FOOD ALLERGIES
Hidden Cause of Many Health Problems
Food allergies are inappropriate physical reactions to food. These may range from life-threatening anaphylactic reactions to subtle sensitivities that chronically challenge the immune system. Symptoms may include dark circles and puffiness under the eyes, diarrhea or irritable bowels, chronic infections, inflammation, and any of the diseases or symptoms listed below. These negative reactions to food are also called "food intolerance," "food sensitivities," or "toxic food reactions."
Even some foods that are considered "good foods" may be a source of symptoms or disease if one has a personal allergy to same. The expression "One man's meat is another man's poison" accurately describes this phenomenon.
Diseases associated with food allergies include:
Acne, anxiety, arthritis, arrhythmia, asthma, autoimmune diseases, bedwetting, chronic and recurrent bladder infections, chronic bronchitis, canker sores, celiac disease, colitis, chronic diarrhea, depression, chronic ear infections (especially in children), eczema, edema, fatigue, gallbladder disease, gastritis, glaucoma, hay fever, headaches, hives, childhood hyperactivity, hypoglycemia, irritable bowel syndrome, irritability, insomnia, itching, kidney disease, malabsorption, mental confusion, migraines, mood disorder, overweight, personality changes, seizures, sinusitis, skin rash, chronic nasal congestion, chronic sinusitis, chronic infections in general, and others.
Symptoms associated with food allergies include:
Body Weight
- Fluctuations in body weight
- Weight loss (unintended)
- weight gain (unintended)
- Food cravings
Gastro-Intestinal
- Abdominal pain
- Bloating
- Bowel disorders
- Colitis
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Flatulence (Gas)
- Gallbladder disease
- Hemorrhoids
- Indigestion
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Nausea
- Stomach cramping
Immune system
- Chronic and/or recurrent infections
- Yeast infection
- Mouth ulcers
- Mouth/lip swelling
- Tissue swelling (edema)
Mental / Emotional
- Anxiety, panic attacks
- Autism
- Behavioral problems
- Concentration difficulty
- Depression
- Hyperactivity
- Irritability
- Learning disability
- Lethargy
- Mental confusion
Musculo-skeletal
- Arthritis
- Bone density loss (osteoporosis)
- Joint pain/swelling
- Muscular aches
- Neck pain
- Rheumatic pain
Nervous system
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness, poor co-ordination
- Headache
- Migraine
- Poor memory
- Sleeplessness
Nutritional deficiencies
- Anemia
- Failure to thrive (in children)
- Iron deficiency
- Mineral deficiency
Respiratory Tract
- Asthma
- Breathlessness
- Bronchitis (chronic)
- Cough (persistent)
- Ear infections
- Itchy nose
- Nasal congestion
- Post-nasal drip
- Rhinitis
- Runny nose
- Sensitivity to chemicals
- Sinusitis
- Sneezing
- Sore throat
- Throat infections
- Watering eyes
- Wheezing
Reproductive Tract
- Infertility
- Menstrual disorders
- Miscarriage
- Vaginal itching, discharge
- Thrush
- Vaginal infection
Skin
- Acne
- Athlete’s Foot
- Dermatitis Herpetiformis
- Eczema
- Fungal nail infection
- Fungal skin infection
- Hives (Urticaria)
- Itchy flaking skin
- Itchy watery blisters
- Jock itch
- Psoriasis
- Rashes
- Tinea
Urinary Tract
- Urinary tract infection (chronic or recurrent)
If you suffer from any of the above-listed diseases or symptoms and have not yet found a cure for your complaint, food allergy testing will certainly be worth your while.
The immune system has many different mechanisms that can cause a reaction to food. Food allergy symptoms may come on immediately OR up to four days after eating an offending food, so allergies are difficult to pinpoint by merely "observing" food reactions. A food allergy blood test can determine food allergies,
sensitivities and "intolerances" and recommend a rotation diet to prevent these reactions.
Diet And Lifestyle Recommendations
An "elimination/challenge diet" can help determine food allergies, but such an avoidance diet is difficult for most people to do AND many offending foods can be "missed" through this method.
Food allergy testing using blood (a finger-stick which you can collect yourself) is accurate and can quickly pinpoint difficult-to-detect food allergies.
Primary Support
- Maxi Multi: 3 caps, 3 times per day with meals. This daily "multiple" contains high potency antioxidants. If you use another formula, be sure to use only those that are hypoallergenic, since additives in vitamin supplements can cause reactions.
- Omega 3 fatty acids:
Flax seed meal, 2 teaspoons per day with food
OR
Flax seed capsules: 2-4 caps, 3 times per day (target dose range: 6-12 caps per day)
OR
Flax seed oil: 1 tablespoon per day
OR
Max EPA (Omega-3 rich fish oil): 1-2 caps, 3 times per day with meals (target dose: 3-6 caps per day).
An imbalance of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acid ratios, common in the American diet, leads to hypersensitivity and excess inflammation. Increasing Omega-3 fatty acid intake decreases the tendency to inflammation and "hyper" immune reactions.
- Similase: 1-2 caps, 3 times per day with meals. This digestive enzyme formula improves digestion and absorption of foods. It is known that incomplete protein digestion can trigger allergies, especially those that appear food-related.
- Since a decrease of gastric acid production is a leading cause of food allergy in adults, a Gastric Acid Function Self-Test should be performed.
Additional Support
- Vitamin C: 3,000 - 9,000 mg per day in divided doses (buffered vitamins C is best when taking higher doses). High dose vitamin C decreases histamine levels when taken over time.
- Grape Seed Extract: 1 cap, 3 times per day with meals. (Target dose: 150-300mg daily). Grape seed extract acts as a natural anti-histamine with a more immediate effect than vitamin C. It is also a potent antioxidant.
