In the second of a three part series on food sensitivity, Nutritionist Belinda Rennie looks at how you might go about testing for foods that could be making you feel unwell.

Food sensitivity, food intolerance, food allergy are all names used interchangeably for any adverse reaction caused by eating a food. It could be caused by protein such as the gluten in wheat, rye, barley and oats or carbohydrate in food, for example the lactose in milk. Other food chemicals such as amines and salicylates, artificial additives in processed foods or yeasts and molds can trigger a reaction in people with food sensitivity.

We are all unique in our biochemical makeup. What is a healthy food to one person might be poison to another. Understanding that foods we eat everyday that we consider “healthy” can contain chemicals that our body interprets as toxins. Reactions may appear seconds, hours or days after eating a particular food. For example eating wheat three times a day may push a person over a threshold eliciting a reaction. This is called cyclic food sensitivity which account for the majority of food sensitivity. The good news is that these types of sensitivities can improve and small amounts of the offending food can be eaten occasionally.

Classic food allergy involves the immune system where the body recognizes a foreign substance in the food and produces antibodies known as immunoglobulins. These specialized proteins lock onto white blood cells in our body, releasing histamine which causes swelling and inflammation. You can therefore experience skin rashes, joint problems, digestive discomfort and a whole host of other symptoms (see first article on food sensitivity). These food allergies are fixed and the person usually remains allergic to the food for life.

When food sensitivity starts interfering with your quality of life you need to seek help. Your doctor or specialized allergy clinic can perform tests including the skin prick test and blood tests.

Skin-prick test: Food extracts are placed on a scratch on the skin. If the patient is allergic to the food a welt will form immediately showing that the specific immunoglobulin IgE has been activated. Since only about 10-15% of food allergies are mediated by IgE it has limited value. Keep in mind the skin can react very differently to the mucous membranes in the digestive system giving an incomplete result.
Blood tests: The RAST test measures reaction of IgE antibodies with specific food allergens so therefore has limited scope. The ELISA method can measure IgE as well as 3 other antibodies that can be involved in both immediate and delayed food sensitivity reactions making it the most popular laboratory method available though expensive. Even so, blood tests can only measure immune system reactions and we know that food sensitivity can involve other chemical reactions not picked up on blood tests.

Energetic testing

These include Vega testing, biotensor and bioresonance, pendulums and kinesiology.

Vega testing: a vega machine is a voltmeter which picks up changes in skin voltage or resistance as it is affected by food or magnetically coded food samples. It is often used by naturopaths and nutritionally oriented physicians.
Kinesiology: kinesiology is a system of diagnosis and treatment based on muscle testing. If a person is sensitive to a particular food, muscle strength may be temporarily weakend.
Biotensor and bioresonance testing: involves the use of a simple instrument that measures the vibrational changes when a food comes into contact with a persons energy field.

The above tests based on energetic principles are not recognized by orthodox medicine as they are difficult to measure with conventional scientific methods. However, they are highly sensitive and can be used as diagnostic hints in conjunction with other tests.

Food challenge

One of the best ways to diagnose food sensitivity is by eliminating suspected foods followed by reintroduction. An elimination diet consists pf eating a limited diet for at least one week to one month. Usually in the first 3-4 days the symptoms get worse as the body suffers withdrawl reactions. Then if they disappear by the 5-6^th day of the diet you can assume the symptoms are food related.

The real test is to reintroduce those foods one by one in its purest form and keep a detailed diary of any immediate or delayed reactions you experience. It can be useful to track the wrist pulse after eating when reintroducing foods as the pulse can increase by 16 beats or more from resting if there is food sensitivity. It is important to ensure nutritional deficiencies do not develop through exclusion of food groups such as dairy products. Supplementing with appropriate vitamins and minerals may be required.

Food elimination requires motivation and commitment over a period of time as the body detoxifies and heals itself. This can be accelerated with a cleanse or fast supervised by your health professional. After 3-4 months on an elimination program you should notice improvements in your overall energy levels and the change to your life can be dramatic. You may develop an increased sensitivity to offending foods and other substances including alcohol with symptoms tending to be more acute and pronounced.

The clarity or body wisdom that develops as a result of removing food allergens and other toxins becomes a useful tool to long term wellbeing. If you listen to what your body is telling you and act on those feelings you can enjoy optimal health.

A variety of food intolerance tests are offered in Dubai inlcuding Vega testing, Yorktest, bioresonance and kinesiology. Contact belinda@lifestyle-uae.com for more information.