As an update to this thread, I've finally been able to eat mammal meat and fat without having negative reactions!!
To fix this problem, I took samples of meat and fat to the Applied Kinesiologist that I've been working with for the past year and asked him if he could figure out why I couldn't eat them and what I could do to be able to actually digest this food. I brought him pork, beef, bacon fat, ghee, and butter, to span the general gamut of mammal foods.
He tested me against these two supplements and said that they would do the trick:
_http://www.amazon.com/Thorne-Research-Bio-Gest-Vegetarian-Capsules/dp/B000VYQJ8W/
_http://www.amazon.com/Standard-Process-Betafood-0825-Tablets/dp/B001AJ5JA6/
The first (Thorne Bio-Gest) is a mixed HCL and Ox bile supplement with these ingredients:
Two Capsules Contain:
Betaine Hydrochloride* 480 mg.
L-Glutamic Acid Hydrochloride 480 mg.
Pancreatin (Porcine) 140 mg.
Ox Bile concentrate 80 mg.
Pepsin (Porcine) 70 mg.
Other Ingredients: Hypromellose (derived from cellulose) capsule, Leucine, Silicon Dioxide.
*Betaine Hydrochloride derived from a non-plant source. This product is not diluted with lactose. Individuals with porcine allergies should not take this product.
I had tried both HCL and Ox bile in the past, but they hadn't worked, so the issue may be one or both of the quality or forms of the supplements I had, or that I also needed the A-F Betafood supplement. He told me specifically that according to the responses from my body, the Thorne Bio-Gest was for digesting the meat/protein, but that I needed the A-F Betafood to digest the fats. It's interesting to me that the Ox bile alone isn't enough to digest the fats.
The A-F Betafood contains these ingredients:
Serving Size: 2 Tablets Servings per Container: 45 or 180
Amount per Serving %DV
Calories 2
Total Carbohydrate 1 g <1%*
Sugars
1 g †
Vitamin A 1,500 IU 30%
Vitamin B6 0.3 mg 15%
Iodine 40 mcg 25%
Proprietary Blend: 546 mg Beet (root)†, carrot (root)†, sweet potato†,oat flour†, dried beet (leaf) juice†, rice (bran)†, calcium lactate, magnesium citrate, bovine liver†, nutritional yeast†, bovine kidney†, bovine prostate†, alfalfa flour†, bovine orchic extract†, bovine liver fat extract†, flaxseed oil extract†, vitamin E (sunflower), and sunflower lecithin†.
†Daily Value (DV) not established.
Other Ingredients: Honey, calcium stearate, arabic gum, starch, sucrose (beets), vitamin A palmitate, prolamine iodine (zein), ascorbic acid, and pyridoxine hydrochloride.
The company, Standard Process, has this to say about the supplement:
A-F Betafood uses an array of ingredients, including beet juice, which is a natural source of betaine, to support healthy fat digestion.
Supports normal processing of dietary fats, for cholesterol-metabolism support
Supports healthy bowel functioning
Supports bile production in the liver and healthy bile flow in the gallbladder
Helps maintain healthy levels of fat in the liver
Contains a combination of key ingredients from Cataplex A, Cataplex F, and Betafood
High in antioxidant vitamin C*
It's not really clear to me what it does on a bio-chemical level to improve fat digestion. Reviews on amazon suggest that the supplement may "thin" the bile so that it moves easier from the liver and gallbladder.
I'd also tried betaine itself (and TMG, which may be identical) at various times and it didn't work. My personal subjective experience is that beets generally have helped my digestion in the past, but that there may be some additional food needed to produce effective results in my digestion--so some kind of combination of foods with the beets to "activate" their digestive improvement effect.
Since the A-F Betafood has helped me to be able to digest fat (including butter!), perhaps other members who have trouble digesting some fats may want to try it and see if they can digest the fats that they were previously unable to.
He told me to take 2 pills of each supplement before eating a meal and to start slowly with re-introducing mammal meat and fat into my diet. I started out by taking 2 pills of each before eating and not eating any mammal meat for the first few days to acclimate my system to the supplements. Initially, I got small hives relatively shortly after eating (15 minutes or so--a hallmark of the allergy is a significantly delayed reaction, so this was a change)--I think this happened twice before eating mammal meat again. I then slowly introduced pork and pork fat back into my diet over the course of a few days and added in beef and butter as well. I had one negative reaction of some hives and itching shortly after eating one meal early on, though this may have been due to me forgetting to take the supplements at the beginning of the meal.
I started taking these supplements about three weeks ago and saw him again the other day and asked him to give me a time frame estimate for how long I would be taking them: he said about 2 more months (so approx 3 months total) for the A-F Betafood and about 3 more months for the Bio-Gest (so approx 4 months total).
The L-Glutamic Acid Hydrochloride hadn't really come up in my health research, but a couple of articles report on it being used to improve digestion:
_http://www.livestrong.com/article/325527-what-is-glutamic-acid-hcl/
Glutamic Acid, or glutamate, is an amino acid that occurs naturally in the body. Generally recognized for its power as a neurotransmitter, glutamic acid is a hydrochloride (HCL) and often used to flavor food or as a supplement to promote digestion.
Digestive
A patient who eats more often, or consumes large quantities of food, may suffer from mild to moderate digestive discomfort, ranging from gas and bloating to intense discomfort. This is due to suppression of stomach acid as it is perpetually full, slowing digestion. As a digestive aid, glutamic acid hcl can be used, though, Dr. Elson M. Haas reports in his book "Staying Healthy with Nutrition," that other acids, such as betaine HCL, may be more effective.
Other Benefits
Dr. Haas also asserts that use of HCL, in a supplement form, can be useful for other patients with low acid secretion, such as diabetics. The supplement may also function as an anti-aging supplement as well. HCL production is generally low during times of stress, which can contribute to both external aging, such as wrinkles and age spots; and internal aging, such as periodontal disease and digestive disorders.
Food Additive
As a food additive, glutamic acid HCL is better known as MSG to the general public and is used as a sodium additive. Sodium additives in food tend to cause some concern, but in the March, 2003, issue of the "Journal of Chemical Education," Dr. Addison Ault details how MSG is synthesized naturally and poses no cause for concern.
Dosage
Dosage of glutamic acid HCL supplements are relatively low, around 500 -- 1,500 mg. The supplements are usually found in pill form, constructed of the white, powdered substance. It is also available commercially, as an ingredient in many protein supplement powders.
Warnings
Though glutamic acid supplementation is generally considered safe for most people, it has been known to have the following side effects according to the Mayo Clinic: flushing,headaches, sweating, facial pressure, numbness, tingling, burning sensations, heart palpitations, nausea, weakness, and chest pains. It's recommend that those suffering from mental disorders, pregnant women, and women who are breastfeeding should not take any glutamic supplements or foods with MSG additives.
_http://www.naturalwellbeing.com/learning-center/Glutamic_Acid_HCl
Glutamic Acid HCI
Description
Glutamic acid HCl, or Glu, is one of the 20 proteinogenic amino acids and it is considered to be a non-essential amino acid. It can also be called glutamate and this amino acid occurs naturally in the human body.
Glutamic acid HCl is mostly used to flavor food and many products have Glutamic acid HCl as the main ingredient in adding flavor to an otherwise bland and boring dish. Glutamic acid HCl is also essential as a supplement to aid digestion.
History and Origin
Glutamic acid HCl along with other amino acids were first discovered in 1866 by a German chemist named Karl Heinrich Leopold Rotthausen. A Japanese researcher named Kikunae Ikeda of the Tokyo Imperial University was the first to create Glutamic acid HCl crystals in 1907 and his discovery is better known as monosodium glutamate, or MSG.
Ancient Uses
The use of Glutamic acid HCl during ancient times was not specific to the amino acid but with the consumption of food that contained Glutamic acid HCl, or MSG. Our ancestors were mainly meat eaters and had a great supply of Glutamic acid HCl from meat, fish, eggs and dairy products.
Modern Uses
In modern times, Glutamic acid HCl is known to be effective in the treatment of many digestive problems. It is useful in people with low acid secretion like patients who are suffering from diabetes. The use of Glutamic acid HCl for its anti aging properties is also seen since it has been found to be beneficial in the prevention of wrinkle formation, age spots and many other skin conditions related to aging. Internal aging of the body organs may also be prevented if you take Glutamic acid HCl supplements; periodontal diseases and digestive disorders related to aging can be prevented as well. The use of Glutamic acid HCl as a food additive to enhance flavor and taste in food has been widely used in modern times. It is well known as monosodium glutamate or MSG and marketed by different brands of food flavor enhancers. There were controversies regarding the safety of Glutamic acid HCl as a food additive but in 2003 all of these were laid to rest as the Journal of Chemical Education mentioned that there is absolutely no cause for alarm at all. The dose of Glutamic acid HCl for daily adequate requirements is around 500 to 1,500 mg. There are Glutamic acid HCl supplements that you can purchase and are also found in many protein supplements as well.
Side Effects
The use of Glutamic acid HCl is safe. There are several mild side effects on its excessive use like headaches, burning sensations, nausea, vomiting and also chest pains. It is therefore advisable to seek medical advice if you want to use Glutamic acid HCl supplements for your illness since it may counteract the effect of the medications you may be currently taking.
Healthy individuals may not need Glutamic acid HCl supplements at all but if you wish to use this amino acid it is better to consult your doctor for the right dosage amount according to your specific needs and illness.
It's not really clear to me if the specific glutamic acid that it's using is the same as MSG. I doubt that it is.
I'm extremely happy to have the ability to eat mammal foods again, though I still don't have a conclusive understanding of what's been happening to cause the reaction and why other treatments didn't work. There's clearly an involvement with the liver in the issue and I've been wondering if the allergy hypothesis is more or less completely wrong, or whether the source of the issue is poor digestion that either results in, or triggers the allergic response. There were also a few instances earlier this year when I wasn't eating mammal meat or fat still, but ended up having reactions anyway (I think to fermented cod liver oil and/or gelatin capsules), so there's some data that doesn't really fit with the allergy hypothesis. It may be the case that the delay in the allergy is the result of delayed gastric emptying and insufficient protein digestion such that the protein isn't broken down enough by the time it hits the blood and triggers the allergy. If there is an allergy aspect, which does seem to be the case, then I still have no idea what the cause is. Perhaps the tick bite, since they have seemed to be observed conclusively as making the allergy worse, affects certain susceptible individuals who have some quantity of insufficiently digested mammal meat protein and/or alpha galactose in their blood. It's also not clear to me if this will eliminate the allergy (the IgE antibody in my system) or whether I'll still have it, but be able to digest the food any way. And, for extra fun, it's also always possible that 2 or more factors are at play regarding this issue, so there may be added complexities that aren't currently known.
One of the other occurrences I've had during this time has been a significant increase in general irritability and anger. Since the supplements are acting on the liver, my hypothesis is that it's getting some stuck/suppressed anger moving and calling my attention to some things in my life that aren't working and need my attention and effort to change. I mentioned the irritability to the Applied Kinesiologist when I saw him and he did some tests with the supplements and said that I would need the supplements for the time estimates that he gave, or until I resolved the situations that are angering me. I've come to always think about "As above, so below" when working on physical health conditions, so in my mind resolving a physical health condition requires making a life change that's linked to the physical disharmony.
So ultimately the entirety of the cause and conditions of this issue remain a mystery, but what I can conclusively say is that it can be corrected with some investigative effort. While the supplements and dosing are working for me, they may not work for someone else with this condition, so it may be necessary to see an Applied Kinesiologist to test and find working supplements and the proper dosage for them.
I will also use this as another opportunity to recommend Applied Kinesiology to anyone who's had stubborn health issues. I gave this guy a problem I had thought about and read about FOR YEARS and had practically relegated to being unsolvable, and in 15 minutes he found a solution (with enough time to do other stuff in the session, and for less than $100 including the supplements!). It may be his own skill set as a practitioner that sets him apart, but I think in general that the tool set that Applied Kinesiologists have to directly query the body and get answers to questions and determine solutions is, in my opinion, among the best available today and exceeds that of any other health practitioner I've seen (acupuncturists, naturopaths, herbalists, Reiki, certainly every western medical doctor) for a very large quantity of issues. It effectively combines practical, physical applications and treatments (supplements, herbs, etc) with energy-level type of analysis that blends the hypothetical (what should work) with the actual (what does work), and individual, results. In my opinion, Applied Kinesiology should replace generalized western medicine as the first line of inquiry for almost any physical health problem.
BACON!!
