In the first of a three part series on food sensitivity,
Nutritionist Belinda Rennie looks at some of the causes, typical
symptoms and management.
Most of us experience some kind of
digestive discomfort after eating every now and then for example after
a rich fatty meal or spicy food. However, if you are living with a
constant bloated stomach, fatigue especially after meals or irregular
bowel movements, maybe the food you eat every day is the culprit.
Adverse reactions to food vary
from person to person and can cause symptoms in any part of the body.
Direct contact with the food can cause an itchy, swollen mouth and
throat. Other reactions can manifest as asthma in the respiratory
passages, abdominal pain and diarrhea in the digestive tract or as the
food is digested, skin rashes, hives and eczema. Some people with
extreme food sensitivity, for example a peanut allergy can stop
breathing in seconds.
Symptoms
There are a whole host of other
documented symptoms where food sensitivity can play a part including:
- Arthritis, joint
and muscle pains
- Middle ear infections - glue ear
- Recurrent
infections – often seen in children with underlying allergy problems
- Recurrent
tonsillitis rhinitis and sinusitis
- Depression and
mood swings
- Fatigue and
irritability,
- Menstrual
irregularities and PMS
- Behavioural
problems in children and ADHD
- Irritable bowel,
ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease
Food sensitivities involve the
immune system, an extremely complex system comprising white blood
cells as well as the entire system of mucous membranes which line the
inside of our digestive and respiratory system. The normally present
bacterial colonies that line the mucous membranes help to defend the
body against foreign proteins in food, viruses, bad bacteria and other
parasites. When there is disturbance of this mucous membrane the body
no longer has an effective barrier, and foreign proteins can leak into
the blood stream setting off allergic reactions.
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Causes
What causes this cascade of events
in the immune system? The basic allergen is often the food served
since childhood and eaten every day - cow’s milk, eggs, wheat, corn,
nuts and soy - which can severely damage mucous membranes. Additives,
preservatives, moulds, yeasts and pesticides in food can also act as
triggers. Whereas many reactions to foods are clearly allergic some
maybe due to less well understood chemical reactions difficult to
detect with blood tests.
Food sensitivity is often
inherited. If one of both parents have allergies to food there is a
high probability that their children will also have allergies. Use of
antibiotics can also disturb the beneficial intestinal bacteria as
well as deficiencies in the production of digestive enzymes. Enzymes
are critical for the complete digestion of proteins, carbohydrates and
fats. When they are in short supply or they operate inefficiently more
of these undigested protein molecules find their way into the
bloodstream setting up allergic reactions.
It becomes a vicious cycle that is
hard to escape. Food sensitivities not only deplete the immune system
but they reduce absorption and assimilation of vital nutrients needed
for health and prevention of disease. Repeated infections set the
scene for numerous courses of antibiotics and ultimately chronic
disturbance of the internal environment.
Because food sensitivity is a
complex issue many people find it difficult to know where to begin.
Ideally you should start a food diary, writing down what you eat and
how you feel over a period of a week and preferably for a month.
Before you can address what type
of food is actually causing the problem, pay attention to how you eat.
Become a conscious eater by sitting down at meal times without any
distraction, eating and chewing slowly. This sounds so simple but is
actually a very potent tool to improve your overall digestion. Hurried
eating on the run is a recipe for digestive disaster.
It is important to seek support
from you health professional if you think food sensitivity is a
problem. Get your GP to conduct some basic blood tests to rule out any
underlying disease conditions that need to be treated.
Management
Management of food sensitivity can involve the following steps...
- An elimination
diet removing the suspected foods followed by reintroduction of the
food at a later stage.
- Ridding your
body of parasites, viruses, moulds and yeasts by following a
wholefood diet low in sugar, yeast, fermented and processed foods plus specific herbs
and nutrients.
- Strengthening
your digestion with digestive enzymes.
- Restoring the
intestinal flora and mucous membrane with specific herbs and
nutrients.
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