Food Allergies, an Underlying Cause

by Jessica Edge, ND |

If you knew that allergies to certain foods were causing you health problems—gas, bloating, stomach pain, headache, aching joints, sinus congestion, skin rash or weight gain, would you be willing to change your diet?

More people are suffering from reactions to foods than ever before. Examples range from Celiac disease, a chronic digestive disorder caused by intolerance to gluten, which has become more prevalent in recent years, to an estimated 75% of the world population being lactose intolerant. Pediatricians are seeing an increase in immediate onset food allergies among children and alternative health practitioners continue to link chronic health conditions to food sensitivities.

Whether the reaction is due to food intolerance, food allergy or food sensitivity, identifying and removing the offending foods from the diet is key to addressing the underlying cause of many health problems.

Food Intolerance
Food reactions are generally classified as either food intolerances or food allergies. Intolerances occur when a person reacts to a food but the reaction does not involve the immune system. An example includes lactose intolerance. People who are lactose intolerant do not have the intestinal enzyme that breaks down the milk sugar, lactose. The inability to digest and absorb lactose causes the unfortunate nausea, gas, bloating and
diarrhea associated with eating dairy products.

Other types of food intolerances include reactions to chemicals found naturally in foods, such as tyramine in cheese, which has been linked to migraine headaches and reactions to food additives and colors, common in processed foods, shown to aggravate children with hyperactivity disorders.

What is a Food Allergy?
When you hear the term ‘food allergy’ what comes to mind? Is it the childhood friend who had to avoid all things peanut or his throat would swell? This is an example of the most common type of food allergy, known as an immediate hypersensitivity reaction. The individual usually knows exactly what food they are allergic to because they have reacted to it before. The reaction occurs quickly, within seconds, minutes or hours, and can be severe. The most common food triggers include tree nuts, shellfish, eggs, milk, soy and wheat. Food allergies can present as an anaphylactic response, swelling, hives or digestive upset and they can be the underlying cause of such conditions as hay fever, eczema and asthma.

Unlike food intolerance, a food allergy is an immune response that begins in the gut. Over 60% of the immune cells in the human body are located in the digestive system. These immune cells act as an important defense system against harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites that might be ingested in contaminated food and drink. In the event of a food allergy, the immune cells have also been programmed to react to a particular food. Every time the food is eaten, the cells release mediators that continue a series of immune events leading to physical signs and symptoms.

The Other Food Allergy
There is another type of food allergy that is not well recognized, the delayed hypersensitivity reaction, which is the cause of a number of chronic health problems in unsuspecting individuals. The term food allergy refers only to immediate hypersensitivity reactions. Hypersensitivity reactions are categorized as Types I-IV. Food allergies fall into the category of Type I, (immediate reactions) Types III and IV are known as delayed hypersensitivity reaction in relation to foods and food sensitivities. Food sensitivities have less notoriety because their relationship to the food allergy mechanism is controversial.

Food sensitivities with delayed reactions can take anywhere from 48-72 hours to elicit signs and symptoms, unlike the immediate reactions which occur within 24 hours. This makes food sensitivities more difficult to recognize without directly testing for the reactive foods or completing an elimination diet. Food sensitivities occur when a food is eaten frequently and not digested properly. Impaired digestion triggers a chain reaction of events that leads to inflammation and damage to the intestinal lining. This damage then allows for the development of food sensitivities, immune deficiency and chronic disease.

The symptoms of food sensitivities are usually less severe than those of food allergies, however food sensitivities are a significant underlying cause of chronic digestive disorders, migraine headaches, arthritis, eczema and fatigue. In children, constipation, eczema, chronic ear infections, chronic sinus infections, bed-wetting and ADHD are commonly associated
with food sensitivities.

Many people do not recognize the correlation between what they are eating and how they feel. When reactive foods are identified and removed from the diet and a restorative plan is put into place, many health problems begin to improve. Identifying food intolerances and allergies also takes the guesswork out of what foods are right or wrong for each individual and provides an opportunity to make healthier choices when it comes to diet.

References:

1. Minzel, D, PhD, CNC. GI Health and Function: Permeability, Specific Food Antigen Response and Efficacy of Whole Food Treatment. UnifiedEnergetics, 2007: 3.
2. www.emedicine.medscape.com/article/135959-overview
3. www.emedicine.medscape.com/article/136217-overview
4. www.emedicine.medscape.com/article/171805-overview
5. www.emedicine.medscape.com/article/187249-overview
6. www.webmd.com/add-adhd/news

For more info, contact Jessica Edge, ND, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine at (775) 324-3500, or www.RenoNaturalMedicine.com.