When we look at food reactions, there are a few ways of defining them. In general, there are 2 categories of adverse food reactions – those that involve the immune system and those that do not.
🥦Food intolerances: Reactions that don’t involve the immune system are due to an inability to digest a particular component in the food, such as lactose or fructose intolerance. This is because the body lacks the required enzymes to fully break down a given food or family of foods.
🥦Food allergies: Reaction that involves the immune system and typically causes immediate symptoms after ingestion, such as anaphylaxis and, to a lesser degree, hives, breathing issues, severe swelling, and other symptoms. People with food allergies typically know the foods they react to, be it peanuts, shellfish, etc. and usually carry an epi-pen to use in the event of an unknown exposure (Abbas M, 2023).
🥦Food sensitivities: Reaction which involves the immune system, but typically delayed and not immediate which is why it is so hard to pinpoint them even if doing an elimination diet. Symptoms can appear up to three days after the consumption of a trigger food. Some common symptoms are: brain fog, fatigue, flushed skin, itching, joint or muscle pain, headaches or migraines, sneezing, stuffy or runny nose. But these are all highly individual and can vary widely from person to person (Marwa, K., 2023)
Have you ever wondered why more people today suffer from food hypersensitivities? 🤔 When food is adequately broken down into its nutrient components, our body recognizes it as safe and leaves it alone. However, if food is not fully digested, the size of the food particles entering the small intestine could be too large, especially now that most have compromised intestinal barrier integrity (Aleman, R.S., 2023). Consequently, large food molecules can enter the bloodstream where the immune system perceives them as foreign invaders and triggers an inflammatory response (Lied, G.A., 2011). So, it's no surprise that food hypersensitivity is on the rise. To maintain a healthy immune system and avoid hypersensitivities, it's important to prioritize whole, unprocessed foods in our diets.
By now you are probably thinking: “I ll do an elimination diet and that will solve all my issues!” - I ve heard this quite often lately! Let's think about it: How painful and long is it going to be for you to start eliminating multiple foods, spices and additives in order to guess what your trigger foods are? Will you just be eating ICE cubes in the end because you have eliminated everything?
⚠️Breaking news: If you have major food reactions accompanied by gut issues, without simultaneously healing your gut and identifying the food sensitivities, it is going to be one long hard and impossible road for you. In most cases, what I see is people end up eating just 2 foods, but because they haven’t properly addressed the gut dysfunction, they end up developing a sensitivity to these 2 foods as well and finally, they are left with nothing but ice cubes for dinner.
The good news? You can TEST and not guess what your food sensitivities are so you can get your gut and body back on track much faster. I offer food sensitivities testing in my practice! It is an easy test done in the comfort of your home. What you get:
After results come out, I send you a personalized detailed written interpretation of the results with analysis of foods, colorings and additives that should be avoided, for how long they should be avoided, and any special considerations for these foods!
Are you ready to demystify your food sensitivities? Or even fix your gut and and for all? If so, let’s chat! Click here to book your FREE 20-min discovery call today!
References:
Abbas M, Moussa M, Akel H. Type I Hypersensitivity Reaction. [Updated 2023 Jul 17]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560561/
Aleman, R. S., Moncada, M., & Aryana, K. J. (2023). Leaky Gut and the Ingredients That Help Treat It: A Review. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 28(2), 619. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28020619
Lied, G. A., Vogelsang, P., Berstad, A., & Appel, S. (2011). Dendritic cell populations in patients with self-reported food hypersensitivity. International journal of general medicine, 4, 389–396. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJGM.S17655
Marwa, K., & Kondamudi, N. P. (2023). Type IV Hypersensitivity Reaction. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
Disclaimer: This post is intended for inspirational and informational purposes only, is not a substitute for medical advice, and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. Consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your routine.