Jo,
<< Fluid retention can be caused by many factors but it all boils down to
compensation by the body to maintain a balance of specific gravities between
intra/intercellular  fluids. NaCl, sometimes subtly hidden in processed foods,
is often the  culprit. For myself, beef / chicken stock, miso and MSG caused
my fingers
 to redden and swell  >>

Well, I don't eat any processed foods at all, or meat stocks, or miso or MSG
(that I am aware of). I do eat some cooked beef or poultry (maybe once every
few months), but haven't noticed any direct correlation.

<< My friends and I often ate vegetarian nabe but the combination of the soup
stock and the dipping sauce caused me to suffer from edema of the extremities
(as well as abdominal bloating). When I canned the nabe, my fingers returned
to normal......More recently, the Braggs Amino Acids occasioned similar
reactions. >>

I don't eat nabe (although it sounds delicious!!) or Braggs, either, so my
problem is not caused by these items either!!

Thanks Jo for your thoughtful reply. Nice talking with you on both lists!!
;-))

Love, Liza
[log in to unmask] (Liza May)