Food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities and why they’re important 101
15 million adults in America have food allergies — and this does not include mild sensitivities or intolerances that don’t show up on tests.
So what does this mean?
A food allergy is an overreaction of the immune system to a particular food or ingredient. When you think food allergy, I am sure you envision your 2nd grade classroom, when your one classmate couldn’t have the class snack because it contained peanut butter. I sure do. However, there is so much more than just these extreme reactions that we typically associate with ‘allergies.’
Along with allergies, intolerances and sensitivities are widespread and activate the immune system similarly. Intolerance exist when the body is unable to digest a certain food, potentially lacking the enzyme necessary to do so (i.e. lactose requires lactase to digest).
The immune response is an important part of the body’s defense as we need it in times of injury and illness. However, when it comes to food, if it is unwelcomed within the body, the same response will activate as a result. As you can imagine, chronic activation can be harmful.
The most common include the following eight: peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish. Food allergies typically develop in early childhood yet can also remain dormant and develop or arise later in life, unfortunately, they are not easy to predict.
We are familiar with the common symptoms of a food allergy, but what about symptoms that may be considered less severe that manifest in intolerances and/or sensitivities? Common symptoms associated with food intolerances:
Bloating
Constipation
Diarrhea
Flatulence
Nausea
Abdominal discomfort
Rashes
Hives
Swelling
Acne
Eczema
Itchy skin
Headaches
Migraines
Respiratory problems
Low thyroid
Mood swings
The symptoms listed are those of common food intolerances and while these may be temporary discomforts, repeated consumption of foods that our body’s immune response becomes activated for, results in systemic inflammation and the potential for a host of other issues, including arthritis, atherosclerosis, autoimmune disorders, cognitive issues, dementia, depression, anxiety, and weight gain. We know that food allergies can commonly result in more severe symptoms and can be potentially fatal.
I have experienced, both in my persona life and with clients, this disregard for potential food sensitivities and tolerances. It is almost glamorized to continue to eat dairy, even when the body is signaling, via symptoms, that something is not right, While the consumer may be able to tolerate the immediate symptoms of the issue, there is likely no consideration that the reaction is not limited to just the temporary discomfort. As mentioned above, widespread inflammation can ensue and greater issues can occur.
A client shared with me that she experienced various symptoms when eating dairy and would simply push through the discomfort. I immediately encouraged her to remove dairy from her diet, and she experienced an immediate shift, not just in symptom reduction, but in her body as a whole. This is huge. Making these connections are essential to optimal wellness.
Raising your awareness around which foods allow you to thrive, and any foods that elicit the symptoms above or just downright don’t make you feel good is imperative to getting started in this process. This goes for intolerances/sensitivities, and just in general. Identifying the foods that allow you to feel nourished and establishing the foods that cause you to feel otherwise can help you better understand your body and support your health for the long term.
One tip, during an elimination diet, reintroduction, and just in general, is to keep a food journal to take note of patterns. It can be easy to lose sight of any patterns or repeated experiences you may have with certain foods so having it logged, allows you to have an overview of what you’re eating and what is resulting from day to day.
Identifying and neutralizing any kind of allergy/sensitivity/intolerance is crucial to long term health. Consider investing in an IgE blood test, like Cyrex Labs, or invest the time in an elimination diet to identify any culprits. Elimination edits can be used when symptoms are ongoing and a food allergy test hasn’t allowed you to identify the culprit (in the case of intolerances/sensitivities). Eliminate, reintroduce, repeat to confirm! Ideal length of time is 3-6 weeks, however, to truly get the best feedback, 6 months is the best. It can take at least 3 weeks for antibodies to decrease to pre-reaction levels so once they’ve dropped, the body can begin to heal.
If you need support in this arena, let’s chat. Identifying the root causes of inflammation within the body is one of the most important parts of the wellness process. You don’t have to do it alone.
