Food allergies or intolerances are becoming more prevalent in today’s society. Food allergies involve antibody responses to food, and food intolerances occur when a food cannot be digested properly due to an enzyme deficiency. An intolerance often leads to food allergies because improperly broken down food particles cause an allergic response.

Allergens can be any food substance, but the most common ones are dairy products, peanuts, eggs, wheat, corn, soy, the nightshade family, food additives and preservatives and medications like penicillin and aspirin.

What Causes Food Allergies?

There is some research into the cause of food allergies that points to the diets of young infants. Some researchers theorize that when infants are given foods that their bodies cannot yet digest adequately, the molecules from the food, which have not been broken down properly, enter the bloodstream and confuse the immune system. The immune system identifies these molecules as hostile and foreign and will create a heightened immune response. 

In addition to this potential cause of allergies, there are many modern environmental toxins that put stress on the immune system, which then becomes over-sensitive to food particles. 

Finally, predisposition can play a role in allergy development; if both parents suffer from allergies, then their child will have a 70% chance of also experiencing allergies in their lifetime.

How Does The Body React To Food Allergens?

The immune system views allergens as a threat to the body. When the allergen contacts the gastrointestinal lining, inflammation occurs due to the release of chemicals such as histamine. Allergic symptoms can range from severe and life-threatening anaphylactic reactions to a runny nose, itchy palate, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, headache, joint pain, heart palpitations, mood swings, hyperactivity, hypoglycemia and candidiasis.

Reactions to food are often mild and may occur well after the food is ingested. Allergies can also be exacerbated when the body is exposed to emotional or physical stress.

Tips To Support Food Allergies

Conventional treatment of food allergies and intolerances only involves the avoidance of the suspect foods. Anaphylactic reactions that cause swelling of the air passages are treated with injections of norepinephrine. This hormone causes a sympathetic nervous system response, resulting in an opening of the airways.

There are many ways of testing for food allergies and sensitivities. Many of these methods are costly and tend not to be very accurate. One of the better ones is ALCAT testing. It involves mixing blood with food particles to see if there is any immune reaction. It is a better test because it shows both immediate and delayed immune reactions.

The best way to treat food allergies is with elimination or rotation diets. Both methods involve charting the foods you eat and any reactions. Elimination diets start with a cleansing period to eliminate offending substances. Then the diet is restricted to mild, non-irritating foods. 

Finally, the testing period begins when a new food is introduced every third day. If a food is okay, then it can be added to the diet in moderation. If a food causes a reaction, then it is restricted for a period of a few months. It can then be retried. Rotation diets limit your food intake to certain food families each day. It can be used to assess food allergies and is a good method to prevent the return of allergies.

Important Information

A tip for avoiding food allergies: Avoid taking aspirin within three hours of eating because it can increase the absorption of allergy-causing foods.