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Food allergies continue to get a lot of press. Many people wonder why it is getting so much attention. Statistics continue to show that food allergies are on the rise. As an example of that it can be noted that the number of children with peanut allergies doubled in a five-year period ending in 2002. This is significant because food allergy is the leading cause of anaphylaxis which can be fatal in some cases. Most of the press coverage focuses on the young victims of food allergy reactions.
Peanut allergies can be the worst type of allergies. Peanut oil can be found in many ingredients and under many circumstances. Tragically an incident that received a lot of coverage in the last few years was when a teenage girl died after kissing her boyfriend who had just eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Her throw was swollen shut. This tragic type of event happens more commonly than you think.
The danger of food allergies is that the reaction of the sufferer can be quite varied. Some people might feel sick to their stomach after they eat something that they're allergic to. While others may experience swelling in the face, the body and the lips. The swelling can affect the sufferer's airways (anaphylaxis). Rashes and hives are also some common reactions.
What type of foods cause allergies?
*milk/dairy
*eggs
*peanuts
*wheat
*fish
*shellfish
*sugar
*yeast
Since food allergies can cause the extreme allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Many sufferers end up in the emergency room. The key to avoiding those types of incidents is to make sure you do the most you can to educate yourself about possible food allergies that you or your family may be exposed to. Something as simple as an epinephrine pen can save your life.
If you have very young children you need to make sure to tell everyone that takes care of them of any food allergies your child may have. It is very common nowadays to have nut free childcare facilities. Not only should you make sure that you inform people about your own child you also need to be aware of any food policy that may be in effect to safeguard other children. Nut allergies like many of the food allergies can be tricky since not only are they found in the main food itself they can be used as ingredients in other foods. A sugar allergy and the yeast allergy are good examples of that. Keep in mind though that many people are confused by food intolerance and a natural food allergy. A true allergy involves the immune system.
So now that you know what the drama all about is up to you to make sure you get the most information you can regarding any issues that may come up for you and your family regarding food allergies. The best source is definitely your doctor though there is plenty of information available online to help you get started. If you suspect that you or a loved one are suffering from some sort of reaction to food schedule a visit with your doctor. They may also further direct you to an allergist.
The first thing that it is important to understand is that there are different types of reactions to foods that we are allergic to. The most commonly understood and easily detected reaction is called a type 1 reaction or IgE reaction. With this type of reaction it is very easy to detect an allergy to a particular food. The symptoms of a Type 1 reaction are swelling of the throat, hives and an anaphylaxis type of reaction, a serious, potentially life-threatening allergic response. We are not focusing on that today because these allergies are very easily detected.
The type of allergy I want to talk to you about would more likely fall into the category of food sensitivities which are the result of an entirely different immuno/ biological process altogether. One that instead of being an immediate reaction may take hours or even days to actually become apparent. This is one of the reasons that most people have trouble recognizing the relationship between the symptoms that they are experiencing with something that they ate days prior (type 3 or type 4 reactions), even though type 3 and type 4 reactions are much more common. In fact only 5 percent of the population is affected by the type 1 so that means that most are affected by the type 3 or 4 allergy which is the “hidden” type.
How do you recognize whether or not you or someone you know could be experiencing a type 3 or 4 sensitivity or allergic reaction?
The most common way of diagnosing such sensitivities is to undergo an elimination process where diet is severely restricted and then one by one foods are reintroduced into the diet (usually one food per week). This can take months or even years to complete!!! Until now this has been the “Gold Standard”! The news I am about to share with you is LIFE CHANGING!!! Say goodbye to the old gold standard because now there is a very simple in home test which will detect hidden food allergies!
I know of a woman who suffered migraines for 18 years. She had been through test after test week after week and the doctors kept saying “there is nothing wrong” as they proceeded to prescribe another medication for her migraines. She spent thousands on these tests; in fact one of them cost her $1,200.00! After much arm twisting she took the in home test (for $99.00) and viola!!! The in home test revealed that she was allergic to foods in the mustard family. She is proceeding with the recommended protocol and I am happy to report NO MORE MIGRAINES! Another woman suffered from severe eczema for most of her life. There were times when she was house ridden for the better part of a week. After taking the in home test, she found out she was allergic to dairy. She is now on her way to living a normal life.
Now I am not a doctor nor am I saying that we “cured them”. In fact that would be a felony (Thank you FDA). We simply detected the allergy and gave them the gastrointestinal support they needed to heal. Typically once the GI tract has healed itself; it has been found that the food can then be reintroduced with no further reactions!
The strange thing is that this type of test has been used by physicians for years with amazing success but it isn't promoted widely. This is because most doctors tend to focus on Type 1 allergies instead of the other 2.
Let's look at food allergies and sensitivities a little closer; shall we? In a typical type 1 the food antigens can trigger the mast cell mechanism at any point in their journey through the body. Lip, tongue, throat burning and swelling are most obvious symptoms of this. The antigen may not react in gastro intestinal tract but activate Type 1 responses in blood or target organs, especially lungs and connective tissue. The onset of "immediate reactions" may be delayed hours after eating offending foods. Major symptoms include: flushing, swelling, shortness of breath, fast heart rate, panic, pain, and confusion.
What happens when dealing with a type 3 or 4 reaction (hidden sensitivity) is quite different. In this type of reaction the antibodies bind directly to the food particles themselves as they enter the blood stream. Then they form different sizes of circulating immune complex. This complex is comprised of the allergens and the antibodies that reacted to it becoming bound together and then circulating in the blood stream. It is important to understand that in this case there is a delayed reaction of symptoms not seen with the Type 1 reaction. Also unlike Type 1 reactions, type 3 and 4 are usually from a food that you eat OFTEN and even CRAVE. In fact cravings are common as are withdrawal symptoms. The numbers here are huge! It is thought that nearly 60 to 80 million Americans suffer from this type of reaction.
What are the symptoms of type 3 & 4 reactions?
There are hundreds of them! (Hold on to your chair.) You know someone who is affected by this. Tinnitus, recurrent ear infections, asthma, dark circles under the eyes (allergic shiners also seen in children reacting to vaccines), chronic digestive problems (diarrhea, constipation and heartburn), spastic colon, migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel, fluctuations in blood sugar, joint and muscle pain, fluid retention, brain fog and or mental confusion, irritability, eczema and many others. In fact studies have shown that even (temporary) changes in your voice or hoarseness can take place as the result of these reactions! The good news is that they are reversible but a skin test will not detect their presence.
How do we end up with these reactions or sensitivities? Lack of breast feeding is one culprit. When breast feeding became unpopular asthma became epidemic. This is largely due to an immunoglobulin deficiency, as human immunoglobulin is not contained in cow's milk. Food sensitivities of all types are far more prominent in babies who were not breast fed. Let's think about that… When a baby is born it is meant for that baby to have mommy's breast milk. The intestine is somewhat porous. All of the foods going through the intestine are being exposed to the blood stream in a way does not take place after weaning, when porous elements of the intestine gradually begin to close. The food that passes through the intestine from that point forward is not directly exposed to the blood as it would be in earlier years. In fact many people who have wheat allergies were fed wheat based formulas when they were infants!! It is also important to note that when genetically modified soy was introduced into the UK, soy allergies skyrocketed by 50 percent and I suspect that many other GMOs are causing allergic reactions among the unsuspecting populace at large. See the GMO Trilogy for more information on the devastating effects of genetically modified food.
If you sit back and think or better yet, keep a mental note of this article, I am sure you will encounter someone you know who meets the criteria or has the symptoms mentioned above. I STRONGLY encourage you to let them see this information because it just might CHANGE THEIR LIFE! Stay tuned for next weeks' “Custom Health 4 You News” Hidden Food Allergies Part 2.
Until then…
Yours in health and wellness!
Tiffane