Are Buckwheat Greens Toxic?

[Guest guest]

This long but worth the read.--Glenda

 

By Gilles Arbour – June 2004

 

The surprising answer is a clear and unequivocal YES. Due to the

growing popularity of sprouts in general, and a widespread ignorance

as to the toxic dangers posed by buckwheat greens specifically, many

people are today suffering unnecessarily. In this article I will

describe the toxic effects of ingesting buckwheat greens, and I will

answer the question of why they are toxic to humans. I will also

provide a brief synopsis of what is currently known about this

painful phenomenon. And finally, I will recount my own anecdotal

experience with buckwheat greens.

 

The basic problem with buckwheat greens is that they contain

fagopyrin, a naturally occurring substance in the buckwheat plant.

When ingested in sufficient quantity, fagopyrin is known to cause the

skin of animals and people to become phototoxic, which is to say

hypersensitive to sunlight. This condition, specifically known as

fagopyrism, occurs when the ingested fagopyrin accumulates under the

skin and is subsequently activated by sunlight, resulting in a toxic

reaction within the skin. Typically, exposed areas of skin turn pink

or red within minutes, and a strong burning sensation accompanies the

reaction. Within a few hours the exposed areas usually appear to

return to normal, however continue to remain ultra-sensitive to cold

water, hot water and to friction. This sensitivity can last for days.

 

In addition to the burning sensation, people suffering from

fagopyrism often complain of feeling a numb, fuzzy, buzzing

impression when they scratch or inadvertently hit their hands on

something. Sufferers also report that their hands feel painfully cold

when placed in cold water or when in contact with a cold object, even

if only for a few seconds. Some have had numbing, itching and

tickling on the face, nose and ears after sun exposure causing a

desire to scratch the skin, thus worsening the condition. The eyes

may also become hypersensitive to light. If a large enough portion of

the skin is exposed, one may experience dizziness. If a person is

forced to remain in the sun for a long period of time, the skin may

swell up and remain abnormal for up to several days.

 

Fagopyrin is not activated by ultraviolet light but reacts to a

different portion of the sunlight spectrum. Therefore, the normal

application of sunscreen offers no protection at all. Glass, which

filters out ultraviolet rays, does not however filter out the

reactive range relative to fagopyrin. This means that sunlight coming

through home or car windows also causes a phototoxic reaction.

 

Unlike the shoots of the buckwheat plant, buckwheat groats, or seeds,

are not generally problematic because they contain only trace

quantities of fagopyrin. Buckwheat groats are commonly sold as kasha

or are ground into buckwheat flour, which is used to make soba

noodles and buckwheat pancakes. These foods have long been used as

staples in many cultures and appear to be perfectly safe. The danger

lies not in the grains, but in the mature green buckwheat plants that

some animals may ingest, and in the young green shoots, which

increasing numbers of health-conscious individuals are consuming.

These foods contain large quantities of toxic fagopyrin.

 

The phenomenon of fagopyrism is already well known in the field of

veterinary science, where it has been well documented that animals

feeding excessively on buckwheat plants develop skin rashes and other

symptoms. However, little or no research has yet been done regarding

humans and fagopyrism. This is probably because buckwheat greens did

not play a significant role in the human diet until very recently. No

known cultures have relied on buckwheat greens as a staple. Given the

growing popularity of juicing green foods however, along with eating

sprouts and young shoots, many unsuspecting raw foodists and other

health and nutrition enthusiasts have begun to suffer the effects of

fagopyrism. Unfortunately, I am one of them, and my story is a

perfect example of this growing problem.

 

My adventure began during the winter of 2002, when my wife and I

attended a three-week program at a popular raw food health center in

Florida. I hasten to say that we thoroughly enjoyed the program, made

new friends, soaked up information, took copious notes, and were

hopeful that this new approach to diet and lifestyle would help us to

improve the quality of our life and overall health in general.

 

Along with consuming raw food, one of the many things the center

advocated was that we drink four glasses of green juice every day.

This green juice was made from equal parts of cucumber, celery,

sunflower greens and buckwheat greens. Following our three-week stay

at the center, we remained on the raw food diet and faithfully drank

our four daily glasses of green juice. A friend also chose to

integrate the green juice into her daily food program. After several

weeks, all three of us began to notice tingling in our hands and

faces along with markedly increased sensitivity to the cold. Given

that winter was at its peak where we live in Quebec, Canada, we

thought that our new diet simply demanded a small adjustment period.

Assuming that the natural green juice program was safe and healthy,

we simply failed to make a connection between the toxic effects we

were experiencing and the juice we were consuming. We thought that

adding more fatty foods to our diet would help us with the cold and

the unpleasant sensations would soon disappear. But they didn't.

 

Before long our symptoms worsened to the point where any exposed skin

sunburned very easily. I, who was drinking the most juice, became so

sensitive to the sun that after a few months I could not be exposed

to sunlight for more than a few minutes at a time. The biggest

mystery was that even inside my own home, I could not endure sunlight

coming through the windows for more than three minutes. It made no

difference whether I was inside or outside. Any activity that exposed

me to the sun was threatening—even driving my car! If I tried to go

anywhere during daylight hours, by the time I reached my destination

my hands would be bright red and burning. To manage this, I had to

actually put a towel over them while driving. My wife, who was also

drinking the juice, though less of it, also felt overly sensitive to

sunlight and was unable to stay in the cold without her face and

hands itching. Our friend was also experiencing fuzzy, numbing

sensations and exaggerated pain whenever she lightly bump her hands.

She, too, felt that the sun was " too strong. "

 

At the time, we did not have a clue that buckwheat could be the cause

of our strange symptoms. When I mentioned our problems to leaders at

the Florida health center, we were told, " strange things like that

happen when people are starting the diet, " and " these minor glitches

will soon pass. " I now believe that these problems eventually do go

away for most people—but only when they give up the new diet, or at

least stop drinking the green buckwheat juice.

 

Back in March 2002 however, still suffering in ignorance, I began to

ask various health advisors and professionals about my symptoms. My

medical doctor thought it might be lupus. Fortunately, the test came

out negative. A naturopath's explanation was that it was " toxins

coming out " and I was having a " healing crisis. " He told me that

enzymes in the raw foods were dislodging deep acidic residues which

were then burning the skin. A second naturopathic doctor believed

that something was " toxic in my body, " but could not determine what

it was. Yet another practitioner suggested that I was not " detoxing "

rapidly enough, and said that I should add various supplements to my

diet. None of this made much sense to me, and no one seemed to offer

a clear solution.

 

My quest for an explanation lasted many months and was entirely

fruitless. All the while, the three of us remained thoroughly

baffled, and were even more confused by the fact that our skin

sensitivity seemed to improve or diminish every once in a while—for

no apparent reason. We kept telling ourselves, in the words of those

at the Florida health center, " these minor glitches will pass. " Now,

as I think back, I realize that our better, less photo-sensitive days

coincided with the times when we had run out of buckwheat greens and

had left it out of the juice for a few days. But back then, in the

winter of 2002, we mistakenly believed that others who were eating

the same products were experiencing none of our symptoms. Only later

did I discover that even though these folks were eating lots of raw

food, their program did not include eating buckwheat greens regularly.

 

After reading that celery contains psoralens, which could cause skin

sensitivity, I stopped consuming it. It never occurred to me that

another ingredient in the green juice could be the culprit. In an

attempt to relieve our symptoms we altered our diet in several other

ways. When I read about high chlorophyll food such as wheatgrass

causing skin sensitivity, we cut that out. I read something similar

regarding citrus fruits and cut them out as well. Alfalfa sprouts are

said to contain caravanine, which is suspected of creating lupus like

symptoms, so that was also cut out. Someone suggested adding more

cooked food to our diet so we tried that. We stopped eating nuts,

seeds, avocados and quinoa. We drank more water, exercised and had

massage therapy. Nothing worked!

 

During this time, I was regularly searching the Internet for answers.

One day, frantically, I did yet another Google search using the

words: " skin, " " sun, " " sensitive, " and " burning. " Solar eczema and/or

solar urticaria kept coming up, even though it was described as a

rather rare disease. Why would the three of us suddenly develop a

rare disease? It did not make any sense. Online, I found a list of

foods, herbal remedies, and medical drugs that cause photosensitivity

in humans, but we had already eliminated all of the food products and

none of us were taking any medical drugs. All roads led to dead ends.

I was back at square one.

 

I thought back to the naturopath who believed that the condition was

caused by eating raw food and the subsequent release of acids.

Although his explanation simply was not credible, he had mentioned

witnessing the same phenomenon with other people eating the same way

we did. So I attempted another Google search using the

keywords: " raw, " " food, " " skin, " and " sun. " The first link brought me

to a message posted in May 2002. It read:

 

" Since visiting a West Coast Health Institute a year ago, I have

developed a skin sensitivity. My skin burns when exposed to the sun

and is very sensitive to the cold. For example, if I wash my hands in

cold tap water, it feels as if my hands have been in ice water for a

long time. My skin is also sensitive to minor bumps. I have been to a

team of specialists and had every test run. The doctors say it is

something in my diet. I eat almost completely raw. My diet consists

of sunflower and buckwheat sprouts, fenugreek sprouts, wheatgrass

juice, and a variety of other green juices, seed cheese, a variety of

nuts and seeds and plant fats. Please help! Has anyone out there had

a similar reaction? I would appreciate any ideas. "

 

I eventually had a telephone conversation with the author of the

message. She had found the cause of her symptoms and did not suffer

from it anymore. " It's the buckwheat greens, " she said. While it

seems painfully obvious now, with the information I have, it was the

last thing I would have suspected at that time.

 

It turned out that she had gone through a process similar to mine for

about a year. From the medical doctors, naturopathic doctors to the

lupus test, and finally cutting out celery and other food products.

Living in the southern part of the United States, it was almost

impossible for her to avoid the sun, and she was rushed to the

hospital once. In our case, since we were living in Quebec, most of

our skin was covered during a large portion of the year so we never

experienced the massive reaction that she did. She had contacted some

of the top leaders in the raw food movement. They were unable to give

her an answer. Then, somewhere in her research she found a note from

David Wolfe, a prominent raw food advocate, which mentioned something

toxic about buckwheat. She removed the buckwheat greens from her diet

and improved rapidly. She said that within one week her symptoms were

gone.

 

Following her suggestion we eliminated buckwheat from our diet and

within one month the numbing, fuzzy, buzzing feelings in the face and

hands disappeared for both my wife and myself. The adverse reaction

to cold or hot water was also gone. Reddening of the skin took longer

to disappear completely but after two months that problem was gone.

 

After my telephone conversation, I searched once again with Google,

using the words: " sun, " " buckwheat, " and " skin. " A lot of information

came up. Dozens of websites mention fagopyrism. Among the most

interesting citations was from a message forum written

by " Sproutcreek " in the year 2000:

 

Thu, 27 Jan 2000

Re: Skin soreness and photosensitivity

 

Hi Greg,

 

The " tingles " - skin burning easily from sun exposure and a numbness

in the hands accompanied by exaggerated pain if you bang your hand,

etc seems to be common among most people who eat too many buckwheat

greens. It was common among staff and guests at Ann Wigmore's retreat

when I worked there. It seemed like you couldn't eat (chew) enough to

cause it, but when you juiced it or put large amounts in the blender

you exceeded your tolerance level and these strange symptoms

appeared. I haven't experienced it or heard of it with any other

greens, but I did get the tingles myself along with most others from

buckwheat. Do you eat buckwheat greens?

 

 

MY COMMENTS: In January of 2000, some people were already aware of

this. It even had a name: " the tingles " ! I was surprised to read that

it had been a known occurrence for so long. Why doesn't anybody talk

about it?

 

There is abundant scientific information about fagopyrism in research

material, including on the Internet. However, nearly all of the

references are relative to veterinary health care because human

consumption of the buckwheat plant is relatively new.

 

The dictionary on the Internet at

http://www.dictionarybarn.com/FAGOPYRISM.php

defines fagopyrism as " Photosensitization, mainly in cattle and

sheep, caused by ingestion of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and

characterized by irritation of the skin, oedema, and a serous

exudate. "

 

 

It is mentioned in the IVIS document available on the Internet at

www.ivis.org

A Guide to Plant Poisoning of Animals in North America, A.P. Knight

and R.G. Walter (Eds.) Publisher: Teton NewMedia, Jackson WY

 

" …Some plants contain compounds or pigments that once absorbed from

the digestive system induce a direct effect on nonpigmented skin when

it is exposed to light… "

 

" Primary photosensitization develops when animals eat plants

containing polyphenolic pigments. These compounds are at highest

concentration in the green plant and are readily absorbed from the

gastrointestinal tract to circulate in the blood. In nonpigmented

skin these compounds react with UV light [note: actually for

buckwheat and St John's wort it reacts with another part of the

sunlight spectrum – not the Ultra Violet] to produce radiant energy

that oxidizes essential amino acids in the skin's cells. The cells

die in the photosensitization process, and the affected skin

eventually sloughs off. Two plants associated historically with

primary photosensitization are buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), and

St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum). Both plants contain

polyphenolic pigments capable of causing primary photosensitization. "

 

" Clinical Signs of Photosensitization

Photophobia, excessive tearing, and swelling, redness, and increased

sensitivity of nonpigmented skin initially characterize

photosensitization in animals. Affected skin rapidly becomes

reddened, painful, and raised above areas of adjacent pigmented skin.

Serum often oozes through the affected skin to form crusts in the

hair. After 2 to 3 weeks, the necrotic skin becomes dry and parchment-

like, and the hair and white skin slough leaving ulcerated areas that

may develop secondary bacterial infections. "

 

MY COMMENTS: Fortunately we are not in the same situation as these

poor animals. If our skin starts burning and becomes red, we can

protect ourselves with clothes and go indoors. So, I have never heard

of anyone suffering from some of these extreme symptoms.

 

Further on, the document mentions:

 

" …Removal of the suspected plants from the diet with subsequent

recovery of the animal suggests a primary photosensitization. "

 

MY COMMENTS: Just as indicated in the article, when we stopped eating

the buckwheat greens, all symptoms disappeared. This confirms that

buckwheat was indeed the culprit.

 

Numerous other websites dedicated to veterinary health and medicine

mention fagopyrism.

 

 

From The Identification Guide: Toxic Plants Compiled By Charlie

Armour http://www.personalponies.org/DOCS/Poisonous Plants_12-09-

00.doc

 

" Buckwheat is cultivated as a crop for fodder and for the production

of buckwheat honey. Eating entire plants, dried or fresh, has caused

sensitivity to light in horses with exposed light-colored skin.

Exposure to the sun is necessary. This plant is considered to be a

primary photosensitizer… "

 

Toxic chemicals: Fagopyrin, probably a derivative of

naphthodianthrone, is closely related to hypericin, which is found in

St. John's wort. The absorption spectra of these chemicals is in the

range of 540-610 nm "

 

 

 

 

MY COMMENTS: The absorption spectra is a very important factor in

fagopyrism since, to my knowledge, only these two plants – buckwheat

and St. John's wort – have pigments that will react to this range.

Since these wavelengths are not filtered by glass, the phototoxic

reaction will occur even through a window. This helps confirm that

the photosensitivity is absolutely linked to the ingestion of

buckwheat.

 

 

From the North Dakota State University NDSU Extension Service

Alternative Feeds for Ruminants AS-1182 , September 1999

http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/ansci/livestoc/as1182-2.htm#BUCKWHEAT

 

" Buckwheat grain contains a compound called fagopyrin which can cause

photosensitivity, eruptions on the skin, and itching behavior. Only

white or lightcolored areas of the hide are affected. The animals

apparently become photosensitive after consuming large amounts of

buckwheat for an extended period of time. "

 

MY COMMENTS: This is particularly interesting since it indicates that

an accumulation of fagopyrin is required to produce symptoms. This

corresponds to my own observation that it took us approximately one

month of consuming buckwheat greens on a regular basis before clearly

defined symptoms began to appear.

 

 

The website from the College of veterinary medicine – Colorado State

University

http://www.vth.colostate.edu/poisonous_plants/report/report_detail_1.c

fm?ID=318 adds a few points:

 

" Animals with white skin are most severely affected. Black skinned

animals are not affected except for showing photophobia if the eyes

are not pigmented. Initially the non pigmented skin becomes reddened,

swollen and painful. Affected animals become very agitated when

exposed to sunlight often trying to get under vehicles, buildings,

trees to avoid the light.

 

Diagnosis: Photosensitization. Serum liver enzymes are usually

normal, helping to differentiate primary photosensitization from

secondary photosensitization resulting from severe liver failure. "

 

MY COMMENTS: All of the symptoms arising from the ingestion of

buckwheat greens have other possible causes so it is essential to see

your health care professional to make sure that there are no other

underlying causes or conditions. The parameters of my liver functions

were normal, confirming a primary photosensitization. This means that

the photodynamic substance itself (fagopyrin) in the skin tissues was

responsible for the reaction to sunlight.

 

 

From The School of Veterinary Medicine University of Wisconsin Madison

Food Animal Ophthalmology Dec. 4, 2002

http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/Data/CourseMaterial/Miller/foodanimaloptha.

pdf

This article mentions:

 

" …some animals may develop blepharitis through direct solar

irritation photosensitization following ingestion of photodynamic

agents such as fagopyrin (buckwheat). Blepharitis is a condition that

causes inflammation of the eyelids. Symptoms of blepharitis include a

burning sensation, excessive tearing, itching, sensitivity to light

(photophobia), red and swollen eyelids, redness of the eye, blurred

vision, frothy tears and dry eye. "

 

MY COMMENTS: I believe that this is worth noting because our eyes

felt extremely sensitive to sunlight, although we never developed any

other symptoms of blepharitis.

 

 

From The Illini PorkNet

http://www.traill.uiuc.edu/porknet/paperDisplay.cfm?

Type=paper & ContentID=84

Illini PorkNet The Online Resource for the Pork Industry

Buckwheat as a Feed Ingredient in Swine Diets Gilbert Hollis

 

The article states:

 

" When exposed to sunlight, pigs fed high levels of buckwheat develop

peculiar eruptions and intense itching of the skin. This is caused by

a photosensitizing agent in buckwheat known as fagopyrin. Only white

or light-colored areas of the skin are affected, and they must be

exposed to direct sunlight. If animals are kept indoors, they remain

normal. "

 

MY COMMENTS: I find this text very significant because it implies

that the fagopyrin develops its toxic attributes only if and when

light skin is exposed to sunlight. Without light to trigger the

reaction, the animals remain normal. This explains the fact that we

felt normal except after exposing our skin to light.

 

 

The Canadian Government Biodiversity Information Facility website

http://www.cbif.gc.ca/pls/pp/ppack.info?

p_psn=231 & p_type=all & p_sci=sci & p_x=px

has the following notes on poisoning from Buckwheat:

 

Fagopyrum esculentum

General poisoning notes:

 

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum ) is cultivated in Canada as a crop

for fodder and for the production of buckwheat honey. Ingesting

entire plants, dried or fresh, has caused photosensitization in

animals with exposed or light-colored skin including cattle, goats,

sheep, swine, and turkeys. Exposure to the sun is necessary. This

plant is considered to be a primary photosensitizer, although

jaundice has occurred concurrently, which indicates secondary

involvement of the liver (Cooper and Johnson 1984, Cheeke and Schull

1985). Photosensitization has not occurred in humans (Blumstein

1936).

 

Notes on Poisonous plant parts:

 

Little fagopyrin occurs in the seeds, but ingesting the entire plant,

either green or dried, can cause serious photosensitization in

livestock (Johnson 1989).

 

This Canadian Government website has numerous references and goes on

to list all of the buckwheat poisoning occurrences in various animals.

 

MY COMMENTS: Note that the reference to humans is from 1936. Humans

have been eating the innocuous seeds for a long time but only animals

were eating the raw buckwheat plant in large quantities. However,

with the expansion of the raw food movement and the use of buckwheat

greens as a food source for people, some humans are now experiencing

similar symptoms. The mention of a possible secondary involvement of

the liver is worrisome but to my knowledge does not correlate with

any human observation.

 

 

Even the FDA poisonous plants database showed thirty-two different

references relating to buckwheat poisoning:

 

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~djw/pltx.cgi?QUERY=buckwheat

 

There are many other papers and Internet resources that further

explore the effect of fagopyrin. The information provided above

represents a good summary of what's available.

 

 

A natural food diet is certainly a good thing, and including a large

portion of raw food also seems like a good idea. Most sprouts are

harmless but powerful superfoods. Sunflower greens, broccoli sprouts,

radish sprouts, fenugreek sprouts, etc. are all excellent products in

reasonable quantities, but ingesting large quantities of these food

products is rather still somewhat untested and should be done

carefully.

 

I would like to make the disclaimer that I am not advising people to

stop eating buckwheat. The Latin expression dosis sola facet venenum

(the dose makes the poison) attributed to the ancient Romans could be

applied here. A small quantity of buckwheat greens (or buckwheat

lettuce as it is often called) in an individual diet could allow for

healthy nutritional benefits without the negative effects of large

amounts. Buckwheat does contain a large quantity of rutin, a member

of a large group of phenolic secondary metabolites of plants that

include more than 2,000 different known chemicals. Rutin is important

because it strengthens capillaries and so helps people suffering from

arteriosclerosis (the hardening of the arteries) or high blood

pressure. Rutin is not found in beans or other grains such as rice,

wheat, etc. but is contained in a fairly large quantity (4-6%) in

buckwheat. Rutin belongs to a group of plant compounds called

bioflavonoids that also include the important catechins of green tea

and the polyphenols of red wine. Recent studies have shown that the

bioflavonoids are powerful antioxidants which fight free radicals.

Rutin is also found in the rind, pulp and skin of such fruits as

lemons, grapefruits, oranges, lime, grapes, cherries, plums, peaches,

apricots, apples, berries and vegetables such as green and yellow

peppers, tomatoes, onions, broccoli, parsley and especially

asparagus. It is also said to be found in bee propolis, green tea and

black tea. (source: http://www.acu-cell.com/bio.html )

 

I've eaten buckwheat most of my life without any sun sensitivity

problems. I ate buckwheat in pancakes as a child, and later in the

form of kasha and soba noodles. However, while several Health Centers

are suggesting daily green drinks that include a lot of buckwheat

greens for long periods of time, I believe this is risky. At the very

least, people with fair skin should be informed about potential

phototoxicity. Even people with darker skin should be very careful

with the unpigmented flesh around their eyes. Animals consuming large

quantities of buckwheat plant have developed blepharitis, a painful

inflammation of the conjunctive tissues of the eye. It seems possible

that blepharitis could occur in people.

 

Based on the information above, I believe all people should avoid the

regular use of large quantities of buckwheat greens in their juices.

It is relatively easy to find out if you are intoxicated with

fagopyrin. N.T. Clare in Photodynamic action and its pathological

effects states in 1956 that " no human cases have been reported,

although it may easily be mistaken for sunburn. In this case

fagopyrism may be distinguished by exposing the suspected skin to

light filtered through plate glass which does not allow ultraviolet

to pass through. " This is a simple procedure. If you are in doubt,

expose a small part of usually unexposed skin to the sun through a

window and use a timer. If you do not get a reaction within fifteen

minutes, most likely, you are fine. A reaction would be a reddening

or burning of the skin. If the reaction is very light you may barely

notice it. If, a few hours later, the exposed skin is itching,

abnormally sensitive to the cold or hot water or if you feel

exaggerated pain when your skin is scratched or hit, you may have a

problem with fagopyrism. If the symptoms disappear after removing

buckwheat from your diet, this would confirm that it was causing the

symptoms.

 

I believe that a lot of buckwheat greens eaters have these problems

to some extent. A friend of mine recently told me that the sun had

become much stronger and very unpleasant, probably because of the

ozone layer. I think that the real cause of his discomfort is that he

eats a lot of buckwheat greens. Another man says his hands have

become very sensitive to the cold and he thinks he might have

Raynaud's disease. But he also eats a lot of buckwheat lettuce.

Another friend works outside in a field. She recently started to eat

a lot of buckwheat greens that she grows herself and began to

complain about burning sensations on her hands and strange feelings

on her face, as if she had no skin anymore. When she stopped eating

buckwheat greens, everything returned to normal. As this information

above circulates I believe that many people will identify buckwheat

as a possible cause of their symptoms.

 

LAST COMMENTS: I am not on any sort of war path against living food

promoters or groups or individuals practicing or promoting the use of

sprouts and greens in the human diet. I still eat a lot of sprouted

foods myself. I believe that the center I visited on the east coast

does very good work overall. I've witnessed many people improve their

health considerably during the time I spent there. I've also seen

that the leaders manifest a high degree of flexibility and open

mindedness about modifying their approach when presented with new

information. I'd love to return there myself to enjoy their

facilities again sometime.

 

WARNING: While I have been an enthusiastic natural food consumer and

researcher for thirty-five years, I am NOT a medical professional nor

a scientist. This article is based on my experience and research and

represents my opinion only. Please DO NOT consider this document to

be medical advice. I strongly urge you to consult your health care

professional for any symptoms you may have. Be sure to get a blood

test for your liver functions. If your liver function test results

are normal then you probably suffer from primary phototoxicity,

meaning that it is the photodynamic pigment itself in your skin that

reacts to the sun and that you likely do not suffer from a functional

disease. This is exceedingly good news since the solution is simple:

just avoid the causative substance.

 

I have done this research in good faith to help myself and my friends

with our problems and I believe these findings may be useful to

others. This is why I am making this document available. I have

nothing to gain from it personally. I am not associated or affiliated

with any agency, school, company or organization that could benefit

in any way from this information.

 

Gilles Arbour - Copyright June 2004

arbourg@v...

 

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