Food Intollerance

Food Intollerances and Allergies

Food allergies and food intolerance often cause more problems than we know.

Leaky Gut Syndrome  The digestive system plays an extremely important role in our health. Research is discovering intestinal dysfunctions can contribute to many chronic conditions including allergies, autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, and other degenerative diseases. Intestinal dysbiosis occurs when the bacterial content of the intestine gets out of whack and pathogenic bacteria overtake the beneficial bacteria. The beneficial bacteria are necessary to digest, or break down into smaller pieces, the nutrients that the body needs for healthy function. The intestinal lining then keeps the larger particles in the intestines until the bacteria can break them into the proper size. Leaky Gut Syndrome is a condtion where the intestinal wall has difficulty keeping all of the larger substances from passing into the blood stream. Substances that are normally kept within the intestines are “leaking” across the intestinal wall. Some factors that contribute to this condition include dietary components such as fermentation of certain foods, like some proteins and refined carbohydrates, which leads to potentially harmful end-products such as ammonia, amines, phenols, sulfides, etc. These compounds can reduce the life-span of mucosal cells. In addition, food additives, alcohol and caffeine can irritate the gut wall. Over the counter and prescription medications can also irritate the intestinal walls. NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen and aspirin) can weaken the lining. Antibiotics kill the intestinal bacteria which then can reduce the digestive process and allow pathogenic bacteria to invade later. Chemotherapy, surgery, trauma, recent gastroenteritis, aging, low anti-oxidants, and alcoholism, are other contributors to dysfunction in the digestive system leading to leaky gut. If we have a leaky gut condition it can lead to nutritional deficiencies, where the proper nutrients are not getting absorbed in a way that can be used. Increased absorption of toxins - food additives, pesticides, PCBs, etc. - may be happening. Undigested particles of food going into the bloodstream may lead to food allergies and intolerances. They may also lead to inflammation in joints and muscles that are later hard to diagnose. Finding the cause of this condition may begin with a blood test and/or dietary methods such as the elimination diet or the rotation diet. Talking to a health professional experienced in this area is necessary to start on the right path.

Many medical doctors overlook food allergies because they aren’t well trained in nutrition.

People often react to food sensitivities differently. Sometimes individuals will have stomach pain, gas, or bloating. Others may have sneezing or itching. And if it is a true allergy there may be swelling or blockages of the air passages. To compound the problem, the only practical solution to treat food allergies is a change in diet and/or lifestyle.

Food allergy causes       Since treating food allergy symptoms generally  lead to frustration and excessive expense, finding a “cure” will only come if we can treat the cause. In the body’s digestive system, food is broken down in stages into smaller and smaller particles. When the food particles are the right size, they are absorbed into the bloodstream, usually through the gastrointestinal lining.

“Undigested” particles that are too big to be handled are not allowed into the bloodstream by a healthy lining. A number of factors can affect the barrier function of the gastrointestinal lining which could then allow undigested particles to slip through into the bloodstream. This is called the “leaky gut syndrome.”  Some of these factors include eating foods we have an intolerance to;

• chronic use of NSAIDS (aspirin, ibuprofen, etc.);
• taking steroids (prednisone, cortisone, etc.) or antibiotics;
• chemotherapy; alcohol use;
• stress;
• low anti-oxidants;
• poor diet;
• recent surgeries or other trauma;
• or just aging.

When undigested particles get inside the body through a weakened gastrointestinal lining, an “allergic reaction” is possible. The body initiates an IgG or IgE reaction to “fight” the substances that are not supposed to be there.

General symptoms      Some people may develop symptoms right away, while in others it may be delayed.

Reactions may be *headaches, *constipation, *diarrhea, *migraines, *irritable bowel syndrome, *joint aches and pains or *generalized aches and pains.

Other symptoms may include *weight loss or gain, *depression, *insomnia, *asthma, *anxiety, *ADHD, *chronic fatigue syndrome, *arthritis, *eczema, or *PMS. We may have some sneezing, coughing, or mild itching taking place at a later time giving us cause to wonder where it is coming from.

Whatever the reaction the body puts on, the partially digested materials are taking a toll on our immune system which can then cause dis-ease in various places in the body.

Discovering food intolerances       A true food allergy is a reaction of the immune system. According to the Mayo Clinic, only about 2 percent of adults and 6 percent of children have an actual food allergy. Many more people who experience the unpleasant symptoms described above are actually experiencing a food intolerance. While a food intolerance is unpleasant, it doesn’t involve the immune system.

Food allergies fall into two categories. A severe allergic reaction is called anaphylaxis and can have life-threatening symptoms: constriction of airways, including a swollen throat or a lump in your throat making it hard to breathe; shock, with a severe drop in blood pressure; rapid pulse; dizziness, lightheadedness or loss of consciousness. Emergency treatment is necessary in cases a anaphylaxis.

Less severe reactions can also be caused by exercising after eating and by some fruits and vegetables that have proteins that are similar to proteins found in certain pollens.

Food intolerance does not trigger an immune reaction, but creates difficulty in digesting certain substances. The proteins in wheat and milk are hard to digest for many people with food intolerance.

Food intolerances and many food allergies can be detected through a simple blood test. This blood test identifies foods that are not well digested or metabolized in a particular body. These food are a source of maldigestion, intestinal toxemia, dysbiosis (the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria in the intestine) and chronic irritation to body tissues.

Common foods that cause allergies and intolerances Any food can cause an allergic reaction, but six or seven are the most common. These include:

• eggs,
• milk,
• peanuts,
• shellfish (shrimp, crab, lobster, snails, clams),
• soy,
• tree nuts, and
• wheat (gluten).

Most of the time, allergies start in childhood, but it can begin at any age. Many children will outgrow their allergies to milk, egg, wheat, and soy by the time they are 5 years old if they avoid the offending foods when they are young. Often allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, and shellfish will continue throughout life, which are the most common food allergies for adults and older children

Some people can have a problem with certain combinations of food. Some of these combinations include: grains and potatoes; grain with milk; grain with fruit; grain with sugar; and fruit with sugar.