Food Intolerance

Navigation: Main page » Nutrition

 Print this page Submit articleComment article

Author: Lucy-Ann Prideaux

Article source: http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/. Used with author's permission.

Many people experience unpleasant reactions to foods they have eaten and suspect they have a "food allergy". However, only 2-5% of adults and 2-8% of children are truly "allergic" to certain foods. The remainder of people may be experiencing food intolerance, or food sensitivity, rather than true food allergy.

I think a quick lesson is in order… A food allergy occurs when an individual ingests a food (usually containing a protein) that the body sees as a "foreign" or threatening substance - known as an ANTIGEN or ALLERGEN. The person's immune system responds by mounting an attack, producing large amounts of IgE antibodies, which attach themselves to specialised white blood cells. These cells release histamine and other inflammatory substances, producing "classic" allergic symptoms of swelling and inflammation. Conditions and symptoms such as rhinitis, asthma, wheezing, lip swelling, itchy skin, hives, and eczema involve this type of "allergic" reaction. The allergens involved could be anything from a food protein, pollen from flowers or grasses, house-dust mite or animal dander.

A food "intolerant" reaction also occurs when the body "reacts" to the ingestion of a food. This reaction however may or may not involve the immune system, and may be caused by a food protein, a starch or sugar molecule, other food component, or by a contaminant found in the food (e.g. food colouring, preservative etc.). If the immune system IS involved, it is usually a different class of antibody that is produced, which is why standard food allergy tests can produce negative results, yet noticeable food-related symptoms persist. Many symptoms related to food intolerance are caused by a local inflammatory response in the gut, and a sign of underlying "inflammation".

With food "intolerance", it is worth understanding, that it's rarely the food that is the problem - it is the person's response to it! Foods containing wheat or milk for example are getting reputations as "bad foods" due to the reactions they can produce in some people. While they can very well be "problem foods" for some, they can also be very healthy foods for others. Food intolerance could be re-named as "poor digestion", as reactions to food are often the result of poor or compromised digestion!

So what can cause food intolerance? Food intolerances are often caused by stress! Food-intolerant people often have low levels of secretory IgA, a class of protective antibodies found in the gut. IgA antibodies protect the body against the entry of foreign substances. Stress leads to a decrease in secretory IgA… a bit of vicious cycle really, but it certainly explains the relationship between stress and food intolerance!

Underlying digestive problems (e.g. low stomach acidity, gut bacterial overgrowth, a "leaky" or damaged gut lining, yeast infection or poor digestive enzyme production) are common "causes" of food intolerance and must be addressed before avoiding foods unnecessarily. Gallbladder disease, gallstones, and pancreatitis may also be underlying causes of reactions to foods, but these will produce other symptoms too.

It is usually large food particles that cause allergic reactions, so proper breakdown of food (especially protein) via cooking and chewing is vitally important. Digestive enzymes or probiotics can often help too to ensure complete digestion, and once digestion is corrected, things can improve quite dramatically.

Signs and symptoms of food intolerance can be quite diverse, depending on how long the person has been ingesting food allergens and how the body has "adapted". Common symptoms include bloating, stomach cramping, diarrhoea or constipation - yes commonly known as "IBS"! Long term food intolerance may produce symptoms totally unrelated to the digestive system and may include fatigue, joint and muscle aching, depression, headaches and migraine, hyperactivity in children, and even certain autoimmune disorders.

Diagnosing a food intolerance rather than an allergy (via IgE antibody blood testing) is not easy, simply because reactions to foods can occur from anywhere between 12-36 hours after eating… coupled with the fact that an individual may be reacting to more than one food! Exclusion/reintroduction diets are the "gold standard" of tests and the most useful when done properly. They do need to be adhered to for at least 2-4 weeks initially, and are always best done under the guidance of a registered nutritionist or dietician with experience in food allergy and intolerance.

Various blood tests are now available (most useful are IgG antibody tests - available now via pin-prick blood sample) which may prove useful in many cases - but only when there are noticeable symptoms. Vega testing (measuring energy flow) and kinesiology (muscle strength testing) are entirely reliant on the skill of the practitioner, so how effective they actually are is very difficult to measure. Whatever the test, none are 100% accurate, and changes to a person's diet based purely on the results of a test cause more confusion than clarity, and very often lead to unbalanced eating, unnecessary food phobias, and possible nutrient deficiencies.

What to do if you suspect you have a food intolerance

1) Keep a food diary and note when symptoms occur
2) Try and identify the possible problem foods
3) Seek advice on how to adapt the diet to improve digestion
4) Eat a varied, fresh and nutritious diet

The most commonly allergic foods… Cow's milk, cheese, soya, eggs, peanuts, wheat, gluten, yeast, corn, rye, chocolate (often the milk in chocolate!), coffee, tea, alcohol (it is the chemicals and preservatives in alcohol, not the alcohol per say), citrus fruit (lemons, oranges), white potato, beef, various spices, tomato, malt, pork, chemical additives, colourings and preservatives in food (especially tartrazine, sodium benzoate, aspartame).

Food intolerances are best dealt with by avoidance of the offending food for a prescribed period of time, followed by a "rotation" diet, in which problem foods are only eaten every three to four days, instead of daily. Young children can often re-introduce foods after three months of avoidance, whereas adults may require six to twelve months of avoidance.

Much food intolerance and even some food allergy problems settle down after long-term avoidance, and especially when digestion is improved. When a problem food is only eaten sparingly, symptoms are less likely to return. The importance of rotating foods varies from person to person and may be related to the severity of the allergies.

The following foods are the least likely to provoke allergic reactions:

Beverages:
Almond milk, Quinoa milk, herb teas, apple juice and other pure or freshly squeezed fruit juices without sugar or additives (dilute 50:50 with water).
Roasted grain beverages may be used as coffee substitutes. If you like fresh coffee, Dandelion root which you can grind in a coffee grinder.
Soya milk is fine UNLESS you have an allergy to soya!

Cereals:
Oats (unless you have diagnosed Coeliac disease or are known to be "sensitive" to gluten)
Oatmeal and Oatbran
Quinoa porridge
Puffed rice and millet cereal
Homemade mueslis

Grains and flours:
Chick pea flour
Potato flour
Buckwheat flour
Rice flour

Cooked whole gains:
Oats, millet, pearl or pot barley, buckwheat groats (also known as Kashi), brown rice, basmati rice, amaranth, quinoa, 100% buckwheat soba noodles, rice noodles.

Breads:
Sprouted grain breads, rice bread, 100% rye or spelt bread (often fine with wheat-sensitive individuals), other wheat and yeast-free breads
100% rice cakes
100% rye crackers

Legumes:
Haricot beans
Chickpeas
Black-eye beans
Kidney beans
Lentils
Navy beans
Pinto beans
Peas
String beans
Tofu (soya bean curd)

Dried beans should be soaked overnight. Pour off the water and rinse before cooking for allotted time. Canned beans often contain added sugar or other potential allergens, so if used they must be rinsed well.

Nuts and seeds Almonds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds - eat raw with no salt etc. Nut butters are highly nutritious spreads to use in place of butter or margarine, e.g. Tahini, almond butter, hazelnut or cashew butter.

Oils:
Use cold-pressed or expeller-pressed oils (available from health food stores), as they are safer. Do not use corn oil or "vegetable oil" from an unspecified source, as this is usually corn oil.
Rapeseed oil
Linseed (edible linseed or flaxseed) oil
Olive oil
Safflower oil
Sesame oil
Soya oil
Sunflower oil

Protein:
Fresh white fish, salmon, mackerel and tuna and most canned fish, lamb, poultry and fowl.

Vegetables and fruit
All vegetables except corn are generally acceptable on a low-allergen diet, as is all fruits with the exception of citrus fruits. Tomatoes can often cause problems and should be avoided by susceptible individuals. Other food members of the nightshade family (potatoes, aubergine, peppers) may prove problematic with arthritis sufferers.

One Lesson Book – The Graphic Design
No matter who actually you are, a graphic designer, web designer, visualizer, concept developer, animator or layout artist. If you belong with word "Graphic Des...

Real Estate Investing - House Problems
Residential real estate investing seldom involves houses without problems. Few residential properties have not been abused nor neglected. The severity of proper...

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act Was created on July 30th 2002, by Senator Paul Sarbanes and Representative Michael Oxley, who drafted the bill. It followed a series of h...

Beyond the Golden Rule
Getting your message across is a matter of knowing how to connect with other people. On of the main secrets is going beyond the golden rule.

Where is the Market Going?
If you ask me whether the market will have moved up or down by this time next year, well I may as well flip a coin, because I don't know.

Going Beyond Benzoyl Peroxide
There are several acne treatments that are more powerful, and more effective, in treating acne than Benzoyl Peroxide. Find out what they are, and how well they ...

Getting Your Fundraiser Publicity
Publicity helps to let people know of your upcoming fundraising event.

What is a Ghostwriter and How Can I Find One to Hire?
How do I go about searching for a ghostwriter? There are practically tens of thousands of such services provided all over the internet. Maybe more. The charges ...

5 Ways to Market Your Business for Free - Part III - The Bonus Method
Affiliate marketing is a complete marketing strategy for your business. Unlike a lot of other marketing methods, this can be the only methods you use to generat...

Gateway to Success:Credit Cards
Credit cards are a form of credit that is so accessible these days, that we can take a card out as easily as going into a shop as buying a newspaper, the only d...

Get Tough
The situations sales professionals face on a day-to-day basis can take a tremendous toll on your emotional and mental well-being.

Presenting: Dr. Rajiv Arya, My Cool Dentist
When your eyes are open you tend to find wonderful and extraordinary people right around you. My dentist, Dr. Rajiv Arya, is one of those indivdiuals. Whenever ...

How To Repair Your Credit & Improve Your Credit Score - Even If You Are Not A Financial Expert!
Feeling the effects of having bad credit? Learn the steps to repairing your credit, improving your credit score, and getting your financial life back to normal...

Motivation and Inspiration: Illusions 101
Make a goals and dreams list. At the top of a sheet of paper write "If I knew I couldn't fail, I would..............." Then let your imagination go and don't st...

Hobo Purses - Fashion is Now Comfortable!
Isn't it great, when what is currently in fashion is also comfortable and practical? Totes and hobo purses are this year's favorites. Find out how to select the...

Listening to Your Heart!
If you listen to your heart, you know what brings you joy, peace, beauty, and love. So why wouldn't we want to do this? Most of us have been taught to distrust ...

Customers Demand Internet Privacy
Because of SPAM and phishing e-mails, identity theft and viruses, it's completely understandable that customers have a hightened concern about their Internet pr...

Adolescence - Clues and Advice
Adolescence is a difficult transition for both the young adult and the parent. Here are some great ideas to make it a little easier for everyone!

Flipping Fixers: Using Transformation Psychology for Top Dollar
Satisfying and lucrative real estate investment depends upon your correct assessment of profit potential, of course, but your ultimate success depends on your a...

A New Era in Bathroom Technology - Bathroom Home Improvements
Space Age Steam Showers and Whirlpool Tubs come together. The new trend in bathroom technology that's been sweeping through Europe for a few years, has finall...

SIPPs (Self Investment Pension Plans) Made Easy
SIPPs Property Pensions: In a massive shake-up of pension legislation, you can now use your pension funds to buy residential property in the UK and Abroad; so t...

How to Buy Discount Bamboo Flooring
When buying discount, you need to make sure that you are not getting a product of inferior quality. This is true of everything including discount bamboo floori...

Unlocking the Myth of Hypnotic Communication
Hypnotic communications is a very natural process that we all do all the time -- some have just learned to do it more eloquently for positive outcomes and other...

7 Days to a Slim New You
A week doesn't seem like much when you have a lot of pounds to lose. But it's enough to work miracles if you use it well. Read on to kick start your weight loss...