Question 1: What is my stomach sensitive to? Question 2: What are the ingredients involved in good california rolls?

October 1, 2005 4:31 PM

Question 1: What is my stomach sensitive to? Question 2: What are the ingredients involved in good california rolls?

For about 2 years, my intestines haven't been having a great time. I finally decided to try figuring out what's going on a month ago, and after getting a huge number of tests done by my doctor, I've found out that I have no (blood/stool test) detectable medical problems. Then I noticed that my intestinal woes begin in 5-60 minutes after eating, and they are different depending on what foods I eat.

Over the last week, I've begun a food journal and I've found that there are a number of foods I can eat that *don't* produce 2-5 hours of suck. So far, they are:
Oatmeal, Yoghurt, 2 kinds of veggie burgers w/ cheese and mayo and avocado, Mini-Wheat cereal with soy milk, mozzarella cheese sticks with ranch dressing, fish (nondescript) enchiladas with rice, fish (Wahoo - I think related to Mahi Mahi) burrito - [sour cream, avocado, rice, cheese], fake turkey sandwich [soy turkey, mustard, cheese, oat-nut bread], carrot juice, Fettucini [shrimp, olive oil, parmesan]

The 2-5 hours of suck have been provoked by:
1:
6 pc california rolls
1 cup miso soup
a big ol pile of pickled ginger.

2: Some sort of scallop + corn polenta.

In a mini-experiment this morning, I bought sushi, ate 10 pc california rolls and waited a couple of hours, then had miso soup. I'm not perfectly sure, since it's not quite the best test, but it seems that it's the california rolls that do it. If that's true, what do I need to test next, and what sensitivities have I already eliminated through my "safe" list above?

General advice is appreciated as well as it relates to this topic.

posted by sirion to health & fitness (22 comments total)

Um, could you define "suck" and "intestinal woes"?
posted by trevyn at 4:36 PM on October 1, 2005

Well, the answer to Question 2 is usually cucumber, avocado, crab stick, rice, and seaweed. Crab sticks are mostly fish (pollack, I think), but they do have crab extract to some degree for flavoring. You may have a mild allergy to shellfish. Do you break out at all when your intestine acts up?
posted by mkultra at 4:50 PM on October 1, 2005

Sure.

Bloating, Tremendous amounts of gas [burping and otherwise], intestinal pain[can feel each contraction of the intestines], increased frequency of BMs (an extra 1 per day when I'm eating problem foods. No change or problem in stool consistancy), increased frequency of urination.
posted by sirion at 4:50 PM on October 1, 2005

The only things I could think of would be the kanikama (fake crab) in California rolls, or possibly the nori (seaweed) or the rice.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 4:51 PM on October 1, 2005

California rolls usually contain sushi rice (short grain rice, rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt) coated with toasted sesame seeds and algae seaweed paper then on the inside either real crab or "fake" crab that is surimi which is usually made from pollack (the fish not the bad actor), cucumber and avacado.
posted by any major dude at 4:51 PM on October 1, 2005

mkultra: Are there categories of shellfish allergies/sensitivities that exclude shrimp?
I believe shrimp is one of my safe foods (havent noticed a consistant reaction in the past or in my food journal)

I don't notice any sort of break outs of hives or anything. I get canker sores twice a month, which I'm now starting to think are related to this issue.
posted by sirion at 4:54 PM on October 1, 2005

Don't know that this will be of any use to you. I have no problems with food except curries which put me into digestive distress. Not all curries just some. As best as I've been able to determine it is either the cumin or turmeric (turmeric, I believe, is actually advertised as an "natural" anti-allergy agent) . Don't think either are used in CA rolls. My point is that it might be something your allergic to - even something that natural diet types insist is nothing but good. The soy in the Miso or the ginger for example.
posted by Carbolic at 4:56 PM on October 1, 2005

Question regarding sushi rice:

If I have no reaction to spanish/mexican rice-type dishes at two different meals/places, have I eliminated rice as a possible trigger?
posted by sirion at 4:56 PM on October 1, 2005

Intestinal gas usually comes from ingestion of insoluble fiber, so I'd guess it's either the seaweed paper and/or the sesame seeds and/or the cucumber.

I don't think the increased urination has anything to do with this, but YMMV.
posted by lambchop1 at 4:56 PM on October 1, 2005

lambchop: I've noticed huge problems with taking insoluble fiber supplements. Arent these supposed to be good for you?
posted by sirion at 5:04 PM on October 1, 2005

(I stopped taking the insoluble fiber supplements after I noticed they were terrible)
posted by sirion at 5:14 PM on October 1, 2005

Sushi rice is probably not the trigger if other rice dishes don't bother you. Sushi rice is just short-grain rice plus rice vinegar, and a bit of sugar and salt. I don't know if the pickled ginger would do it. I've never heard of anyone just eating it like a side dish or anything. Usually you just eat a thin sliver or two between pieces of different kinds of sushi. It's meant to clear the palate, not to eat on top of the sushi or as a side. My guess would be the fake crab, or possibly some bad or slimy cucumber. That can make you pretty sick.
posted by Katravax at 6:05 PM on October 1, 2005

California roll recipes vary. Some use real crab, some use surimi. Some ad mayo, some don't. The roll may or may not be coated in a cruchy topping, most commonly either sesame seeds (toasted or--yuck--raw) or else flying fish roe. Sometimes there's a dab of wasabi inside, or mixed into the mayo. Some Japanese-Korean establishments use additional ingredients, such as daikon radish or sprouts. For completeneed I'd politely ask the sushi chef if he or an assistant would be kind enough to list his ingredients to help you track down a food allergy. Miso ingredients also vary, so ask about that too.

Also, have your experiments excluded the possibillity of cross-contamination? Maybe you're reacting to something the california rolls touched (before OR after leaving the sushi kitchen).

The most obvious connection between your two problem foods is seafood. I'd start there.
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 7:53 PM on October 1, 2005

mkultra: Are there categories of shellfish allergies/sensitivities that exclude shrimp?

My fiancée can eat shrimp and fish but gets very sick after scallops and lobster.
posted by mendel at 10:20 PM on October 1, 2005

Consider the cucumber. I have a couple of friends who can't eat it without gastrointestinal distress.
posted by tangerine at 10:53 PM on October 1, 2005

How could this thread have got so many comments without Irritable Bowel Syndrome being mentioned? It sounds like you have it. You might need a colonoscopy to check for diverticulitis. See your health care practitioner.
posted by wackybrit at 4:02 AM on October 2, 2005

It's the seaweed! I have this same issue. I assume for some reason that seaweed is some form of über fiber for me.

Test it yourself by just buying some seaweed from a oriental store and eating a few small pieces and nothing else. I guarantee you will have your hours of suck.

I find also that if I really chew up the seaweed wrapper in maki rolls, I am less prone to the problem, but I always have a problem. Sucks, as I really love maki rolls. You can usually ask that your roll be made without the wrapper, or you can order it as a handroll (the seaweed cone) and just eat out of the cone and toss the wrapper.
posted by qwip at 6:18 AM on October 2, 2005

Second IBS, it's a thought. Further testing might not hurt.

Some people with IBS have problems with certain foods, not so much an allergy as a trigger or a sensitivity. Some people have problems with two foods in combination that may not individually bother them. Some people don't really have IBS, they just have a flaky gut, sensitive to some foods. While you're looking, don't overlook anything else that you might be putting in your system, such as vitamins or OTC drugs. That could also include instant coffee, or artificial sweeteners.
Carry simethicone in case of gas while you work on the problem. It won't hurt you, they give it to babies.
posted by unrepentanthippie at 9:52 AM on October 2, 2005

Didn't read the thread, but I can tell you that the most common causes of "intestinal woes" are IBS, lactose intolerance, and sprue.

LI is best diagnosed by complete avoidance of milk products for at least 3 weeks. There's a reasonably good blood test for sprue (accuracy 80% or so); one can also try a gluten-free diet, which can be difficult.

IBS is not diagnosed by any test; its hallmark is alternating constipation and diarrhea plus bloating; almost all sufferers are women.
posted by neuron at 12:43 PM on October 2, 2005

Another IBS sufferer here... sometimes drinking too much juice can upset my stomach, as can many other things. Some days certain foods upset it, other days the same things won't. I don't take it often but try a product like Gas-X... maybe that would help.

Also, if you have a lot of stress, if there's anything you can do to reduce it, that could help, or take specific time each day to relax, even a few minutes... stress doesn't do anything positive for my stomach, that's for sure.

The gluten-free diet is prescribed for people with Crohn's disease - I have a friend with it and she says it *is* a hard diet to have to follow, like neuron mentioned.
posted by IndigoRain at 11:10 PM on October 2, 2005

You may want to look at what you are drinking instead of eating. I have been tested for pretty much all of the above, eliminated gluten and/or dairy, etc. I find that drinking caffeinated beverages is throwing things off for me.
posted by blackkar at 6:42 AM on October 3, 2005

What about vinegar? It isn't a problem for most people, but would be in both sushi rice and possibly pickled ginger.
posted by mikeh at 8:16 AM on October 3, 2005