Food Allergies

The next time I see a dustball under the couch, I’ll just say that I’m giving my kids a healthy immune challenge.  Really, I’ve got the experts on my side! Our cultural obsession with being germ-free can predispose children to allergies. It only takes a quick look in a grocery store to find antibacterial soap, wipes, and sprays.  The quest to eliminate microbes from our environment results in inadequate challenge of the immune system, lessening its ability to develop a repertoire of defenses.  White blood cell activity becomes imbalanced: cells which normally target bacteria and viruses are relatively inactive, leading to excessive activity of those which create allergic responses.        

Leaky Gut 

Antibiotics, a high-sugar diet, or intestinal conditions like Candida or Crohn’s disease, can predispose to food allergies by creating an imbalance in the normal bacteria of the digestive tract, leading to damage in the lining of the intestine that makes it more permeable – a condition known as Leaky Gut.  Food allergies can develop when the immune system is exposed to incompletely digested food proteins that leak through the intestinal lining into the bloodstream, where immune cells perceive them as invaders.  Immune cells attack the food, and develop a memory so that a reaction occurs whenever the food is eaten again. Inflammation from the allergic response often worsens intestinal health, leading to new food allergies.

Types of Allergic Reactions

What foods are allergic?  Though any food could become allergic, eggs, milk, shellfish, peanuts, wheat, tree nuts, fish and soy, account for 90% of food allergies.

Immediate reactions range from itchy tongue and throat and watery eyes to severe respiratory distress. Delayed reactions, are harder to detect: fatigue, rashes, headaches, foggy thinking, mood changes and digestive upset can occur 1-3 days after eating the allergic food.

Identifying Allergic Foods

How do you know if you have a food allergy? To identify offending foods, keep a food diary to identify patterns of eating and reactivity. An elimination diet can help reveal problematic foods. Avoid the suspected food completely for 2 weeks or more, then reintroduce the food to see if any allergy symptoms reappear. Kinesiology testing measures electrical changes in the body with exposure to certain foods. Allergy specialists can identify allergic foods and the type of allergy as well. A blood test of immune protein tests can reveal immediate reactions (IgE test), delayed reactions (IgG test) or mucosal reactions affecting the respiratory and digestive tract (IgA). Skin tests can reveal immediate reactions but not delayed reactions. 

Help for Food Allergy

What about treatment? Severe allergies often require elimination of foods from the diet, but many allergies can improve.  A whole-health approach includes taking steps to support the body on many levels. An essential step is to improve the health of the intestinal barrier with probiotics, nutrients such as fatty acids and zinc, and a healthy diet rich in plant foods. Homeopathy and NAET (a treatment based on acupuncture) are effective for many people.  Herbs such as nettles, and nutrients like vitamin C and bioflavenoids like quercetin, have some antihistamine activity, which can help calm allergy symptoms. While this approach is useful, persons with severe allergies, such as peanut allergies, may be at risk of anaphylaxis (severe, potentially life-threatening reaction) and have to be very careful to read labels and ask questions in restaurants to avoid exposure to the allergic food; carrying an Epi-Pen is advisable. 

Help Prevent Food Allergy

Can allergies be prevented? People with allergies or allergic family members (called atopic) are more likely to develop allergies, but risks can be reduced. Parents can delay the introduction of allergic foods into a child’s diet to allow their immune and digestive systems to mature. Avoid allergic foods during pregnancy and nursing. We can choose natural remedies whenever possible, avoiding overuse of antibiotics. Encourage outdoor play and plenty of sunshine. And, don’t worry about the occasional dustball.