It is now believed that adverse food reactions are responsible for many undiagnosed health complaints. As a result, a growing number of healthcare practitioners are using Allergy Avoidance Diets to identify food allergies and food intolerances in their patients.
To protect us from illness and disease, our immune systems are continuously trying to lessen the danger represented by substances called antigens. Antigens are parts of proteins that our bodies recognize as dangerous and take steps to neutralize. Antigens can be found most anywhere there is protein - in foods, of course, but also in microorganisms like bacteria.
When our immune cells identify a dangerous antigen, they act to neutralize it and prevent it from causing harm in the body. When antigens from bacteria or viruses interact with our cells, we can get the flu, or the common cold. We don't get the flu from food antigens, but we can get a wide range of immune-related symptoms that range from sniffles to hives to anaphylactic shock.
Immediate Reactions to Food
The foods that are most often implicated as the cause of immediate allergic responses include milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts), soy, strawberries, wheat, fish and shellfish. Many people with immediate food hypersensitivities must completely eliminate the offending food from their diet to avoid the serious symptoms.Delayed Reactions to Food
Many of the same foods that are known to cause immediate hypersensitivities in a small number of people, have been implicated as a cause of delayed or "masked" food allergies in much larger numbers of individuals. Delayed food hypersensitivity reactions are believed to affect millions of people; some physicians have suggested that as many as 60% of all Americans suffer from masked food allergies. These reactions may be responsible for a variety of symptoms including dark circles or puffiness under the eyes, fluid retention, dermatitis, sinus congestion, fatigue, abdominal pain or discomfort, joint inflammation, mood swings, indigestion, headaches, chronic ear infections, asthma, poor memory, anxiety and depression.
As the name suggests, delayed hypersensitivities do not appear immediately after consuming a particular food. In fact, in most cases the immune response is so delayed that it is difficult to determine which food is causing the symptoms, and many people are unaware that they are sensitive to certain foods.
Only through careful dietary manipulation, such as an Elimination Diet or Rotation Diet, is it usually possible to identify these hidden food allergies. The foods most often associated with delayed hypersensitivities include dairy products, eggs, wheat, soy products, peanuts, shellfish, and refined sugar.
An Allergy Avoidance Diet, when carefully planned, provides sufficient amounts of all essential nutrients. Care must be taken with children and pregnant women to ensure adequate caloric and protein intake.
Because adverse food reactions are implicated as a contributing factor in the development of several medical conditions, identifying and eliminating the foods that cause reactions can be helpful for many people. Specifically, an allergy avoidance diet is beneficial for those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, migraine, recurrent otitis media, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma.
Individuals following an Allergy Avoidance Diet may experience uncomfortable symptoms caused by detoxification, including headache, muscle pains, or fatigue. These symptoms typically appear 2-3 days into the diet, and disappear within seven days.
When offending foods are reintroduced into the diet, individuals experience mild to severe reactions to food. It is advisable, therefore, to follow an Allergy Avoidance Diet, especially a strict Elimination/Challenge Diet, only under the advice and supervision of a health care practitioner.
For more information about food allergies, food intolerances, and allergy avoidance diets, check out the following web sites:
- The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) at www.foodallergy.org
- National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases (NIAID), the division of the National Institutes for Health that supports research on allergies, infections diseases, and immunology at www.niaid.nih.gov
- The Bastyr University Natural Health Clinic at www.bastyr.edu.
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