Watch the video above for my full educational video, or read below for a condensed version and the highlighted information.
Sorting through food triggered symptoms and reactions can be challenging because there are multiple ways in which people can have symptoms triggered by foods. Food reactions and symptoms can be triggered by: Digestive imbalances - Microbial imbalances or an Immune Response.
Digestive imbalances can be things like Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency - not making enough digestive enzymes in general and eating almost anything can be uncomfortable OR not secreting enough bile with meals (such as after your gall bladder has been removed)
Or Not making specific enzymes such as lactase which breaks down lactose - the sugar in certain milks or diamine oxidase - the enzyme that breaks down histmamine in the gut.
Microbial imbalances can trigger food related symptoms such as the irritable bowel syndrome associated with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth - where colonic, fermenting bacteria have colonized the small intestine and ferment slowly digested carbohydrates.
Finally immune reactions - this is where the immune system gets triggered to produce antibodies to specific food proteins, creating either a Type 1 or Type 2 hypersensitivity reaction and potential inflammation.
Food related allergy symptoms can include hives, sinus congestion, sneezing, itchy, watery, eyes, vomiting, stomach pain or diarrhea, swelling, shortness of breath or wheezing.
Common immune related food sensitivity reactions include digestive issues, headaches, joint aches, skin rashes, fatigue, behavioral problems, autoimmune disease, heavy or painful periods or irregular periods.
Understanding food reactions
Understanding food reactions in the gut is more complex than having just ige or igg reactions a leaky gut or not. While there certainly is a correlation between a permeable gut membrane and food reactions, there are other cells in the digestive tract that can react to food proteins - such as Peyer’s patches - part of the lymphatic system in the gut.
People can develop food reactions and have no permeability issues in the lining of the gut. Even when an individual has a permeable gut membrane, they do not develop reactions to all the foods they are eating. This is why testing can be so helpful in uncovering the root cause of symptoms.
Over the last few decades, our understanding of IgG has expanded -
particularly its subtypes (IgG 1-4), its relationship to IgE and other inflammatory proteins.
It was noticed that when IgE was elevated, IgG4 was also elevated, so there was a period of time when IgG4 only food sensitivity panels were run - but these have been considered unreliable. It is now understood that IgG4 actually is not an allergic or sensitivity reaction, but rather it blocks the effect of IgE creating an immune tolerance - incidentally - this is how immunotherapy injections work for environmental allergies - by triggering the development if IgG4 immunoglobulins.
Recommended solutions
A general rule of thumb is to avoid all IgE reactive foods forever or until you test again and miraculously are no longer reactive. For IgG and complement reactive foods I recommend avoiding these for 3 months then starting a slow reintroduction phase program. I have seen some food sensitivity test results come back where individuals are sensitive to MANY items. This can take some time to sort through with a provider to develop a personalized plan that makes sense.
JUST removing your reactive foods is often not enough to alleviate symptoms. I also recommend key nutrient blends which I have found helpful for my patients as part of a comprehensive plan. My two favorite products include NutriDyn’s GI Defend and GI Integrity. I recommend one scoop of each powder twice daily for two weeks then once daily for 6 months. My patients have seen positive benefits from these supplements to address leaky gut and calm the immune response. I generally do NOT recommend taking probiotics unless you have done a specific gut health test and you know what your microbial envrionment looks like.
Lifestyle factors are also an essential part of any healing protocol. Managing stress, maintaining hydration, incorporating movement and ensuring a good nights sleep are all foundational in order to alleviate symptoms.
Food reactions can be a complex issue to understand. For many individuals, not only is there the food reaction itself, but then thenstress and anxiety that results from not knowing what is going on. Stress - psychological or physiological - can exacerbate any underlying condition and make symptoms feel even more overwhelming.
You can begin to take control of your symptoms. Start your own symptoms journal today and document what you are experiencing.
You can order your own food allergy & sensitivity testing here today: https://labs.rupahealth.com/store/storefront_MGRP0Dn
Comments