Food intolerances and allergies have made the headlines this week with news that small dose exposure to peanuts helped a test group of children overcome a serious peanut allergy.
This came as no surprise to those in the field of Natural Medicine and homeopathy but was confusing to many. At the other extreme, ‘food intolerances’ have become a subject of celebrity jest so I thought I’d clear the entire issue up on this week’s blog!
Food allergy is often mistaken for food intolerance.
Food intolerance can be defined as a condition where particular adverse effects occur after eating a particular food or food ingredient. A genuine food allergy is when a specific immune reaction occurs in the body in response to consuming a particular food. The antigen combines with an antibody and produces an immune response, which results in cell damage and the release of histamine.
In other words, if you have an allergy then there will be no doubt in your mind that you are allergic to the substance! Allergies often run in families, and people who are allergic to some foods may also be allergic to other environmental factors, such as house dust, animal fur and pollen.
Food intolerances are much more common than true allergies and are not a figment of an over-active imagination!
As it is sometimes quite difficult to distinguish between a genuine food allergy and a food intolerance, treatment is often similar. The first step is to diagnose the food intolerance. I am a fan of home-test kits – we have them on our web shop – since they help to establish exactly what is going on. The next step is to do something about it!
Common Causes of Food Intolerance
The most common food intolerances, in order of frequency are milk, eggs, nuts, fish/shellfish, wheat/flour, chocolate, artificial colours, pork/bacon, chicken, tomato, soft fruit, cheese and yeast.
Whilst not all food intolerances are related to meat and dairy products, it can be seen from the above list that vegetarians, and particularly vegans, will suffer less from food intolerance because they already eliminate some of the most common causes of intolerance.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms include asthma, gastro-intestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, and diarhhoea), eczema, urticaria (hives), rhinorrhea (heavy discharge from the nose), and angio-oedema (swelling of the blood vessels). Other more long-term symptoms include can depression, anxiety, fatigue, migraine, sleeplessness and hyperactivity in children.
Sometimes the cause of a particular food intolerance is obvious, by the immediate effect that occurs on eating a particular food and there is no need to undertake testing.
In this case the treatment is simply to avoid that particular food and work on improving digestion. In most cases the suspected food is more difficult to track down although a diary kept of foods eaten and symptoms experienced can sometimes help detect the offending food or foods.
However, within food intolerances there are a myriad of reasons behind your possible reaction.
Non-allergic histamine release
The signs are very similar to an allergy and include headache, swelling, urticaria, vomiting and diarrhoea. A substance called histamine is released (it is also released in true allergic reactions) in response to foods such as shellfish or strawberries.
Metabolic defects
A lack or deficiency of enzymes responsible for the digestion of food can cause many types of food intolerance. For example, a deficiency in lactase, the enzyme responsible for digesting milk, causes intolerance to milk. Coeliac disease is gut intolerance to a protein found in wheat, called gluten, so is not considered an allergy.
Pharmacological effects
Some food substances can act like drugs, particularly if taken in large quantities. The most familiar of these substances is caffeine, found in tea, coffee, chocolate and cola drinks. A large intake of caffeine can cause tremor, migraine and palpitations.
Other pharmacologically active substances found in food include histamine, tyramine, tryptamine and serotonin, which may be consumed in foods such as red wine, cheese, yeast extract, avocados and bananas. In susceptible people, these foods can trigger urticaria, facial flushing and headaches.
Food intolerance of unknown origin
Reactions can be provoked by many foods and food products, for example, food additives, particularly tartrazine and sodium benzoate, can provoke urticaria, rhinitis and asthma. Yeasts can provoke a number of reactions in some people, particularly skin disorders.
Whether or not the reason behind your food intolerance or allergy is know, any treatment approach should always involve trying to improve digestion.
We have seen over the years how the detox has ‘miraculously’ taken away long-standing intolerances because the process improves how the body can handle digestion and boosts immunity.
In other words, don’t suffer needlessly or listen to folks that tell you your intolerances are a celebrity-driven fad! If you can’t come and detox drop us a line anyway and we can point you in the direction of Nutritional therapists local to you who may be able to help.
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