Allergies

Food allergies plague Americans and cause a multitude of disorders. There are four types of food allergies that a person can develop symptom from. We only focus on the two main Immunoglobulin’s, Immunoglobulin G (IgG), and Immunoglobulin E (IgE).

IgE allergies are often referred to as the Emergency allergies because they can close up your throat, make you vomit, or stop your breathing. These are typically pollens, grasses, weeds, animals, and occasionally foods. People may know about these already but if not, we can test for them through blood or a skin test.

Our main focus is on the IgG allergies because they can cause a lengthy list of symptoms that may be hard to target from a certain food. These symptoms we find are the ones’ that cause many of our chronic problems that are hard to find answers for.

IgG allergies are called the “Gut” allergies because our immune system attacks these food allergens in our gut, thereby releasing inflammation all over the body! These allergies are very over looked by our medical system. With over 15 years of experience with helping thousands of people know which foods are good for your body. I can guarantee that you will feel better knowing which foods are good for your body and which foods can make you sick.

Listed below are some fast facts about food allergy symptoms:

• Arthritis
• Autism
• Asthma
• Candidacies
• Celiac
• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD)
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Digestive Disorders
• Ear Infections
• Eczema
• Fibromyalgia
• GERD
• G.I. Disorders
• Headaches & Migraines
• Heartburn
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• Joint & Muscle Pain
• Leaky Gut
• Mental Fatigue
• Molds
• Obesity
• Poor Memory
• Psoriasis
• Sinusitis
• Skin Disorders
• Weight Loss
• Yeast Infections

All of the symptoms of food allergy occur within a few minutes to an hour of eating.

A food allergy can initially be experienced as an itching in the mouth and difficulty swallowing and breathing.

During digestion of the food in the stomach and intestines, symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain can start. (Incidentally, gastrointestinal symptoms are those that are most often confused with the symptoms of different types of food intolerance.)

When the allergens reach the skin, they can induce hives or eczema, and when they reach the lungs, they can cause asthma.

As the allergens travel through the blood vessels, they can cause lightheadedness, weakness, and anaphylaxis, which is a sudden drop in blood pressure. Anaphylactic reactions are severe even when they start off with mild symptoms, such as a tingling in the mouth and throat or discomfort in the abdomen. They can be fatal if not treated quickly.

More than 55 diseases have been linked to gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. It’s estimated that 99% of the people who have either gluten intolerance or celiac disease are never diagnosed.

It is also estimated that as much as 15% of the US population is gluten intolerant. Could you be one of them?

If you have any of the following symptoms it could be a sign that you have gluten intolerance:

1. Digestive issues such as gas, bloating, diarrhea and even constipation. I see the constipation particularly in children after eating gluten.

2. Keratosis Pilaris, (also known as ‘chicken skin’ on the back of your arms). This tends be as a result of a fatty acid deficiency and vitamin A deficiency secondary to fat-malabsorption caused by gluten damaging the gut.

3. Fatigue, brain fog or feeling tired after eating a meal that contains gluten.

4. Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Scleroderma or Multiple sclerosis.

5. Neurologic symptoms such as dizziness or feeling of being off balance.

6. Hormone imbalances such as PMS, PCOS or unexplained infertility.

7. Migraine headaches.

8. Diagnosis of chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. These diagnoses simply indicate your conventional doctor cannot pin point the cause of your fatigue or pain.

9. Inflammation, swelling or pain in your joints such as fingers, knees or hips.

10. Mood issues such as anxiety, depression, mood swings and ADD.

Food intolerance is a detrimental reaction, often delayed, to a food, beverage, food additive, or compound found in foods that produces symptoms in one or more body organs and systems, but it is not a true food allergy. A true food allergy requires the presence of immune mechanisms (as for instance Immunoglobin E – IgE antibodies) against the food, and a food intolerance does not.^[1]

Food intolerances can be classified according to their mechanism. Intolerance can result from the absence of specific chemicals or enzymes  needed to digest a food substance, as in hereditary fructose intolerance. It may be a result of an abnormality in the body’s ability to absorb nutrients, as occurs in fructose malabsorption. Food intolerance reactions can occur to naturally occurring chemicals in foods, as in salicylate sensitivity. Drugs sourced from plants, such as aspirin, can also cause these kinds of reactions. Finally, it may be the result of non-IgE-mediated immune responses.

A 25 year ongoing study reveals that 95% of the population has what is known as a Type II toxic reaction or IgG response to common everyday foods that you eat regularly. Unfortunately the foods that cause this toxic shock vary widely according to your individual system. In addition many Type II reactions are delayed reactions, so they are very difficult to detect on your own. More than 75 symptoms are associated with food toxicities. Perfectly healthy foods can be virtual poison to your particular system. The latest trendy diets may be good for general information. But everyone’s system is different, so you want to find out which foods are toxic to your particular system. This will help you be healthier and more energetic than ever before and alleviate many unexplained and chronic symptoms. There are two types of reactions Type I and Type II. Type I toxic reactions or IgE reactions, are obvious. You know when you have one because your body suffers a notable and almost instant reaction. Type II reactions are not immediate, but delayed reactions, making them almost impossible to detect without sophisticated testing. Different foods break down at different speeds, causing different toxic reactions depending upon the food and your personal body chemistry. Therefore, without scientific testing, it is very difficult to judge which foods cause which reactions and when. Testing begins with a simple blood draw. Once the results are in, the lab generates a comprehensive report detailing your toxic foods, including your personal wallet-size list. Sometimes people find that while they may only have a few food toxicities, these make up foods that they eat regularly. Therefore, if you are allergic to pasta and you eat it four or five times per week, you could be poisoning yourself four or five times per week. The most notable point to make here is how much better you’ll feel. Some people rid themselves of lifelong chronic conditions like migraines which are almost always caused by a food toxicity. Some people feel a tremendous boost in energy, sex drive and a general increase in mental acuity. Others notice that their constant irritability is gone. Testing includes education in how and what to eat for the best results. A Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) article revealed that more than 75% of the money spent on health care is spent on chronic conditions. Our research indicates that a great deal of these chronic conditions are the direct result of food toxicities; easily treatable by simply removing the foods from your diet. With only 270 million people in this country more than 2.9 billion prescriptions are written every year, generating more than $131.9 billion for the pharmaceutical companies. Many of these prescriptions mask the conditions caused by food toxicity and rarely lead to a cure.

How important is the food allergy link to children?

When you have lots of other things to think about, should you change the diet of a child who has decided to live on French fries, smooshed bagels, chocolate milk, pretzels, Twinkies and diet coke, rejecting all alternatives with an iron will? Yup! And when you get over the hump, you are likely to be rewarded with changes in sleep, behavior, attention and “sensitivity” that make the struggle worth it. There are several ways of checking for food allergy. Trial and error changes in diet are tedious but inexpensive. I have found IgG ELISA blood testing as done at Immune Laboratories to be a reliable measure both in term of my experience with individuals as well as in research studies done to validate the test.