Health Notes, March 30th 2008, by Sarah Stacey

Put your food intolerance to the test

Longterm, low-level health problems may not be life-threatening but they can be debilitating and distressing. When physiotherapist, Claire Jones*, 23, took up her first NHS hospital post in November 2006, she was very busy: ‘I really had to prove myself’. Over the winter, she developed a ‘grumbly tummy: it used to churn continuously and make embarrassing noises. I didn’t have cramps or diarrhoea but always felt I needed to go to the loo.’ Two weeks holiday in the spring quietened her symptoms but once back at work, they slowly worsened. ‘I felt rundown, always tired and as if I was hungover, although I hadn’t been drinking.’

Claire’s sister and mother had both suffered from chronic food intolerances which were detected by food intolerance testing at a natural health clinic. So, last September, she booked to see Melanie Roberts at the Orchard Clinic in Chard, Somerset, who uses a testing system called ‘bio-electronic regulatory medicine’ (BER medicine), which originated from the principles of acupuncture. The patient holds a metal handpiece wired to a black box with a dial while the therapist presses a probe on acupuncture points on the hands or feet. It’s claimed that this technology (of which there are several different versions) creates an electrical circuit which can measure the body’s response to different substances, such as food samples or other allergens, put in the box. According to Melanie, who has a degree in human biology, ‘it’s basically a galvanometer’ - an instrument for detecting and measuring electric current.

Claire admits to being sceptical but openminded as the screen had worked so well for her mother and sister. Among the 100 foods tested, her body reacted negatively to coffee and yeast. ‘I‘d tried eliminating wheat and dairy before, but that had made no difference. When I followed Melanie’s advice to cut out coffee and all yeast-containing foods, including bread, mushrooms, cheese (except soft cream cheeses), marmite, bovril, stock cubes, monosodium glutamate flavouring and all alcohol except for gin, vodka, and champagne, the change was amazing. All the problems stopped and I felt brilliant within two weeks.’

Eight months on, Claire eats small amounts of cheese and other yeast-containing foods and finds that her tummy is calm unless she’s under pressure: ‘it flares up a little if I’m very busy and eat yeasty foods. But I know now that I suffer from these food intolerances which seem to be triggered by stress – it’s that old story of butterflies in your tummy. And I know how to deal with them. It’s such a big relief. I didn’t realise how much it was playing on my mind.’

Strange as BER medicine sounds – with little scientific evidence to back it up and some vitriolic critics in conventional medicine – such devices are widely used in Germany. Melanie Roberts says that several GPs have recommended patients to her. I’ve consulted a practitioner who uses a similar device and been very impressed, as have several friends. However, no diagnostic tool – conventional or alternative – is 100 per cent accurate.

Sole mates

Podiatrists often recommend that people with problem feet wear running shoes with cushioned soles, but trainers just don’t cut the mustard for work or glam. So no wonder that a friend who suffers from pain in the balls of her feet is skipping for joy since she discovered Earth shoes. "The shoes have chunky soles for shock absorption - yet they look cool. And they have something called Negative Heel Technology so you walk heel-to-toe. My feet are now practically pain-free and I’m getting compliments on my stylish footwear " She likes the ‘Mary Jane’ styles Echelon and Solar (both £79). From Love Those Shoes, tel: 0161 975 5380, www.lovethoseshoes.com

Alternatives to statins

Several readers have asked about red yeast rice, which has strong scientific evidence as a natural alternative to pharmaceutical statins for raised cholesterol. Because it contains a small amount of naturally occurring lovastatin, it’s important to choose a standardised preparation. Pharmacist Shabir Daya recommends CholestSafe, which also contains co-enzyme Q10 to help muscle strength and energy, plus other plant extracts which support cardiovascular function and help to keep cholesterol within normal ranges. CholestSafe by Food Science of Vermont, £19.95 for 90 capsules (30 days supply). From www.victoriahealth.com, click here.

Website of the week: www.ovarian.org.uk

The charity Ovarian Cancer Action has developed a useful symptom diary (click through from the home page, as below) to help women spot the disease in its early stages. Sadly, most women are not diagnosed until it’s spread, so survival rates are low. Treated in the early stages, up to 95 per cent of women will live for more than five years.