Food Allergies, Types Of Food Intolerances, Sensitivities, Hypersensitivities

Food Allergies

Food allergies are immune system reactions to protein in food that cause the immune system to incorrectly “see” and react to the food as a foreign substance.

Eating a food allergen regularly can increase the need for the nutrients the body uses for the immune system, particularly zinc and vitamin A (take beta carotene for vitamin A). People who have food allergies usually have at most just a few food allergies. Food allergies usually cause physical symptoms shortly after a food allergen is eaten, at most a few hours after eating a food allergen. Some people have both food allergies and food intolerances.

The immune system of the intestines called the GALT (gut-activated lymphoid tissue) differentiates between harmful invaders and food. Food allergy is created when the GALT is weakened in some way and antibodies that normally only form against foreign invaders form and fight particles of food. The antibodies fighting the food particles is the allergy reaction. If food molecules of a chosen food are injected into the bloodstream of a person with no food allergies, an allergy to the food is created (after the second injection). If the same person eats the same chosen food (now a food allergen), the person won’t have an allergy reaction because their healthy GALT prevents the immune system from identifying any food as a foreign invader.

Steroids, antibiotics, proton-pump inhibitors (e.g. Nexium), NSAIDs (e.g. Motrin), and poor dietary habits are known to cause and increase hypersensitivity to food and interfere with digestion and nutrient absorption.

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Why We Develop Food Allergies

Food Intolerances

Food intolerances are reactions to food that are not food allergies. The terms “food sensitivity” and “food hypersensitivity” mean food intolerance.

People who have food intolerances usually have more than just a few food intolerances. Food intolerance reaction usually doesn’t cause symptoms for several hours and symptoms may not appear until the next day. Because of the delayed reaction and lack of physical symptoms of food intolerances, many people don’t know they have a food intolerances to one or more foods.

Food intolerances can cause mood problems by causing significant nutritional deficiencies including zinc and B vitamins. which require nutritional to correct. But believe it or not, most nutritional supplements contain common food allergens.

Food intolerances generally cannot be tested for. Some say intolerances to foods are best found by a food elimination diet. Usually the people who are saying this never had food allergies or intolerances themselves. For those who are a real wreck or know they have multiple food allergies or intolerances but don’t know what the foods are, a simple food inclusion diet makes a lot more sense. Starting with chicken and white rice (has to be white rice) for 4 days, add a 1-ingredient food every 10 days that you would normally eat as part of your diet. Add multiple ingredient foods after you’ve developed a diet of 1-ingredient foods you can eat.

There are a number of types of food intolerances:

Food Allergy-Like Intolerances

Some reactions appear to be a food allergy but don’t show on food allergy tests and therefore are food intolerances. Allergy-like intolerances can be tested by applying a paste of the suspected food to a patch of skin and monitoring for reactions over hours. If you have anaphylactic shock symptom to a food, applying that food to the skin isn’t any safer than eating that food.

Irritants

Examples of irritants are caffeine, spices, garlic, onions, cabbage, dried fruit and sorbitol (found in sugar-free foods such as chewing gum). Irritants irritate the digestive system, causing symptoms such as diarrhea, gas, abdominal pain, and bloating.

Food Chemical Intolerance

Chemicals that occur naturally in foods are salicylates and amines. Salicylates and amines can affect or cause asthma, hives, eczema and migraines.

Food Toxins

Some foods contain natural toxins. Other foods produce toxins as they spoil.

Spoiled fish produces histamine which can produce allergy-like reactions

Dried beans and chickpeas contain toxins. These need to be soaked and cooked thoroughly to remove the toxins.

Zucchini that tastes bitter or has a strong unpleasant smell may contain toxins from wild zucchini strains and should not be eaten

Cassava, taro leaves and bamboo shoots must be properly prepared and cooked before eating.

Sulphites

Sulphites are preservatives used most commonly in wine and dried fruit. Sulphites mainly cause asthma in sensitive people, but may also cause rashes, irritable bowel syndrome and headaches.

Enzyme Deficiency

The most common enzyme deficiency is lactase and is needed to break down the milk sugar lactose. Some argue this is not a a real intolerance (for adults) because human adults s are not meant to drink baby food – milk. Intolerance to fructose, maltose, and sucrose exists but is rare.

Symptoms of Food Intolerance Include: a) Nutritional: Drain on certain nutrients causing one or more deep nutritional deficiencies
b) Skin: hives, swelling, eczema
c) Respiratory: asthma, sinusitis, nasal congestion
d) Gastrointestinal: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, gas, abdominal pain
e) Other: migraine, nerve pain, muscle pain, impairment of memory, depression