the vials and stuff needed to draw your blood, you just go to your local hospital. the hospital draws the blood and puts ice packs around the vials of blood, and then fedex comes and picks it up and overnights it to florida, they have to receive the blood within 24hours of the blood draw for accurate results, they then tested my blood against 150 common foods. the whole process from the time I drew the blood, to receiving the results in the mail was about 1 week. but then you have to wait for the kit to arrive first of course. so the whole process takes about 2-3 weeks. ALCAT services all of the United States.

Hey plat,

actually I don't think the sugar has anything to do with hormone functions in my case, I believe that MGD/Blepharitis is nothing more than a food intolerance/sensitivity for most people, sensitivities to food cause alot of inflammation in the body and messes up your digestive system and metabolism of nutrients. my results came back that I am Moderately sensitive or intolerant to the specific "Fructose" sugar. every person is different though, other people could have a sensitivity to Gluten or some other food. My results also show Mild intolerance to tomatoes, and potatoes, chicken, and bunch of fruits that contain fructose sugar. but I've noticed that I can eat the foods that I am mildly sensitive to, but If i eat fructose, or something like "High Fructose Corn Syrup" my eye lids just start burning and my eyes begin to dry out, and my eyelids form the little oil bumps on the lid margins, but only if I eat it. it is hard to avoid fructose, as alot of foods have it in it.

I eat mostly grains like wheat products, oats, corn, barley, green vegetables like broccoli, celery, I can eat all meats except chicken.

if it is a food sensitivity, your eyes should start feeling much better a day or so later. because all the inflammation subsides.

rhad

[Rebecca Petris]

rhad, I'm really glad if you've found the key to keeping your MGD at bay.

At the same time I am always left scratching my head when you make blanket statements, such as...

I believe that MGD/Blepharitis is nothing more than a food intolerance/sensitivity for most people

...which has no rational basis whatsoever. (Or did I misread it somehow??) I'm all for kicking HFCS and for finding natural solutions to dry eye, but generalizations should have some basis in actual evidence.

[Plat]

http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.co...ersy_Continues

Quote: According to the American Dietetic Association, the claim is that fructose alters "hormonal patterns" that promote appetite and storage of fat in the body, compared to regular sugar and other types of sweeteners.

No direct correlation to the eyes, but if there was, we wouldn't be discussing if this may be the cause.

[rhad]

You do have a point their Plat,

You can read anywhere on the internet that HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP is one factor that could be making Americans obese.

When regular cane sugar is processed by the liver, the liver decides whether it is stored as fat, burned as energy, or turned into triglycerides and higher cholesterol in the blood. HFCS on the other hand, bypasses the liver, and is converted directly into fat. You can read it anywhere on the web, search it up.

good point Plat,

rhad

[NYer]

Fructose is not HFCS

Fructose is an entirely different thing than High Fructose Corn Syrup. Whatever food sensitivity/allergy Rhad may have aside, the problems caused by HFCS are absolutely unrelated to the way plain old Fructose is processed in the body.
People who eat fruit all day long (fructose) do not become obese. People who eat processed foods that contain HFCS do.

[calli66]

Thought I'd chime in on the fructose discussion. There's a medical test you can get that can show whether you have faulty absorption of fructose in the gut. I've never had the test, but I "have trouble" with fructose. I get terrible bloating from eating fruit---and have avoided most fruit for probably 20 years. Fruit contains different sugars--fructose, glucose, etc. I am fine with table sugar, but really have problems with anything containing fructose naturally, or as an added ingredient.

I'm not sure fructose intolerance would be a direct cause of MGD and dry eye. But there are definite medical conditions that affect digestive functioning. If not working right, we don't absorb essential nutrients. So if we're lacking something, this could be a contributing factor for dry eye.

C

[Teri]

Rhad,

Thanks for posting this. I find it very interesting and am considering getting tested for food intolerances/sensitivities.

I'm wondering, how do your eyes feel? Have you had a remission of your dry eye symptoms? MGD "cured"?

Or, how much of an improvement have you seen in your eyes since you started your new diet? How long have you been on it?

Teri

[Plat]

Here is an article on food intolerance and last paragraph states as inflamed eyes as a symptom.

http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/cgp/pdf/food_i.pdf

[autumnn]

I had a food intolerance test done on 96 foods two weeks ago. I am SEVERELY intolerant to eggs and spelt, moderatly intolerant to wheat and dairy. I have avoided them for a week so far and have noticed that my lids are not very swollen when I wake up in the morning. My right eye has responded great (it is always ahead of my left) and my left seems to be making some improvements. My eye doc said that he believes that food intolerances dont cause bleph/mgd but can aggravate the condition.

[Plat]

It's funny how they know(believe) what doesn't cause MGD but they don't know what causes it.

[rhad]

hello,

Nyer, actually the fructose in fruits is the same as in HFCS, the only difference is fruits contain smaller amounts of fructose, High Fructose Corn Syrup has the same fructose in it that fruit contains naturally, only scientists have isolated fructose in a very concentrated form. If I eat something with HFCS in it, I have severe reactions, it affects my nerves in both arms, sinus discomfort, and eyelids become puffy, and eyes dry out big time become inflammed. if I eat 1 banana, I still get similar affects, only it happens more slowly and not as bad, but the same symptoms occur.

my opinion is that Inflammation could be one of the bigger factors in our dry eye conditions.(note to moderators, and all else, this is my own opinion please do not delete or edit this post, DISCLAIMER: I am not a Doctor in any way, shape, or form. you should seek professional medical advice when trying anything mentioned on this post.)

I have personally noticed that with my condition, foods that I eat create inflammation in my body, especially in the eyelids. I have even tried a test to verify if it is inflammation.

This is what I did:

1. Bought a 12oz. can of Diet Mountain Dew or other diet soda that contains Caffeine. I used Diet soda, as it contains no sugar, a possible offending food for me that could cause inflammation.
2. Chose a day for this test that worked for me.
3. When I woke up first thing in the morning I did not eat anything, first thing when I woke up I drank a large glass of water. I then waited about 30 minutes for the water to hydrate my body, I then drank the whole can of Diet Mountain Dew. I then waited between 30 minutes to 1 hour to see if i could note any difference in inflammation in my body. As Caffeine shrinks down the tissue affected by inflammation, it gets rid of inflammation in the body. I then noted how i felt, in my eyes, eyelids, and overall feeling in my body. I discovered that all inflammation in my eyelids and throughout my body subsided. I waited about 1 hour after I drank the soda, to drink more water, as carbonation is dehydrating. I didn't eat anything until Noon of that day, and I felt great.

therefore, My opinion(it is not scientific fact, and their is no scientific evidence) is that inflammation is a cause of my eye problems, and i noticed that drinking the caffeinated diet soda got rid of it and I felt better. in my eyes, and my whole body.

rhad

[NYer]

Rhad,

I specified that fructose is not the same thing as High Fructose Corn Syrup - not that it is a different kind of fructose.

Obviously, the fructose that is in HFCS is, simply, fructose. But it's fructose that has been processed with other substances and the difference is that the way HFCS affects one's body is entirely different than the way simply eating fructose does. (In your case, however, since your sensitivity is to fructose, then fructose in ANY form will be a problem for you.)

My point was that in cases OTHER THAN a situation like yours, where you're sensitive to any fructose at all, that people don't need to be afraid of fructose...but everyone should always be afraid of HFCS.