Home / Food Allergies and Diet / Food Allergies & Intolerances

by Kelley Herring

Food allergies and intolerances don’t just cause discomfort and pain. They can also cause a lot of anxiety and confusion over what to eat. Even worse, allergies and intolerances can cause long term damage to your body, setting the stage for a host of health problems, including auto-immune diseases and even cancer.

Today, I’m going to give you a short Immunology 101 class that will give you a better grasp of food allergies and intolerances and what they mean to your health.

First, you’ll learn the difference between an allergy and intolerance, along with their common signs and symptoms. You’ll also learn how allergies and intolerances are linked to chronic diseases like cancer and rheumatoid arthritis.

Next, I’ll show you how food allergies and intolerances develop and the simple, natural ways you can reduce your risk.

Then I’ll introduce you to a program that will make living with food allergies and intolerances so much easier… and tastier too!

Is It An Allergy… or an Intolerance?

With all the recent press about going gluten free and the dramatic rise of food allergies, you might be wondering if you have a food allergy.   

While true food allergies are rare – affecting about 8% of children and 4% of adults – food intolerances are much more common.

So what’s the difference?

Food allergies involve the immune system directly. Symptoms usually appear within a few minutes or hours after the offending food is consumed. Here’s the cascade of events that occurs when you consume an immune-offensive food:

1. You eat a food or food compound that your immune system mistakenly identifies as a harmful foreign substance, called an antigen.
2. Your body produces IgE antibodies to fight the offending “invader”.
3. You eat the food again.
4. Your immune system rushes to the rescue by producing antibodies and releasing histamine and inflammatory chemicals. These chemicals cause symptoms associated with an allergy.

Not only can food allergies cause discomfort, but in some cases, they can be deadly.
 
Unlike a food allergy, food intolerances generally do not involve the immune system.  That’s why you’ll hear food intolerances or food sensitivities referred to as IgG reactions or non-allergic food hypersensitivity.

What’s more, food intolerances are commonly dose-dependent, meaning you can likely eat a small amount of the food without a reaction. But with a food allergy, eating even the tiniest amount of the food can trigger a serious reaction.

The last essential thing to understand about food intolerances is that they can take days to manifest. This makes it extremely difficult to establish the connection between what you ate… and how you feel.

Symptoms of Food Allergies & Intolerances

Don’t think you have a food allergy or intolerance?  You might be fooling yourself. In fact, “masked” food allergies are on the rise and cause a broad range of common symptoms like:

And while this might seem like a long list, the number of chronic diseases associated with food allergies and intolerances is even longer and includes:

But how could so many seemingly unrelated health issues be connected to food intolerance and allergy?

Inflammation: Symptoms are Signs!

While noticing an occasional dark circle after a poor night’s sleep or suffering an odd case of indigestion after a spicy meal shouldn’t raise a red flag, if it happens regularly, pay attention: Symptoms are signs.

And in the cases of intolerance and allergies, it is a sign of inflammation.

After you eat an offending food, your body either releases IgG (as in food intolerance) or IgE antibodies (as in food allergy). These antibodies combine with the food antigen and create an antibody-antigen complex. The body tries to eliminate these complexes, but if there are too many, they settle in tissues, causing inflammation and tissue damage throughout the body. This cumulative damage can eventually cause disease.

But why does your body start reacting to foods in the first place? 

Is Your Gut Leaking?

In 1908, Nobel Prize winner Dr. Eli Metchnikoff said, “Death begins in the gut”.

He was absolutely right. In fact, it is impossible to have vibrant well-being and bullet-proof immunity without a healthy gut. And while we typically only think about our “guts” when we are hungry (or when they’re acting up), your gut is busy 24 hours a day doing a lot more than just digesting.

Consider these fascinating facts about your gut:

• Comprises 70% of the immune system thanks to the gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) - just under the one-cell-layer thick intestinal barrier
• Produces 90% of your feel good neurotransmitter, serotonin. Learn more about the digestion-depression connection here. 
• Provides a protective barrier that prevents toxins, bacteria, yeast, viruses and undigested food particles from passing into the bloodstream
• Has its own nervous system called the enteric nervous system (ENS) and is often called the “second brain”
• Plays a role in weight regulation (an imbalance in bad bacteria like Clostridium promotes the storage of fat)
• Regulates your hormones by way of the microflora – the bacteria species that reside in the gut
• Produces acetic acid which muscles use as fuel
• Produces propionic acid – a substance that helps the liver produce energy (ATP)

But when the lining of our digestive tract becomes damaged, these vital processes slow or come to a halt, causing a laundry list of unpleasant symptoms (and eventually disease).

You see, in a healthy body, the intestinal lining serves as a barrier between the contents of the gut (partially-digested food, waste, bacteria, parasites, etc.) and the bloodstream.  While the material inside the digestive tract is harmless to the digestive system, it is toxic to the rest of the body.

And as partially digested food components, bacteria and organisms leak into the bloodstream, the body responds with inflammation and immune responses.

A leaky gut also forces your detoxification pathways to work harder. Since the food and toxic debris that leaks from the gut travels through the blood, lymph, liver, kidneys and lungs, having a leaky gut forces these organs to filter and detoxify at a higher rate.

That’s why maintaining the integrity of this one-cell-layer thick barrier in your gut is so important!

It protects you not only from developing food allergies, intolerances, auto-immune issues and mood disorders, but it reduces the toxic burden on your body as well. 

So how can we protect this barrier that does so much to protect us? 

Avoid the Causes a Leaky Gut

Unfortunately, a number of common foods, everyday chemicals, and simple imbalances are capable of damaging your digestive barrier and creating a “leaky gut.” These include: 

10 Ways to Heal Your Leaky Gut

The good news is that you can heal your leaky gut. In fact, the intestinal lining replaces itself every 3-4 days. That means, you can calm your immune system, reduce your body’s reactivity to foods, regain your health and reduce your risk for chronic disease.

But there are steps you must take to ensure healing.

• #1 - Avoid all of the contributors to a leaky gut (see above).
• #2 - Eat an organic, whole foods diet that is low in sugar, free from antibiotics, hormones, GMOs, pasteurized dairy products, additives, preservatives, artificial sweeteners and allergens.
• #3 - Chew your food well. Saliva is a rich source of epidermal growth factor (EDF) that stimulates the repair of the intestinal lining.
• #4 - Don’t drink too much with your meals.  This dilutes gastric juices, reduces the effectiveness of digestive enzymes and prolongs digestion, providing food for intestinal bacteria. Drink only small amounts of liquid (½ cup) with your meals.
• #5 - Don’t overeat. Overeating increases the risk of food being improperly digested.
• #6 - Treat underlying infections. It is essential to address Candida, parasites, viral and bacterial infections if they are present. Learn more about Candida here
• #7 - Get tested for food allergies and intolerances or eat an allergy elimination diet. In order for the intestinal lining to heal, exposure to foods that cause allergic reactions must be avoided. Consider getting a simple blood test like ALATESS or ALCAT to pinpoint your specific food allergies and intolerances.
• #8 - Provide your gut with healing nutrients.  Because the gut lining replaces itself faster than almost any other part of the body, it requires lots of energy to restore. Not eating enough can actually increase leaky gut, so don’t starve yourself – you will abate your progress.
• #9 - Consider a digestive rest. Giving your digestive tract a break from solid food for a few days gives it a chance to rest and heal. Base your cleanse on nutrient-rich bone broths and pure filtered water.
• #10 - RELAX. Nurture yourself to de-stress and keep levels of the stress hormone cortisol down.

Here are the foods and nutrients that are most important to heal your leaky gut:

• #1 - “Clean” Protein: Protein requirements increase during times of stress, injury and illness. It is vital that you get enough protein to rebuild the intestinal lining. Most experts recommend around one gram per pound of body weight per day for healing. Aim for 20-40 grams per meal (and 10 grams of protein per snack) for maximum absorption and digestive ease. Good sources of clean protein include grass-fed beef, wild fish, pastured eggs and poultry, as well as grass-fed whey protein (if tolerated).  Bone broths are especially healing thanks to their high gelatin and nutrient content and should be consumed daily. Bone broths, along with high quality protein shakes (try Jay Robb Proteins - Egg Protein, Whey Protein powders or Nutribiotic Rice Protein) are excellent choices for convenience and easy digestion on your gut healing program.

• #2 - Omega-3 Fats: These healthy fats, found primarily in cold-water fish, promote intestinal healing, support the immune system, and also reduce inflammation. Enjoy wild sources of fish like wild salmon, wild Pacific halibut and sardines. And take a high quality fish oil supplement like Carlson Fish Oil. Cod liver oil is another great omega-3 option that provides high vitamin A and D content – nutrients that promote digestive healing.

• #3- Probiotic Supplements & Lacto-Fermented Foods: Choose a high quality a supplement with as many strains as possible. Be sure to purchase from a reputable company to ensure your probiotics “arrive alive”. If dairy issues are present, be sure to choose dairy-free formulas. Also enjoy unpasteurized, lacto-fermented probiotic veggies like sauerkraut and kimchi.

• #4 - Colostrum: A powerful immune-stimulating substance derived from cow's first milk. Rich in lactoferrin and other immunoglobulins, colostrum supercharges immunity while promoting healthy flora balance. Buy fresh from your local Weston A. Price chapter or look for grass-fed, unpasteurized colostrum like Jarrow Colostrum Prime Life.  Colostrum is not suitable for those with dairy allergies.

• #5 - Digestive Enzymes: Taking enteric-coated digestive enzymes before meals increases nutrient absorption and helps reduce the risk of partially digested food particles passing through the gut into the body.

• #6 - Glutamine:  An amino acid that gut cells use as fuel. It is essential for growth and repair of the digestive lining and also helps to detoxify the liver. 500 mg twice a day is a common dose.

• #7 - Aloe Vera: Drinking aloe vera juice helps seal the intestinal wall in much the same way that aloe gel seals a wound or soothes a burn when applied to the skin.

• #8 - Demulsants: Along with aloe vera, slippery elm, marshmallow and licorice soothe the mucus membranes, acting as a bandage for the intestinal lining.

• #9 - Liver Support: Milk thistle, dandelion root and NAC are powerful detoxifiers that help protect the liver from damage.

• #10 - Vitamins & Minerals:  Vitamin A, vitamin B-5, vitamin D, zinc, selenium and folic acid are all required for a healthy intestinal lining. Deficiencies in any of these nutrients can weaken the small intestinal lining or lead to an inability of the lining to repair itself.

As with all supplements, be sure to talk to your holistic doctor.

Create Your Personalized Healing Plan

With the right diet, you can repair your leaky gut, calm your body’s response to food allergens, eliminate nagging symptoms and even reduce the long-term risk of chronic disease.  In fact, many people notice a big improvement in their health and well-being in as little as a few weeks!

But it takes some effort. You must be willing to avoid some common foods, read labels carefully and prepare meals from scratch.

And that’s where Healing Gourmet can help…

In addition to getting support from others like you in our vibrant Food Allergies & Intolerances Community, you can start healing your gut and calming your immune system with a personalized Delicious Solutions Allergy-Safe Diet.

You’ll get instant access to your personalized meal plan that includes menus for every day of the week, a list of Healthy Shortcuts (quick fixes to pick up at the store), easy and delicious recipes, complete nutrition information and much, much more.

You can customize your Delicious Solutions plan to suit your unique food allergy and intolerance needs including:

PLUS, you’ll also receive My Healthy Gut and My Elimination Diet and My Food Journal as part of the Healing U educational program.

You don’t have to live with nagging health problems. You don’t have to accept feeling badly as a part of getting older. And you can stop believing (as your doctor may have told you) that it is “all in your head”.

Food allergies and intolerances are real. Don’t let this “silent syndrome” steal your health. Address your food intolerance issues today for a healthier tomorrow!

 References

• American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Oxidative Damage and Defense; RA Jacob, BJ Burri; June 1996
• Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition"; Food Induced Malabsorption Syndromes; E Savilahti; 2000
  
• American Journal of Physiology, Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, Mechanism of TNF {alpha} Modulation of Caco-2 Intestinal Epithelial Tight Junction Barrier: Role of Myosin Light-Chain Kinase Protein Expression; TY Ma; March 2005 
• World Journal of Gastroenterology; Even Low Grade Inflammation Impacts on Small Intestinal Function; K Peuhkri; March 200

• Intestinal permeability and systemic infections in critically ill patients, effect of glutamine, Crit Care Med. 2005 May, 33(5):1175-8

• Protective effect of glutamine on intestinal barrier function in patients receiving chemotherapy, Zhonghua Wei Chang Wai Ke Za Zhi 2006, Jan, 9(1):59-61,
  
• Altered permeability in inflammatory bowel disease: pathophysiology and clinical implications. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2007 Jul;23(4):379-83 Mankertz J, Schulzke JD
  
• Increased intestinal permeability in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Eur J Med Res. 2004 Oct 29;9(10):456-60; Welcker K, Martin A, Kölle P, Siebeck M, Gross M
  
• The significance of bowel permeability. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2007 Sep;10(5):632-8; Soeters PB, Luyer MD, Greve JW, Buurman WA
  
• New diseases derived or associated with the tight junction. Arch Med Res. 2007 Jul;38(5):465-78; Cereijido M, Contreras RG, Flores-Benítez D, Flores-Maldonado C, Larre I, Ruiz A, Shoshani L
  
• Gastrointestinal symptoms and permeability in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2003 Sep-Oct;21(5):657-62; Weber P, Brune T, Ganser G, Zimmer KP
  
• Intestinal permeability in patients with adverse reactions to food, Dig. Liver Dis , 2006, Oct, 38(10):732-6.
  Altered intestinal function in patients with chronic heart failure, J Am Coll Cardiol, 2007, Oct 16; 50(16):1561-9.
  
• Mechanisms of disease: the role of intestinal barrier function in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal autoimmune diseases. Nat Clin Pract Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2005 Sep;2(9):416-22.  Fasano A, Shea-Donohue T.
  
• Novel role of the vitamin D receptor in maintaining the integrity of the intestinal mucosal barrier. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2008 Jan;294(1):G208-16.  Kong J, Zhang Z, Musch MW, Ning G, Sun J, Hart J, Bissonnette M, Li YC.
  
• Hidden Causes of GI Dysfunction,  C.D. Meletis,  Vitamin Research News, vol 22, no.4, April 2008
• Are You the Victim of Hidden Allergies?,  The Blaylock Wellness Report, Vol 4, No. 11, Nov 2007 
  
• Food Additives: What You Eat Can Kill You, The Blaylock Wellness Report, Vo. 4, No. 10, Oct 2007  www.blaylockreport.com
• Intestinal permeability and systemic infections in critically ill patients, effect of glutamine, Crit Care Med. 2005 May, 33(5):1175-8
• Protective effect of glutamine on intestinal barrier function in patients receiving chemotherapy, Zhonghua Wei Chang Wai Ke Za Zhi 2006, Jan, 9(1):59-61, Jiang H P, Liu CA
  
• Altered permeability in inflammatory bowel disease: pathophysiology and clinical implications. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2007 Jul;23(4):379-83 Mankertz J, Schulzke JD
  
• Increased intestinal permeability in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Eur J Med Res. 2004 Oct 29;9(10):456-60; Welcker K, Martin A, Kölle P, Siebeck M, Gross M
• The significance of bowel permeability. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2007 Sep;10(5):632-8; Soeters PB, Luyer MD, Greve JW, Buurman WA
• New diseases derived or associated with the tight junction. Arch Med Res. 2007 Jul;38(5):465-78; Cereijido M, Contreras RG, Flores-Benítez D, Flores-Maldonado C, Larre I, Ruiz A, Shoshani L
  
• Gastrointestinal symptoms and permeability in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2003 Sep-Oct;21(5):657-62; Weber P, Brune T, Ganser G, Zimmer KP
  
• Intestinal permeability in patients with adverse reactions to food, Dig. Liver Dis , 2006, Oct, 38(10):732-6
  
• Altered intestinal function in patients with chronic heart failure, J Am Coll Cardiol, 2007, Oct 16; 50(16):1561-9
• Mechanisms of disease: the role of intestinal barrier function in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal autoimmune diseases. Nat Clin Pract Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2005 Sep;2(9):416-22.  Fasano A, Shea-Donohue T.