| Figuring out Food Allergies |
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The hidden cause of a variety of debilitating symptoms may be found in your diet. Did you know that headaches, blood sugar imbalance, runny nose, asthma, rashes, and joint pain are all common symptoms of food allergies? Even diseases like ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and celiac disease can have their roots in the chronic ingestion of food allergens. Furthermore, seasonal allergies to pollens and grasses can oftentimes be traced back to eating plants that are part of the same family. Food allergies fall into two general categories: acute and chronic. Acute allergies are more severe, often resulting in life-threatening symptoms such as inflammation of the upper gastrointestinal tract and airways leading to constriction of the throat and difficulty breathing, also known as anaphylaxis. This is known as a Type-1 immediate hypersensitivity reaction mediated by a group of antibodies called immunoglobulin-E (also known as IgE), a type that reacts immediately to severely threatening allergens. The most common offending foods in this category are peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, and eggs. I would like to discuss chronic food allergies in the form of a Type-3 hypersensitivity reaction, the same reaction outlined years ago by Drs. Richard Trevino and Hamilton Dixon in their book entitled Food Allergy. These are primarily mediated by a group of antibodies called IgG that respond hours to days after ingesting food allergens. This type of reaction leads to the nagging everyday symptoms that continuously rob vital energy reserves, compromising daily athletic training and work regimens. Leaky Gut Syndrome
Wheat, eggs, and dairy are common sources of chronic food allergies.
When food allergens, also known as antigens, are ingested, they are an irritation to the GI tract, causing inflammation. This inflammation damages the cells of the GI tract, or enterocytes, and causes them to pull apart at their bonding sites, leading to a gaping, portal entry site for food antigens. Food antigens, which are actually large molecules of food, can then slip through these gaps and stimulate an immune response. Dr. James A. Ferrel, certified nutritional consultant and medical director for Life Dynamix, believes that leaky gut syndrome may be the cause of many etiologically unknown illnesses and that it is grossly underconsidered as a mainstream medicine diagnosis. Chronic inflammation of our enterocytes causes decreased absorption of nutrients and over time can lead to malnutrition. This malnutrition can further lead to other symptoms such as anxiety, muscle cramping, and decreased stamina, especially during exercise. In 2007, Wilders-Truschnig et al. carried out a study at the Medical University of Graz, Austria, exploring the impact of anti-food antibodies in obese children. They found not only that obese children had IgG concentrations that were about two and a half times higher than normal weight children but that this was correlated to an increase in low-grade systemic inflammation and thickening of the carotid artery. It has been strongly suggested that low-grade systemic inflammation may play a role in insulin resistance, obesity, atherosclerosis, and diabetes mellitus. Laboratory TestingCurrently, in our conventional medical system, the most widely used methods of choice for determining food allergies are still the skin-prick test and the RAST (radioallergosorbent) test. Although these tests suffice for determining acute, or IgE-mediated, reactions, which can often be seen in the skin as wheals or hives, it is a poor test for determining chronic, or IgG-mediated, reactions that result in a delayed onset of symptoms.Raymond M. Suen and Shalima Gordon, N.D., published a paper in 2003 in the Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients outlining IgG antibodies and their implications in systemic health. They pointed out the fact that, considering most food allergies are not acute and IgE-mediated, these two methods for determining food allergies uncover little with regards to chronic food allergy symptoms. They highlight that the current conventional method for testing may be largely obsolete, stressing the importance of IgG measurement. The lab test I like to use for diagnosing food allergies is the ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test. It is an accurate test for immediate and delayed food allergies. In most cases a simple blood spot test measuring IgG antibodies from just a few drops of blood from the finger is all that is required. However, if acute food allergy symptoms are in the patient’s history, more blood is required via venipuncture to measure the IgE-mediated reaction. No matter what type of immune reaction is suspected, the basic panel measures the patient’s response to ninety-six general foods and then categorizes these reactions from “no reaction” to “extremely high.” TreatmentUpon the identification of the food allergens, most patients present with at least one to three triggers. Although wheat, dairy, and eggs are among the most common, the presentation varies significantly with each person. The patient is asked to refrain from their food triggers for a period of three to six months depending on the severity.By avoiding these offending foods, the GI tract has a chance to heal and re-seal the junctions between the enterocytes, closing off the entry site of food antigens and thus reducing general systemic inflammation and its associated symptoms. Often, a naturopathic prescription will accompany the food elimination process. The treatment plan may include vitamins, amino acids, herbs, and probiotics and is designed to rebuild GI integrity and rebalance the immune system. After elimination of the food allergens for an appropriate amount of time, foods can generally be re-introduced in rotation. This means that instead of eating the food every day, it is reintroduced in a meal plan that cycles it through a few times a week at the most. The rotation diet is a healthy diet, as it ensures the body is getting a variety of foods providing adequate nutrition from various sources. This resembles more closely what our diet was like prior to the mass production of processed foods. Processed foods often contain multiple ingredients that are used as fillers and binders, wheat and gluten, for example, causing us to be exposed to them more than we naturally should be. It is largely this continuous re-exposure that is a chronic insult to our GI tissues, leading to the chronic immune reaction and associated symptoms. Most patients feel significantly better on the rotation diet. Not only do their food allergy symptoms clear up but they often experience newfound energy as their nutritive reserves are reloaded. The supplement prescriptions usually add increased emotional stability along with a new sense of vitality and well-being. About the AuthorDr. Kris Bentz, N.D., operates a general practice at Agape Natural Wellness Centre in Vancouver. He has a special focus in sports medicine and a keen interest in sports performance enhancement. For more information, visitwww.agapenatural.com. |
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