Understand the connection between food allergies and diabetes

Tuesday, July 26, 2011 by: Derrell Jones
Tags: food allergies, diabetes, health news

(NewsTarget) Here is food for thought. Food allergies can actually cause diabetic responses complicating anti-diabetic protocols and treatments. With Diabetes Mellitus being a metabolic disorder, diabetes becomes less controllable or irreversible when other metabolic issues due to food allergies and intolerances arise. Inflammation, auto-immune destruction of cells, and insulin resistance can be triggered by food intolerances.

Inflammation
The necessity to trim or eliminate saturated fat from the diet has been well documented. It seems that saturated fat not only can affect good heart health, but can also trigger insulin resistance. Research conducted at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine found that saturated fats cause immune cells to activate and excrete an inflammatory protein called interleukin-1 Beta. This protein interacts with organs and tissues causing them to resist insulin.

Dr. William Philpott noted that some food allergies caused body cells to swell (edema) leading to insulin resistance. Edema is a response to inflammation which contributed to diabetic type responses in the body. He and his team observed blood sugar levels of patients before and after meals. When the offending food was removed, the diabetic response vanished in conjunction with the inflammation. The offending foods were usually corn, wheat, and dairy products.

Auto-Immune Destruction
In some Type 1 diabetics auto-immune responses can play a key role in their diabetes. It is thought that some 75% of Type 1 diabetics are allergic to their own pancreatic cells, which are responsible for insulin production. Research conducted in Australia and Italy has found a correlation between cow's milk and Type 1 diabetes in children. Bovine Serum Albumin is a protein to which some individuals are allergic, and the body attacks it. Unfortunately the pancreatic cells responsible for producing insulin look very much like Bovine Serum Albumin leading to both the protein and the pancreatic cells being attacked (thus limiting insulin production). Children given cow's milk formula during the first three years of life are 52% more likely to develop Type 1 diabetes.

Insulin resistance can stem from many causes, including food allergies and intolerances. These allergies can take many forms. In today's highly processed, highly chemicalized food systems, the ingesting of certain foods can cause chronic inflammation. This chronic inflammation disrupts normal body processes like insulin production and encourages continued sensitivities creating a vicious cycle. If you are diabetic or know someone who is, consider food allergy testing. It could be one of the keys to stabilizing or reversing this condition.

Sources:

Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide. Deepak Chopra, M.D.

"Studies Confirm Diabetes Risk from Cow's Milk in Infants", Dan Hurley. Medical Tribune, February 3, 1995. 11

http://www.elements4health.com/new-research-...

About the author

Derrell is a Nutritional Consultant and is currently seeking a diploma as a Holistic Health Practitioner. His mission is to assist as many people as possible during a time when good health is stolen instead of fostered. Follow Derrell at thoughtfulhealth.blogspot.com or email him at [email protected]. If you are interested in toxin free personal care products please visit mysisel.com/thoughtfulhealth. Sign up to purchase products.