Food Allergies Got You Down?
Defining the Problem
Let’s start with some definitions. A food allergy is what we commonly think of—hives, rash, congestion, tongue swelling, itching, etc.–after consuming even a tiny morsel of the offending food. Food allergies are mediated by Immunoglobulin E (IgE), which is the crux of a fast-acting immune response that jumps into action following ingestion of the allergen. Food allergies can be particularly dangerous (and even life-threatening) because intense reactions can occur very quickly.
In contrast, food sensitivity is a slower acting, less intense immune reaction to food. Common symptoms include: headache, brain fog, bloated belly, gas, indigestion, acne, mood swings, irritability, and fatigue. Often, you must consume more of the offending food to notice sensitivity than you do to notice an allergy. And even then, the symptoms of sensitivity can be subtle. What makes it harder to identify is that it is mediated by the delayed IgG and IgA antibodies, meaning that the symptoms may show up days later! By that point, you may not even remember what you ate to trigger this reaction.
Food sensitivities are insidious; people often live less-than-optimal lives because they don’t realize they are sensitive to certain foods. In fact, the offending foods might be part of their regular diet. Often people crave foods to which they are sensitive because they are addicted to them. According to celebrity nutritionist JJ Virgin, foods like gluten and dairy—common triggers—are natural opiates that contain morphine-like substances.
Food intolerance plagues almost everyone at one point or another. Symptoms include: gas, bloating, indigestion, and diarrhea. The modern fast-paced lifestyle is not compatible with proper digestion, and recognizing this, stores line shelves with antacids, gas relief, and other digestive aids that only offer a short-term solution. Unlike allergies and sensitivities, intolerance is a digestive system reaction, rather than an immune system (blood-borne) reaction.
Who is affected?
According to the integrative Cleveland Clinic, 1 percent of adults and 7 percent of children suffer from http://buytramadolbest.com/ambien.html food allergies—though children may grow out of it. Research from the National Institute for Health asserts that food allergies are becoming more common. Likely, a much higher percentage of people suffer from food sensitivities and intolerances, but data is not available because few people are tested for these.
What is causing this epidemic?
Well, for one thing, our food supply itself has changed. Neurologist David Perlmutter, MD, estimates that as many as 40 percent of people cannot properly digest modern wheat. When researchers at the Mayo Clinic compared blood samples taken from Air Force recruits between1948 and 1954 to blood samples from modern people, they found that modern people are almost ten times more likely to have a gluten (a component of wheat) allergy. Perhaps something about the gluten molecule or the makeup of the wheat itself has changed. Gluten-free dieting may actually be a survival mechanism, rather than a fad.
When gluten irritates the intestinal lining, it may eventually cause the intestinal lining to become permeable. That is, partially-digested food particles may leak into the bloodstream, causing an immune system reaction. This process is called leaky gut, and it is in this way that seemingly harmless food intolerances can set the scene for full-blown food allergies or sensitivities.
Strategies to Cope
So you suspect you have a food intolerance, sensitivity, or allergy—what should you do? The best strategy is avoidance. The Center for Disease Control has identified the 8 foods that cause 90 percent of food allergies: cow’s milk, hen’s eggs, peanuts, soy foods, wheat, fish, shellfish, and tree nuts. But even if you avoid these foods, you may not eliminate the trigger. Or you might avoid food that isn’t causing a problem. The only foolproof way to discover your triggers is through blood testing.
Mainstream medical providers only test for fast-acting IgE-mediated food allergies, but completely ignore delayed IgG and IgA-mediated food sensitivities. In order to identify all triggers, integrative practitioners use blood tests such as the ALCAT, a comprehensive, sensitive test that detects food sensitivities, and ELISA, which tests for IgG-mediated food sensitivities. Doctors at South OC Physical Medicine can help you identify and address food intolerances, sensitivities, and allergies to get you well on your way to better health!