In the final article on food sensitivity, Nutritionist Belinda Rennie looks at why it is increasing and what foods to beware of.

Over the last fifty years our food supply has changed drastically. The cocktail of chemicals used in farming include pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics and hormones. With an increase in pollution in our air and water plus the impact of genetic modification and long storage times, food has become more easily contaminated even before it hits the supermarket shelf. Throw in artificial colour, flavour and preservatives and you have a packet of fruit loops ready to be consumed by some unsuspecting child.

It is not surprising that food sensitivity is on the increase. Our lifestyle encourages eating on the run and eating the same foods everyday exposing our guts to repeated insult. Stressful lives change the hormone and immune profile in our body reducing our ability to digest food properly. Incomplete digestion and damage to the mucous membrane lining the walls of the intestines can allow protein fragments to leak into the bloodstream setting up allergic reactions.

Breastfeeding exclusively to six months and beyond and delaying the introduction of wheat, cows milk, egg and citrus fruits for one year can reduce the likelihood of food sensitivity in children.

If you suspect food sensitivity in your family, having read about the possible signs and symptoms in food sensitivity, start by eating more fresh unprocessed foods such as fruits and vegetables and grains such as rice, oats and millet. Choose organic foods wherever possible. Peel or scrub fruits and veggies in diluted detergent or with a veggie wash. Become aware of foods that could be genetically modified and start reading food labels to know which preservatives, colours and flavours to avoid.

Be aware that the major foods causing sensitivity reactions are the foods eaten every day. Some foods have naturally occurring chemicals that can be a problem. Blood tests and other bio-energetic methods of testing food allergies only give you a partial picture of your sensitivity profile (see food sensitvity testing). A full elimination diet followed by reintroduction of foods supervised by your health professional is the best way to confirm food sensitivity.

Nutritionists can reveal the hidden sources of problem foods by helping you to read food labels, suggest substitutes that can be eaten instead and offer preparation tips for unfamiliar foods. A balanced meal plan that does not leave you short on valuable nutrients can be devised. Here is a thumbnail sketch of some foods to look out for:

Eggs

Eggs are found in many baked goods, pastas and dressings. Gelatine can be used as a substitute in baking. (NB Free range eggs are now readily available and are a good choice for people who can tolerate them).

Gluten

Foods containing gluten include the grains wheat, rye, oats, barley and the lesser known grains triticale, spelt and kamut. Coeliac disease is a result of gluten intolerance and is usually diagnosed by a blood test or biopsy of the small intestine. There are many gluten free options such as rice, corn, millet, buckwheat, quinoa, tapioca, sago. Check the recipe section for "I need avoid gluten" for details about gluten free cooking and shopping.

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Foods with Additives and Preservatives

This includes most packaged food with additives; added sugar, salt, fat and white flour, flavours, colours and preservatives. Look out for the E numbers: E102 tartrazine (a food colouring) and the preservatives E200-203 (sorbates), E210-213 (benzoates), E220-227 (sulphites), E249-252 (nitrates/nitrites), E280-283 (proprionates), E310-321 (antioxidants). E621 is monosodium glutamate. See food additives for more details.

Milk

Cow’s milk contains proteins that are hard to digest particularly for infants and many people lack the enzyme that helps to digest lactose in milk. Cows eat grass that can be contaminated with chemicals and may be fed antibiotics and hormones. Alternatives include goats milk, camels milk, soy milk, rice and oat milk.

Peanuts

Peanuts are part of the legume family. They contain high levels of pesticides and carry a mould on their surface called aflatoxin. Peanut allergy can be life threatening and may extend to tree nuts. Cross-contamination in food production means that many processed foods may contain traces of peanut.

Soya

Soya beans were one of the first foods to be genetically modified in the US and are found in a vast number of processed foods in the form of soy oil, soy protein and soy lecithin. Soy protein isolate is chemically derived from the soya bean and is the main ingredient in soy infant formulas and protein drinks. There is concern about the oestrogenic effect of feeding infants soy formula and drinking and eating excess soya-based foods on children and adults.

Shellfish

Crustaceans such as prawns and crayfish tend to cause more sensitivity reactions in people than other types of seafood possibly because they tend to act as scavengers on the seabed.

Wheat

Modern wheat contains much higher levels of gluten due to laboratory cross-breeding and modification. Many people experience discomfort after eating wheat, particularly bread. Spelt is a type of ancient wheat that has a lower gluten content and is better tolerated by people sensitive to wheat. There are many alternatives to wheat such as rye, oats, barley and the gluten –free grains such as rice and corn.

Sensitising chemicals in food

Amines and salicylates are naturally occurring chemicals in fruits, vegetables and other foods that can build up to levels that exceed a threshold causing many allergy symptoms. Amines form as a result of protein breakdown and are therefore prevalent in many processed, aged and leftover foods. The ripening of fruit and the browning of food also increase the amine content. Because amines dilate blood vessels in sensitive people they are implicated in migraines and headaches.

Salicylates are chemicals that are naturally found in many fruits and vegetables and are artificially added to food to give flavour. Asprin and some other medications also contain salicylates. In sensitive children, salicylates can trigger behaviour problems and are excluded in diets used to treat ADHD (see Feingold diet).

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