Tag: Meniere’s and Vitamins Supplements

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Meniere's Disease Triggers & Causes Meniere's Disease and Nutrition

Food Allergies and Meniere’s Disease

How food allergies and intolerances may affect the symptoms of Meniere’s Disease

Do a simple search for studies on food allergies & intolerances related to Meniere’s Disease and a relatively long list will be pulled up.

One important thing to note perhaps is that most reference studies from the same source: American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery – (Derebury), in which it is suggested that as many as 30% of Meniere’s sufferers may have food allergies that at least contribute to their condition.

It is hypothesized that allergies may contribute in 3 possible ways:

  1. The endolymphatic sac may be the “target organ” of mediator released from systemic inhalant or food reactions.
  2. Deposition of circulating immune complex may produce inflammation and interfere with the sac’s filtering capability.
  3. A predisposing viral infection may interact with allergies in adulthood and cause the endolymphatic sac to decompensate, resulting in endolymphatic hydrops (Derebery, 1996).

Dr Timothy Haines, a long time writer on Meniere’s doesn’t have much confidence in these theories, stating that a. Hydrops may not necessarily be the key factor in the condition’s pathology and b. In his experience immunotherapy for allergy, is almost never a curative treatment for Meniere’s disease.

So lets look at some facts and experiences of sufferers who have contacted us over the years.

In 2000 the study “Allergic management of Meniere’s disease: an outcome study”, published in the official journal of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, stated the following (excerpt summary):

“The effect of allergy immunotherapy and elimination of suspected food allergens was evaluated in patients with Meniere’s disease.  113 patients treated with desensitization and diet showed a significant improvement from pretreatment to posttreatment in both allergy and Meniere’s symptoms.  Hearing was stable or improved in 61.4%. Patients with Meniere’s disease can show improvement in their symptoms of tinnitus and vertigo when receiving specific allergy therapy. The inner ear may be the target, directly or indirectly, of an allergic reaction.”

In the 1996 Derebery paper in the same journal, it states interestingly that:

” Meniere’s disease, although idiopathic by definition, has been ascribed to a variety of causes, which more recently include autoimmune factors. Interest in the role of allergy in Meniere’s disease has also increased. Studies from this institution and elsewhere provide evidence that allergy and immunologic factors play a role in Meniere’s disease in at least some patients“

The aim of Meniere’s Help has always been two fold. Firstly, giving you the information you need to take appropriate action therefore enabling your immune system to deal with the inflammation, balance your various body systems and allow you to live symptom free, regardless of your root cause. And secondly identifying your particular root cause or causes and eliminating them from your life, and therefore free yourself from Meniere’s completely.

In our formative years we had multiple thousands contact us who were ultimately able to live symptom free. In latter years with our focus very much on root causes and contributing triggers we have had many more who were able to rid themselves of Meniere’s completely. It all comes down to knowledge and using that knowledge for your particular case.

It has to be said that it seems at first glance that food allergies and intolerances have not been the most common cause with the many people who contact us, but there have been plenty of notable exceptions. I would say it is something very worthwhile getting checked for and crossing off your list of possibilities and perhaps is an often ignored aspect.

Sizable enough numbers of people who have Meniere’s have found they have allergies to wheat, gluten, soy and/or some dairy foods.

Gluten intolerance 

The “increased interest” in allergies and Menieres Derebery speaks of may coincide with the huge increase in gluten intolerance, allergies or celiac disease in recent years. The extent of the relevance of that is debatable but the facts can not be ignored.

‘Interesting‘ because gluten intolerance is not a true allergy but rather a problem with gut flora.  With diagnosis not easy and often expensive, many people may never be diagnosed. Data varies, but just taking one quoted statistic that a decade ago, gluten-intolerance levels were at 1 in 2500 worldwide and today, it’s at 1 in 133 shows a shocking increase.

Why would such a huge number of the population suddenly start developing an intolerance to what has been part of the staple diet of a sizable portion of the world for generations?

Answers will vary depending on who you ask but I think it is obvious that forced food practices, food preparation, the introduction of GMO and the proliferation of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, chemical fertilizers, additives and other environmental pollutants is killing or at least affecting adversely the the tiny organisms that we need inside our gut.

The bacteria contains billions of neurons which is why the gut is often called the second brain and it is vital to the immune system, so we can easily join the dots and equate the explosion in degenerative diseases in the past half century at the very least with the modern culture of eating highly processed foods rather than fresh organic foods.

Is it any wonder that the supplement industry and in particular the drug industry is so huge these days, as is perversely, the agricultural chemical industry. When you take into account that organic farming (which should simply be termed “farming” as apposed to the ‘chemical farming’ that produces most of our food) is not much more than a cottage industry, there is definitely something wrong.

Modern “food convenience” it could be argued is resulting in mass poor health where the only winners are the CEO’s and share holders of huge multi national drug and chemical corporations. But at what cost to their own families and the general population?

Gluten in the form we know today is a neurotoxin and of course the central nervous system has been linked to Meniere’s. Over the past 50 years, hybridization wheat grains has taken place to supposedly increase crop yield ( the results of that are highly debatable)  and lengthen ‘shelf life’. A protein called gliadin was added to grain. It is thought that higher concentrations of this protein has made wheat less digestible, which causes an allergy or reaction. Increased antibodies to gliadin, may have a negative impact on the neural system.

Gluten intolerance is much more prevalent in the USA than Europe. Gluten intolerant Americans who have eaten wheat in Europe have asked the reason why they don’t have any problems there but do at home. There are two very relevant yet contentious answers to that. Europe does not as a rule allow GMO crops therefore there is less gliadin and it also does not allow (as of the time of writing) the use of glyphosate herbicide.

A study published in the journal, Laryngoscope stated the following:
 
“Wheat is one of the most common food allergens found in patients with Meniere’s disease (MD). Gluten from wheat has been identified to have a etiopathogenetic role in celiac disease, IgE hypersensitivity to wheat disease, and recently to gluten sensitivity. The aim of this study was to verify the incidence of gliadin prick test response in patients affected by MD.

Meniere’s Help reader’s experiences with food intolerances and the symptoms of Meniere’s

There were 58 adult patients with definite MD, 25 healthy volunteers, and 25 patients with grass pollen rhinoconjunctivitis tested with skin prick test to gliadin.

A total of 33 MD patients (56.9%) proved to be sensitive to gliadin, eight of whom were positive to prick test after 20 minutes, 13 after 6 hours, 11 after 12 hours, and one after 24 hours.”

We have long preached at Meniere’s Help the importance of what you eat and do not eat often being vital to help reduce or stop your symptoms (and often in the early days to the derision and skepticism of some in online forums, some doctors and some of our early readers – those people are very few and far between these days).

What do our readers have to say on the subject? Below are some extracts from mails to Meniere’s Help from sufferers,  that paint an interesting picture regarding what we eat, food and in particular gluten allergies and intolerances (used with permission):

“I have been suffering with Meniere’s for over 12 years. I’m otherwise very healthy. I have given up gluten, lactose, caffeine and cut way back on refined sugar. But these 6 weeks were tough. I was so exhausted I could barely get out of bed. I found your site about 2 weeks ago and read about the supplements. I ordered all of the maximum recommendation.

I started taking them a week ago and have been dizzy free for 4 days. My head is clear, I have energy, and my vision has returned to normal. I got up on Saturday and walked over to the window. I was in awe that there was so much color outside. It was like I was seeing beautiful color for the first time. And the brain fog had lifted. I still have the tinnitus and if I move my head too suddenly I can feel the dizziness during my movement so I know it’s still there. But this is honestly better than I imagined I would feel so soon after starting.

I don’t know if it’s the supplements or the recent episode (which I suspect was brought on by allergies) had run its course but I feel fantastic. I have boundless energy and found myself actually laughing and feeling playful like my old self. If progress continues I plan to do the full vitamin routine for 90 days and then transition to a maintenance program of the 4 supplements that the vast majority take to live symptom free.

It’s been a long, rough road but I am truly hopeful of living with fewer and/or less intense episodes for the first time since my initial diagnosis.

I’ll let you know if the progress continues.
Thanks for giving me hope
Katherine“

“Thanks for such an informative website.  I have, for a few months now, been reading through all the information on the site.  Your approach and philosophy to meniere’s really strikes a chord with me.I currently follow a strict low sodium diet, have recently given up both caffeine and alcohol (well, I have a decaf coffee once a day – not chemically decaffeinated) and have reduced my wheat/gluten intake severely…..(recent poor health has prompted me to become very interested in cellular nutrition!).“ 

“I suffer what could be Meniere’s disease, however I don’t yet experience vertigo. I have a roaring hissing tinnitus in my left ear and facial pain on left side and fullness in my ear.

Another point is I have suffered from food allergies such as gluten, sugar, and processed foods as they have created a numbing sensation for years prior to my condition now.“

“Hey Mike,

Thank you for following up, again…  I do appreciate it. After reading your book I have taken the following action for myself.

    1. I’ve stopped all Dr. Meds with the exception of a diuretic.  (I had stopped but felt that my hearing worsened a little so I went back on it and it has seemed to help)
    2. I have great pharmaceutical grade supplements.
    3. I have dramatically altered my diet, cut my sodium way back to no more than 1500 MG on a typical day.
    4. I have met with Dr Derebery of the House Ear Institute in LA and have gone through extensive allergy testing.

I have discovered that drinking alcohol and beer have a definite negative effect on my hearing so I’ve cut them out as well, (for the most part).  I’ve also mostly cut out all processed wheat, am attempting to cut out gluten, and have gone to a mainly whole foods diet which included plenty of organic fruits, veggies, and non GMO meats, ( among other foods as well).

So far I have seen improvement.  My hearing has cleared up some in both ears.  The “fog” I was living with has subsided and my tinnitus has decreased as well.  Earlier this year my hearing was so bad that I was unable to hear the fan that is placed right next to my head at night.  For years I have not been able to speak on the phone with my right ear and now I am able to.

Finally, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, for having and maintaining your web site and your book.  I have already referred it to a couple of people who I have met that are going through the same problems.  You definitely opened my eyes to alternative options for dealing with these issues, other than the Dr’s telling me to “learn to live with it”, or having to take the potentially toxic medications they were prescribing me.

Thanks again for your help.  I can’t express my appreciation enough!

Craig“

“Hello Mike,
Thank you so much for writing back and yes you are right. I was actually on TCM for 3 months and I thought I had my condition under control.  But soon I noticed that every month the week after my menses, my ear pressure will act up and my left neck will feel so sore and tensed.  I tried watching my diet ala keeping it low salt but soon got complacent.  I am really not very good at dietary control and I really needed to get my hands on your book to be disciplined about it.

I have started to do my regular brisk walking again, seen a chiropractor for some spinal adjustment.. Also plan to see a dentist to enquire about my alignment or even do a prick allergy test because my chiro told me I am allergic to gluten.”

“Hello Mike!

 I just wanted to congratulate you on the completion of your book.  As a fellow Meniere’s sufferer, I sincerely appreciate people like you doing extensive research and publishing what works and what doesn’t work.  More of us need to be solution minded, instead of having a victim mentality. Two years ago, I was literally a mess.  I thought my career was over, I thought my life was over.
    At this time, I have the (vertigo and brain fog) symptoms about 98% under control.  Diet– limited (but not super low) sodium and generally gluten-free.  No diet sugars, no MSG, no caffeine.  I do allow myself some alcohol, but in limited quantities. The supplements.

In any case, just wanted to say kudos for sharing your information.  I watched some of your videos earlier in my struggles, when things were bleak; it’s great for an MM sufferer to have hope that they can conquer this awful disease.

Best regards,
Deborah”

“Thanks for all the info, Mike. I would say that a lot of the triggers do apply to Harry, significant factor  is low adrenal function, often referred to as adrenal fatigue ( see endocrine disorder connections to Meniere’s and metabolism and Meniere’s)  it’s a real vicious circle, with stress being the biggest trigger.

He also has atrophic gastritis (caused by an h.pylori infection) and was 65 (he’s now 71) before we realised he was gluten sensitive.“

“yes we e-mailed u back already.
symptom free for 2 yrs. doing a completely paleo diet.
low carb/ no flour/no gluten/ no sugar or any processed foods.
change was immediate within a few days“

“I’m blessed by having tons more good days than bad. My diet is gluten-free, and pretty much salt and sugar-free.”

“Hi Mike, I just thought that I’d get back to you. Last week my Dr did a Blood test for Celiac Disease. It came out abnormal which means that I might have Celiac. For now it shows that I can’t do Gluten, Wheat, Barley, Rye and in some cases Oats. People with Celiac can’t absorb their Minerals correctly. So it would make sense that the supplements would help.“

“Hi Mike

Thanks for getting back to me.

I’ve had food intolerance tests, I’ve even had my amalgam fillings removed in a bid to feel better.  The food intolerance tests have made a big difference in that I have given up gluten and dairy and this has helped with my energy levels enormously although it took a while.
Thanks again, I do appreciate it.
Lisa“

Of course not everyone with Meniere’s Disease has food allergies or intolerances, but I hope I have demonstrated the possibility and getting at least tested is a must for you to either cross it off your list of possible causes/triggers or if needed to take appropriate action.

In other articles on the blog I have demonstrated the domino effect where seemingly unrelated issues can be vitally important to getting to the root cause of your Meniere’s for example: endocrine – thyroid- metabolism-T cells – Meniere’s.
 
If your gut is not healthy this can lead to many serious conditions, including the symptoms of Meniere’s. Research shows that gut flora supports your immune system, and protects your liver.
 
Ruling out vitamin and mineral deficiencies is something also to consider.  Often times, nutritional deficits can lead to nerve damage.  Most prominent is the loss of myelin (the insulation surrounding the nerves).

Vitamin B-12 deficiency is a common cause of myelin loss, as are copper and vitamin C deficiency.

Often times the deficiencies are caused by gluten induced gastrointestinal damage. B12 has a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, the formation of red blood cells, helps in the production of DNA and RNA, is important for metabolism and helps your body produce energy.

No plant or animal can actually make vitamin B12 (only microorganisms as in good gut bacteria can do that), it is typically only animal foods (B12 is stored in the liver) that contain B12 since plants cannot make or store this vitamin. This makes deficiency in vegetarians and vegans who do not compensate a possibility.

Bottom line on Vitamin B12 is that if through gluten or other food allergies and intolerances or toxins the gut flora is depleted then this vital nutrient may be deficient and we can talk about the domino effects and poor health from that forever.

Keeping your gut flora healthy is again about what you eat and do not eat.

Antibiotics also seriously affect intestinal flora and it is advised these days that after a course it should always be followed by a good probiotic. Sugar and artificial sweeteners, alcohol, sometimes coffee, pesticides, emulsifiers in processed and fast foods can all have adverse effects on your gut flora destroying the balance of the approximate one trillion bacteria there.

If the balance in your gut is out the knock effect throughout your body may ultimately throw your inner ear function into dysfunction and contribute to you to suffering with Meniere’s symptoms.

 
If you are a meat eater you may believe you are getting adequate levels of B12. However, the amount of antibiotics pumped unnecessarily into animals in forced farming may be affecting your gut flora and therefore depleting your supply of B12.
 
If you think this a not a problem then consider that just this week (April 2016) powerful financial investors from the city of London warned high street food chains about the serious health risks of using meat and poultry from factory farms. Their concern was that consumer awareness may lead to loss in profits.
 

The financiers, including Aviva Investors, Strathclyde Pension Fund and Coller Capital, are particularly concerned about the use of antibiotics classified as “critically important” to human health and the “routine, preventative” use of drugs on factory farms.

 
This surprising and unprecedented move follows warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO) that antibiotic use in livestock production is contributing to the global threat of a “post-antibiotic era”.
 
Checking and dealing with it is one thing, avoiding it is another. Using a quality probiotic would seem wise and supplementing with Vitamin B 12 equally as wise given what we now know.
 
Fermented foods that have probiotic value are good for your gut flora health such as: natural probiotic yogurt, natto, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, tempeh, pickles and lassi.
 
Dr Laurant Bannock DrHS MS LN is a world renowned Nutritionist. In his acclaimed book ‘The Clinical Nutrition Desk Reference’ he recommends using Thymus extract as part of a regimen for Meniere’s.
 
Thymus extract supports the immune system and helps decrease foods allergies.
 
You can see doctor Bannock’s recommendations here: Treatments for Meniere’s disease.
 
To re-emphasize how what you eat can make such a difference, one final email sent to Meniere’s Help:
 

Thanks for the email, Mike.   My husband Eric is still living symptom free…as long as we are eating whole, unprocessed foods and staying healthy by exercising.  As soon as we fall off the healthy food wagon, he begins to feel dizzy again.  Soooo, as long as we’re not slacking off, he does well.

I appreciate the personal touch on your email.  You’re a great guy to help so many people.

Have a great day!

Amy

Amy’s message that a change of diet can make a big difference is not untypical.

Are Food allergies and relevant in Meniere’s disease?

The hypothesis of Derebury as to how allergies might contribute to Meniere’s may or may not be correct but whether right or not it seems clear that allergies, intolerances, gut flora and metabolism are important issues to consider for people who have Meniere’s and what you eat makes a significant difference.

 

If you found this article useful Click here to support Meniere’s Help paypal.me/menieres

Related articles:

Gluten and Meniere’s Disease
Candida Albicans and Meniere’s Disease
Hypoglycemia and Meniere’s disease

Written by Mike Spencer

Founder of Menieres-Help.Com – Supporting sufferers since 2004

Researcher and Author of Managing Meniere’s Disease and The Need for Balance – Dealing with the Causes of Meniere’s

Help other Meniere’s sufferers. What are your experiences with Meniere’s and food allergies or intolerances? Tell us all about them in the comment box below or email Mike at: meniereshelp@gmail.com

References/Further reading:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24573125/

 
Categories
Meniere's Disease and Nutrition

The Problem with Supplements for Meniere’s disease

Why some supplements may help you reduce your symptoms, while others may harm you

If you have ever searched for supplements to help reduce your Meniere’s symptoms, or for any other reason, you may have read the term ” Not all supplements are created equal”.

In recent years the focus of Menieres-Help.Com has been very much on identifying the root causes of Meniere’s symptoms and eliminating those causes and hopefully the symptoms from the sufferers life

We have always concentrated on triggers but in the formative years of this site being active we spread the word as much as we could about the concept of the right nutrition enabling sufferers to live free from symptoms and live a healthy normal life. This involves possible changes in diet, lifestyle and supplementing with quality nutriceuticals.

We have always put large emphasis on the word “quality” for good reason. Over a decade ago when we first started spreading the word about the supplements we use there was a lot substandard supplement products on the shelves of so called health food stores, supermarkets, high street pharmacies and spread all over the internet. You have to say it has gotten worse these days.

The US market is being flooded with supplements made in China that may have, shall we say, some ‘dubious’ ingredients.

That is not say China is any worse than the US, UK or other western countries. In fact there has always been a proliferation of these products that belong in the garbage can rather than in our stomachs. It is just now its even worse.

Moreover there are now reports of illegal copies of quality brands being shipped in from China and being sold online.

There are some fantastic products and brands out there but there are a whole lot more that are, ‘questionable’ to say the very least.

Way back in 2004 I checked the index chart results of independent quality testing for over a thousand products in the US, UK and Canada. In an index score of 300, most high street brands scores were pitifully low. One of the most popular brands in the UK at the time scored just 15 (out of 300!!)  Another brand that most people would trust from the name alone scored a pitiful 5!!

The supplements we have been using with such success for over a decade scored the maximum 300. If you think about this, it make perfect sense why the results people get when using supplementation is so varied. In terms of controlling Meniere’s symptoms, some see no improvement at all, some see partial improvement while others live completely free of their symptoms. It simply depends on what you use and the quality of what you use. Indeed, all supplements are NOT created equal.

The tests mentioned above were done by ‘Nutrisearch’ and published in their Comparative Guide Nutritional Supplements. The most recent edition was published in 2017: NutriSearch Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements for the Americas (English).  Not only do they publish their results but also give a thorough explanation of the importance of diet and nutrition to health and explain the relationship of oxidative stress and inflammation with the onset of disease and how what you eat and supplement with can prevent this.

For the 2015 edition their summary is as follows:

“The central roles of oxidative stress and inflammation in the onset of chronic degenerative disease are explained. The preventive roles of dietary antioxidants are discussed. The fundamental question of why we need to supplement is answered. The importance of supplementation with two ancient antioxidants, vitamin D and iodine, is highlighted.”

Why not all supplements are created equal

According to Dr Edward Group of the Global Healing Center in Texas,

“What people are not aware of is all vitamins are not created equal, and most are actually synthetic.“

He goes on to say,

“A healthy, organic diet should provide a good amount of nutrients that the body needs, but supplements can help ensure that we are getting a healthy serving of specific vitamins.

The problem is that many vitamin and mineral supplements are manufactured synthetically with chemicals and do not come straight from their natural sources. They are made to mimic the way natural vitamins act in our bodies. Natural vitamins are derived directly from plant material containing the vitamin, not produced in a test tube.

Many synthetic vitamins lack the transporters and co-factors associated with naturally occurring vitamins because they have been “isolated.” The Organic Consumers Association emphasizes that isolated vitamins cannot be used or recognized by the body in the same way as the natural version.

The natural form come in packages with other vitamins, enzymes and minerals that control the way the body recognizes, metabolizes and uses them to make what it needs.

Isolated vitamins can’t always be used by the body, and are either stored until you obtain or create the nutrients required to use them effectively or are excreted. Synthetic vitamins are also devoid of necessary trace minerals and must use the body’s own mineral reserves which may lead to dangerous mineral deficiencies.”

It is believed that today more than 95% of all the vitamin supplements sold are synthetic. When genuine quality supplements can do so much good, this proliferation both gives the concept of supplementation a bad name and puts many people off the idea due to poor results and bad press.

Synthetic vitamins contain chemical compounds that were not meant for human consumption and do not occur in nature.

Dr Group says,

“Fat soluble vitamins in their synthetic form are especially dangerous because they can build up in your fatty tissues and cause toxicity. The reason that the synthetic form is more dangerous is because you get a high, concentrated serving of the vitamin rather than the amount that you would get from a food-based form.”

  • Vitamins A, D, E and K are all fat soluble
  • Fat soluble vitamins are found naturally in butter, fish oils, nuts, and green leafy vegetables
  • Excesses of fat soluble vitamins are stored in the liver and fatty tissues
  • Most people do not get sufficient amounts of fat soluble vitamins from their diet

Supplement manufacturing does not come under the same strict regulations as pharmaceuticals so there is a lot of room to fool the consumer with misleading labels and ingredient lists.

The label may state “natural” but in fact this is often not the case. The vitamins only have to be 10% natural for the manufacturer to able to label their product “natural”, meaning 90% of what you are consuming may be actually synthetic!

Dr Group insists that most Vitamin C and B Vitamin supplements are synthetic.

Organic Consumers Association – Natural Vs Synthetic vitamins

The Organic Consumers Association published an ingredient chart to help consumers identify natural vs. synthetic vitamins. Check the labels when you buy and avoid these synthetic versions.

  • Vitamin A: Retinyl Palmitate
  • Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): Thiamine Mononitrate, Thiamine Hydrochloride
  • Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Riboflavin
  • Pantothenic Acid: Calcium D-Pantothenate
  • Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine): Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
  • Vitamin B12: Cyanocobalamin
  • PABA (Para-aminobenzoic Acid): Aminobenzoic Acid
  • Folic Acid: Pteroylglutamic Acid
  • Choline: Choline Chloride, Choline Bitartrate
  • Biotin: d-Biotin
  • Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid): Ascorbic Acid
  • Vitamin D: Irradiated Ergosteral, Calciferol
  • Vitamin E: dl-alpha tocopherol, dl-alpha tocopherol acetate or succinate

Note that the “dl” form of any vitamin is synthetic.

When you wonder about the huge disparity in the prices of some supplements.  Supplements with all natural ingredients are produced by manufacturers who take great care in the process in which they extract nutrients and put the the supplements together. A few of the best companies choose to be regulated to pharmaceutical standards to ensure consumer confidence in the safety, potency and quality of their supplements.

Cheaper brands often have either useless or harmful fillers and binders in them. The consumer believes they are supporting or boosting their immune system and general health but in fact may be consuming toxic materials instead.

Avoid supplements with these toxic ingredients:

  • Magnesium stearate (or stearic acid)
  • Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) disguised as “natural flavors”
  • Carnauba wax is used in car wax and shoe polish
  • Titanium dioxide is a carcinogen

On the one hand this information makes you realize why some people do not trust supplements and on the other makes me wonder how many people have tried cheap substandard brands and either gotten more sick or had no benefit whatsoever.

In both cases people have lost the opportunity to truly support their immune system adequately to enable it to deal with the inflammation causing their symptoms. They will have wasted time and money and ended up dismissing the very notion that nutrition actually matters so much. More importantly they will have continued to suffer needlessly.

I find this very frustrating and sad.

At the end of the day, although there are other important aspect to reducing your symptoms,  the quality of supplements you might use, not only matters but can be vital in managing your Meniere’s symptoms and your general health.

If you found this article useful Click here to support Meniere’s Help paypal.me/menieres

Meniere’s Success Stories
Overcoming Meniere’s Disease

By Mike Spencer
Founder of Meniere’s Help – Supporting sufferers since 2004
Researcher and author of Managing Meniere’s Disease
and The Need for Balance – Dealing with Causes of Meniere’s

Help other Meniere’s sufferers

What is your experience with supplementation and Meniere’s – good or bad? Tell us all about it in the comments box below or email Mike at meniereshelp@gmail.com

References/Further reading:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32189314/

Categories
General Information on Meniere's Disease / Syndrome Meniere's Disease Triggers & Causes

Gluten and Meniere’s Disease

Can gluten cause the symptoms of Meniere’s Disease?

Updated September 2020

Could Gluten be a cause Meniere’s symptoms? Tests in the past have shown links to Meniere’s and problems with the digestive system . The health of the gut is essential for overall health, Gut issues such as IBS have been linked to neurological diseases, autoimmune diseases and Meniere’s disease. 

In this article it suggests a connection between gluten and Meniere’s symptoms.

Extract:

Gluten and Balance

Meniere’s disease is a condition that manifests symptomatically as severe dizziness, ear pressure, ringing, and often times is associated with concomitant migraine headache. The symptoms can be debilitating and often lead to nausea, vomiting, and inability to stand or walk due to imbalance. Recent research has identified a connection between grain (specifically wheat) and Meniere’s disease. The study was published in the journal, Laryngoscope. The abstract is below:

Wheat is one of the most common food allergens found in patients with Meniere’s disease (MD). Gluten from wheat has been identified to have a etiopathogenetic role in celiac disease, IgE hypersensitivity to wheat disease, and recently to gluten sensitivity. The aim of this study was to verify the incidence of gliadin prick test response in patients affected by MD.

There were 58 adult patients with definite MD, 25 healthy volunteers, and 25 patients with grass pollen rhinoconjunctivitis tested with skin prick test to gliadin.

A total of 33 MD patients (56.9%) proved to be sensitive to gliadin, eight of whom were positive to prick test after 20 minutes, 13 after 6 hours, 11 after 12 hours, and one after 24 hours.

Gluten and Meniere’s disease – studies

Gluten sensitivity in Meniere’s disease. A cited clinical study paper on NIH

Extract:

Wheat is one of the most common food allergens found in patients with Meniere’s disease (MD). Gluten from wheat has been identified to have a etiopathogenetic role in celiac disease, IgE hypersensitivity to wheat disease, and recently to gluten sensitivity.

A total of 33 MD patients (56.9%) proved to be sensitive to gliadin, eight of whom were positive to prick test after 20 minutes.

Also on the NIH:

Meniere’s disease and gluten sensitivity: recovery after a gluten-free diet

Extract:

We report the case of a 63-year-old female with definite unilateral Meniere’s disease, osteoarthritis of the distal finger joints with mucous cysts and Heberden’s nodes, and constipation with recurrent abdominal pain whose symptoms remitted after 6months of a restrictive gluten-free diet.

The question is, is it the gluten itself; the modification of gluten or the chemicals used in modern farming processes that find their way into the wheat or grains?

We do know that we have received messages from sufferers who have symptom free after changing their diet and in some cases that meant going gluten free.

Gluten in the form we know today is a neurotoxin and of course the central nervous system has been linked to Meniere’s. Over the past 50 years, hybridization wheat grains has taken place to supposedly increase crop yield ( the results of that are highly debatable)  and lengthen ‘shelf life’.

A protein called gliadin was added to grain. It is thought that higher concentrations of this protein has made wheat less digestible, which causes an allergy or reaction. Increased antibodies to gliadin, may have a negative impact on the neural system.

Almost 50% say gluten is an issue with Meniere’s

In September 2020, the question was asked in a Meniere’s social media group, “Has anyone linked their triggers to dairy or gluten instead of the sodium?”

Of the 37 respondents, 17 suggested gluten may be an issue:

Responses:

  1. Yes all three and stress
  2. And processed foods with MSG
  3. Yes! Dairy is a HUGE trigger for me. Moderate gluten is okay but I get super fatigued and just off with lots of it. Sodium is no issue unless in ridiculous high amounts. As long as I salt to taste and cook mostly from scratch I stay in the moderate sodium range (2500mg give or take) and that works well for me
  4. I went gluten and dairy free around March this year and noticed a massive improvement, more so than just watching my salt. But like everything with this disease it’s not the final answer as I’m currently in a three week spiral having changed nothing about my routine.
  5. Gluten yes! Add sugar, salt, caffeine to that and its disaster. And dehydration
  6. I removed gluten and dairy and I have done better! They are definitely triggers for me
  7. Yes 100%
  8. Yeah I got diagnosed with celiac disease
  9. Yes.
  10. Carbs/starches/natural sugars/regular sugar. Anything that breaks down as sugar. Although, I can’t tolerate much dairy, but that’s been for the last 23 years since I had my first pregnancy.
  11. Gluten and diary set me off. I’m on a high sodium diet and it doesn’t bother me
  12. Gluten, diary, sodium all r triggers
  13. Same, I don’t eat any of those, haven’t for years
  14. I tried to stay gluten and dairy free as much as possible only because I believe Menerie’s is a autoimmune disorder and with any autoimmune you need to stay away from that stuff
  15. Sure. You can also get allergy tested through a blood test and do allergy drops which help with food related symptoms like mucus, fluid retention, and dizziness which has helped my daughter. She also eats a low sodium and low sugar diet to help reduce dizziness.
  16. Gluten is my number 1 trigger, and what I am figuring out is that it takes a LONG time to get back to normal after I’ve had an interaction, so sodium becomes a constant trigger until everything really settles down again. Once I get everything balanced out again I can eat and drink as I please, just no gluten
  17. Yea gluten really bugs me. I have tried my best to eat a gluten free diet and it helps but not enough to cure md.

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Related articles:

Can Meniere’s Disease be caused by Autoimmunity?
Dealing with Tinnitus
Toxic Mold and Meniere’s

Help other Meniere’s sufferers. Do you have experience of Meniere’s and gluten? Tell us all about it in the comments box below or email Mike at meniereshelp@gmail.com

References/Further reading:

Gluten Sensitivity and Vertigo/Meniere’s Disease

Gluten sensitivity in Meniere’s disease

Categories
General Information on Meniere's Disease / Syndrome

Autoimmune Problems and Meniere’s Disease

Is autoimmunity overlooked in Meniere’s Disease?

This doctor gets a bit over excited about what he says is an often overlooked cause of Meniere’s disease: Autoimmunity, where your own immune system attacks parts of your brain. In a recent study it is claimed that 6% of Meniere’s disease cases are caused by autoimmunity….that was for people with Meniere’s on one side. For people who have Meniere’s symptoms in BOTH ears (bilateral) the study says the number is 16%!!

This doctor obviously feels strongly about this asking, “HAVE YOU BEEN CHECKED FOR THIS?” Ask your doctors about a test called: FUNCTIONAL IMMUNE SYSTEM EVALUATION TEST.

Tests used to diagnose an immune disorder include: Blood tests. Blood tests can determine if you have normal levels of infection-fighting proteins (immunoglobulin) in your blood and measure the levels of blood cells and immune system cells. Abnormal numbers of certain cells can indicate an immune system defect.*

*Source: Mayo Clinic

Email us at: meniereshelp@gmail.com

If you found this article and this site useful Click here to support Meniere’s Help paypal.me/menieres

Read also:

Can Meniere’s Disease be caused by Autoimmunity?

Meniere’s Disease and Thyroid Dysfunction

Hypoglycemia and Meniere’s disease

References/Further reading:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22306860/

Categories
Meniere's Disease and Nutrition General Information on Meniere's Disease / Syndrome

Cellular Nutrition and Meniere’s Disease

Dr Strand was one of the doctors credited with originally putting together the regimen of supplements discussed on Meniere’s Help and elsewhere. This regimen has been successfully used by sufferers to support their immune system and keep symptoms either to a  minimum or suppress them completely since the late 1990’s.

Why cellular nutrition is important for Meniere’s Sufferers

In this very informative video he talks about the concept of ‘healthy cells’ and the importance of nutrition in avoiding and in some cases reversing degenerative diseases and health conditions such as Meniere’s Disease.

For 23 years he was opposed to and did his best to put patients off the idea of supplements, claiming they just produced “expensive urine” and had no benefits.

Listen to how and why he changed his mind.

Of course he plugs his website and Doctors practice at the end. But this is a very informative and important video for anyone considering trying these supplements used with such success. Perhaps especially the more skeptical of us.

We have long touted the benefits of one supplement product we use which has grape seed extract as its main ingredient, based on the experiences of our readers. Listen to Dr Strand’s opinion on this.

Related articles and posts:

Meniere’s Success Stories
Vitamin C and Meniere’s Disease
Vitamin D and Meniere’s Disease

Further reading:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31906226/
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