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We are discussing Cooking for life
With Kurma Dasa, Sue Dengate, Dave Tuff, Jacinta Dugbaza, Roger Bayley

Question:
My husband gets hundreds of huge red spots on his body out of nowhere and it must be an allergy, we can’t work out what it is. Doctors are no help at all, they have not seen anything like it but as it does not hurt him or itch they say it is fine! I don’t think so, it is not fine when it happens in public! He has been having this since childhood.

Answer:
Sue - My first guess would be sulphites - preservatives (220-228) in wine, beer, sausages and other processed meats, prawns, dried fruit, some fruit drinks and other foods - that can cause dramatic blotchy spots in some people. However, spots can be associated with exposure to a variety of foods or environmental chemicals, depending on individual sensitivity.

One way to investigate possible food reactions, particularly when they occur infrequently, is to keep a daily diary of foods and chemical exposures (for example, fertilising the lawn) in an exercise book. You can identify additives and natural food chemicals likely to cause problems by using the charts in the book Friendly Food by Dr Anne Swain and other researchers at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Allergy Unit, available from their website or bookstores. You have to read labels and it sounds like a lot of work but it becomes easier as you learn what to look for. When the spots occur you can read back through the last 48 hours to see if you can work out a pattern.

Another method would be to try the RPAH elimination diet followed by systematic challenges, supervised by a dietitian - ask for our list of supportive dietitians by emailing confoodnet@ozemail.com.au.

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