Guest guest Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 This is gonna sound really odd, but I've found that when I get a flare-up of Achalasia where I start spitting up foam and not being able to drink liquids or swallow foods well, that if I slowly eat a few Skittles, it seems to help. My swallowing starts to get better and the foam usually goes away. A while later I can resume normal(ish) drinking/eating. Eating somewhere between 2 and 6 individual Skittles usually seems like enough to do the trick. I can't think why in the heck this works for me, and I wish it was something more healthy instead. Strangely, I've never even been a huge fan of Skittles, normally preferring chocolate or ice cream as my indulgence of choice. Anyone else got anything weird like this? I remember sometimes in the past Saltines would help me a bit, but not so much anymore. For anyone in other parts of the world that may not have Skittles, they are fruity-flavored candies - smaller than M & Ms, with hard candy shells and somewhat soft middles. I'm sure they are basically gelled sugar inside hard sugar, with lots of chemical fruit flavorings... I keep telling myself that it is probably just all in my head because I'm trying not to eat candy for diet/health reasons. Jennlee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 Jennlee wrote: > > This is gonna sound really odd, but I've found that when I get a > flare-up of Achalasia where I start spitting up foam and not being > able to drink liquids or swallow foods well, that if I slowly eat a > few Skittles, it seems to help.... I can't think why in the heck this > works for me, ... > Interesting. Thanks for sharing that. According to: http://www.marshealthyliving.com/whats-inside?brandId=11 Skittles contain: hydrogenated palm kernel oil, and sometimes carnauba wax (depending on the type). As I mentioned in a post, some days back, oils, fats and also waxes act as defoamers (anti-foaming agents). If you think about what the foam we have trouble with is you may decide it is similar to egg based meringue. The egg white would be like the mucus and saliva. (Egg white, mucus and saliva all contain glycoproteins, mucins and water. Each also has a few other things.) When the egg white is whipped the meringue is like the foam. To make meringue you have to avoid getting any fat or oil in the egg white or it will not become firm. The egg yoke contains about 4.5 grams of fat, so if you get just some of the yoke in the white it will not make meringue. Each 1.5oz (1.25 cups) of Skittles contain 2g of fat. It wouldn't take many Skittles to equal enough yoke to act as a defoamer. I looked for a list of foods that work as demoamers in recipes but couldn't find one. There are a lot of chemicals that are used in the food industry to defoam food making processes but most of them are not things you would think of as food. Most food based oils, fats and waxes should work though. Some of the additives that you see in foods also work. There may be other reasons Skittles work. This is my guess. notan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 I use Werthers Origional hard candy from Target. It has butter in it, seems to open the LES. I keep it in all my pants, if I feel hungry or tightness in the throat I take one or two. http://www.storck.us/en/brand/werthers/hardcandies/index.php The classic candy made with real butter and fresh cream. The old world recipe. It happened a long time ago in the little village of Werther. There, the candy maker Gustav Nebel created his finest candy. He took real butter, fresh cream, white and brown sugar, a pinch of salt and lots of time. Because these candies tasted so delicious he called them Werther's Original in honor of his little village. Nowadays, people all over the world enjoy the unique creamy taste of this Old world recipe, as if the candy came fresh from Gustav Nebel's baking pan. Made in Germany. I will see if we can get Skittles in this area. Ray CA OC > > This is gonna sound really odd, but I've found that when I get a flare-up of Achalasia where I start spitting up foam and not being able to drink liquids or swallow foods well, that if I slowly eat a few Skittles, it seems to help. My swallowing starts to get better and the foam usually goes away. A while later I can resume normal(ish) drinking/eating. > > Eating somewhere between 2 and 6 individual Skittles usually seems like enough to do the trick. > > I can't think why in the heck this works for me, and I wish it was something more healthy instead. Strangely, I've never even been a huge fan of Skittles, normally preferring chocolate or ice cream as my indulgence of choice. > > Anyone else got anything weird like this? I remember sometimes in the past Saltines would help me a bit, but not so much anymore. > > For anyone in other parts of the world that may not have Skittles, they are fruity-flavored candies - smaller than M & Ms, with hard candy shells and somewhat soft middles. I'm sure they are basically gelled sugar inside hard sugar, with lots of chemical fruit flavorings... > > I keep telling myself that it is probably just all in my head because I'm trying not to eat candy for diet/health reasons. > > Jennlee > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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