Human diets have changed substantially over the decades. Unfortunately, many of the changes have been to our demise. Todays diets are high in saturated fat, loaded with preservatives, are often super-sized portions, and contain poor produce quality to name a few. Each has played a part in increasing rates of obesity, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, chronic pain, inflammatory diseases, chronic headaches, among many other health issues. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence that supports how significantly poor food choices can have an adverse effect on our health and well being. Simply put, we are in charge of our diets. We can make the choices to consume foods that will be beneficial to our body’s physiology and our good health. What happens when we think we’re making the appropriate food selections but we continue to experience symptoms such as poor digestive, chronic pain, head fog, and neurological issues such as depression and anxiety. It is possible that you may be suffering from a food sensitivity.
Food sensitivities and allergies are more common than we are aware of. A food sensitivity can occur when the immune system perceives a certain protein in food as being a threat to the body. The immune system responds by releasing inflammatory chemicals to “fight off” the invador. Normally, this response is what keeps us safe from illness and infection. Unfortunatly, repetitive consumption of the food’s allergenic properties enable this process to occur again and again, with no chance for the body to recover. Inflammation throughout the body leads to a variety of symptoms and illnesses. You may have symptoms of food sensitivities that you are unaware of, or that you have come to accept as “just a part of your immune system dysfunction”. The following are common conditions that can be associated with a food sensitivity or allergy:
Acid reflux
Constipation
Diarrhea
Chronic headaches
Migraines
Sinus problems
Arthritis
Eczema
Asthma
Irritable Bowel Disease
Chronic Fatigue
Hypothyroidism
ADD/ADHD
Type 1 Diabetes
Gallbladder problems
Osteoporosis
Dementia
Multiple Sclerosis
Gluten, dairy, and eggs are some of the most common foods that people can be sensitive to. Unfortunatly, these ingredients are abundant in our diets.
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, spelt, kamut, barley, and rye. Immune systems of those who have a gluten sensitivity perceive gluten antigens as a foreign invader and activate an inflammatory immune response. This response causes destruction of the intestinal wall and leads to an inability to adequately absorb nutrients from food. This can lead to malnutrition issues such as anemia and osteoporosis. Worse yet, gluten is everywhere in our food supply! Baking powder, pasta, cottage cheese, soy sauce, beer, marshmallows, even stamp adhesives and envelopes. You can view lists of gluten containing foods at www.celiac.com. For more information on gluten sensitivity, visit www.celiac.nih.gov.
Symptoms associated with gluten sensitivity:
Gas
Recurrent abdominal pain and bloating
Chronic diarrhea
Nausea with or without vomiting
Acid reflux
Weight loss or weight gain
Fatigue
Unexplained anemia
Bone or joint pain
Osteoporosis/Osteopenia
Behavioral changes
Tingling or numbness in the legs (from nerve damage)
Muscle cramps
Seizures
Missed menstrual periods (from malnutrition)
Infertility or recent miscarriage
Delayed growth
Failure to thrive in infants
Pale sores inside the mouth (Apothous Ulcers)
Tooth discoloration or loss of enamel
Dairy is a common sensitivity. We are the only species who, for years, have consumed the milk of another species. Human milk and cow’s milk have an entirely different chemical makeup and because humans were never intended to ingest cow’s milk, we lack the proper enzymes to properly digest dairy products. Worse yet, cow’s milk is known to possess 30 antigenic primary properties. Despite all of this information, dairy has become known and is advertised as the “elixer of health” for strong bones and muscles. Many of us began consuming dairy products at a very early age. In addition to the symptoms of lactose intolerance (inability to digest lactose) there are a multitude of other adverse reactions that have been linked to dairy consumption.
Symptoms associated with dairy sensitivities:
Gas
Abdominal bloating/pain
Diarrhea
Constipation
Gastrointestinal bleeding
Anemia
Nausea and vomiting
Acid reflux
Chronic headaches/migraines
Joint pain/arthritis
Rhinitis
Ear infections
Hay fever
Asthma
Eczema
Depression and mood swings
ADHD
Bed wetting in children
Eggs have long been known to be an allergen in children. Most sources recommend that eggs not be introduced into the diet until the age of 2 years. The proteins in the eggs are the culprit of allergic responses. Unfortunately, eggs are in most processed foods in our diets, pastries, pastas, processed meats, some margarines, candy, ect, but can also be hidden ingredients in lotions, shampoos, vaccines, and medications. You may find eggs referenced as Albumin, Globulin, Livetin, Lysozyme, and Lecithin.
Symptoms associated with egg sensitivity:
Abdominal bloating and pain
Diarrhea
Constipation
Nausea and vomiting
Chronic headaches
Migraines
Rhinitis
Asthma
Dermatitis
Eczema
Hives
Itching of the mouth and tongue
Wheezing
Sensitivities to all or even one of these foods may seem overwhelming. The though of illiminating these foods may seem impossible. No so! Todays grocery stores, like Whole Foods, PCC, and Fred Meyer provide many options for gluten, dairy, and egg free diets. Some of the information contained in this article was extracted from the second edition of The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre. This book is an excellent source of information on food sensitivities and is loaded with recipes to help your quest to eliminate your food sensitivity related health issues.
Sarah Deam, DC
