Originally published June 22 2013
Is a hidden food sensitivity harming your health? Here are seven major clues
by PF Louis
(NaturalNews) Food should be our first medicine. But it is too often our first poison. GMOs, pesticides, and herbicides are the most obvious toxins. They can be eliminated and replaced by using organically produced produce, grains, dairy, and meats.
Then there are all those food additives: Preservatives, flavorings, sweeteners, and colorings. Many of those cause immediate acute reactions and long-term chronic inflammatory conditions. Low level chronic inflammation has been isolated as a primary source of major diseases.
So maybe you've abandoned those traps. Junk food and processed food are no longer part of your diet. And maybe still you're not satisfied with your health, physical, mental, or emotional.
Maybe you're suffering from a food allergy or food sensitivity or two.
An overview of food sensitivity issues and potential symptoms
Food allergy reactions can cause a variety of symptoms that range from mild to severe, including anaphylaxis, a rapid onset reaction that can cause death.
Any allergic reaction is the immune system's over reaction to what may be tolerable to others, thus creating inflammation.
Mainstream medical studies suggest that food allergies affect as many as 15 million Americans. But there are probably more with the less obvious chronic conditions.
Simon Yu, MD, head of Prevention and Healing, Inc. in St. Louis agrees with Dr. Breneman's statement, "Over 60 percent of illness involves food intolerance."
Dr. Yu focuses on allergy blood testing and elimination dieting as a first step for healing anything. His services are available online. (1)
As usual, many symptoms are common to several different health issues. What surprises many is that food sensitivity can create more than gastrointestinal problems. It also creates psychological and emotional problems. (2)
(1) Chronic fatigue is a common symptom that could be addressed for possible food intolerance. This may indicate Candida yeast overgrowth, which calls for a strict diet and probiotic supplementing.
(2) Any gastrointestinal or bowel inflammation issues such as Celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome should focus on food allergies as well.
(3) Digestive issues such as bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, and feeling tired after eating may indicate specific food allergies.
(4) Depression, irritability, and/or mood swings could involve dietary issues. A psychiatric institute that denied schizophrenic patients dairy and gluten released them in half the time of other similar cases on "normal" diets. (2)
(5) Skin issues, rashes and eczema are prime examples of allergies.
(6) Asthma in children is often attributed to food allergies.
(7) ADD and other aspects of the autism spectrum are usually connected to gut inflammation, often caused by vaccines, that can be cured with probiotics and eliminating certain food types.
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride developed the GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) to cure her autistic son. She continues this in her pediatric practice in Britain. Her book Gut and Psychology Syndrome is available. (3)
Elimination dieting focuses on eliminating common and/or suspected food allergens for around two weeks then introducing them back to determine the exact allergen. Or, simply no longer include any of the eliminated foods at all if you're feeling great.
Here are the most common food allergens in order of highest occurrence
Dairy: Most dairy allergens are from pasteurized farm factory dairy cows. Often, normally lactose intolerant folks do okay with raw milk from healthy cows. Conversely, some raised on raw milk get sick from pasteurized milk when they can't use raw milk.
Wheat or other high gluten grains: Nurse and allergy testing specialist Mary Roe thinks the specific allergen is often baker's yeast rather than wheat.
Soy products: Soy causes problems for many. Only fermented soy, such as tempeh or soy sauce may not be problematic.
Shellfish and shrimp cause allergic reactions often.
Peanuts and/or tree nuts fill out the food allergen ranks.
Julie Paleaz, co-author of Conscious Cleanse eliminated most of the above and found a new and healthier life for herself. She recommends the first foods you should eliminate are the ones you feel you cannot do without.
Ironically, any food to which one is addicted is probably an allergen for that person. (4)
Sources for this article include:
(1) http://www.preventionandhealing.com/
(2) http://www.wholeapproach.com/newsletter/archives/2003/04_April.html
(3) http://gapsdiet.com/
(4) http://www.mindbodygreen.com
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