Q.  I get a rash when I drink Wine or beer, but spirits and alcopops don’t affect me that way. Is this an allergy?

A.  You may have a sensitivity to yeast.

Wine and beer both contain yeasts, while spirits, most alcopops and champagne do not. You may have also observed a reaction to other yeast-containing foods such as bread, mushrooms, marmite, and fermented foods like soy sauce, sauerkraut or miso.

I see many people with this problem, and a common sign, though not present in every-one, is patches of dry skin around the bridge of the nose, cheeks and/or eyebrows.

Visit a nutritional therapist for an IgG (Immunoglobulin G) food intolerance test to confirm your sensitivity to yeast. Also, have them check to see if you have an overgrowth of the fungus Candida albicans in your digestive system, which may be the reason for your sensitivity to yeast [1]. Signs of this include sugar cravings, skin allergy, a white-coated tongue, digestive problems, general fatigue and some-times joint stiffness or pain.

References

[1] Savolainen J, Kortekangas-Savolainen O, Nermes M, Viander M, Birch Grove A, Kalimo K, Acorn EO. IgE, IgA, and IgG responses to common yeasts in atopic patients. Allergy. 1998 May; 53 (5) :506-12. PubMed PMID: 9636810