Food Allergies 101
Food Allergies 101HOW ARE DELAYED FOOD ALLERGIES DIFFERENT THAN "REGULAR" ALLERGIES?
There are two kinds of allergies. The kind of food allergies you have commonly heard of are an IgE (immunoglobulin E) reaction. As soon as you eat the food, you might swell up or get hives. Most people know if they are allergic to a food this way- presumably from a "bad experience" with it. Or, they have had skin "scratch tests" done to determine these allergies.
However, delayed food allergies/sensitivities involve a DIFFERENT antibody- IgG (immunoglobulin G). These will not show up on a "scratch test", but can be determined through a blood test. IgG reactions are not immediate. It can take several hours or days to have symptoms from this reaction. By then, you have usually eaten many other foods- so you have no idea what caused the symptoms. You may get headaches all the time, but the times or foods you ate just before the headache are always different, so you never attribute the food to the symptom.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF DELAYED FOOD ALLERGIES/SENSITIVITIES?
Food allergies are irritation of of tissues or inflammation, caused by a food allergen. Where an allergen decides to deposit itself and do its damage is different for everyone. Ten people allergic to milk may react to it in ten different ways. It may cause headaches in another person, diarrhea in another, eczema in another, flu-like symptoms in another.
Symptoms are usually not sudden reaction, but have probably built up over time. the insidious aspects of most food allergy reactions is that most symptoms, at least in the early stages, are mild and seem to have no direct connection (timewise) to the food that brought them on. The full flare up of symptoms may be the result of months or years of cumulative food-allergy damage. It is highly UNLIKELY that we will connect them to a food allergy and therefore highly LIKELY that we will continue to ignore them unitl they become intolerable.
Symptoms (Some of these may be associated with other diseases. However, many if not most are often caused by food allergies):
NOTE: Many health conditions may cause the above symptoms. Professional medical evaluation is recommended to establish if causes other than food sensitivities are responsible.
A common sign of allergy is water retention of adema. One of the ways in which a body can reduce the irritation of allergy is to hold onto a lot of water, in order to dilute the tissue-bound allergens (water retention). Because your body will not release these fluids as long as it is defending against allergic attacks, it is very difficult to keep one's weight down until allergies are eliminated from your diet. Excessive thirst is also related to your body's defense against allergins.
We are often unaware of that we have food allergies because we cover up symptoms. We cover up symptoms by frequently eating the food that we are allergic too. If we stopped eating it- we would feel withdrawl symptoms- pain, nervousness, discomfort. it is like an alcholic who has a beer in the morning to keep a hangover at bay.
This is not a conscious thing, however. We are not aware of "craving" the allergic food; we think that we choose to eat it so often because we like its taste. But conscious or not, we crave foods we are allergic too because we need to keep them at bay. When we reach the point that we need to eat the food to keep withdrawl symptoms at bay- or in order to not feel bad- we are ADDICTED.
It follows that the foods we are allergic to are often likely to be our favorites- the ones we eat frequently because they make us feel good (at least we think so). Addiction to food is biochemically and physiologically identical to the relationship between an alcoholic and liquor or a junkie and drugs. It causes the same cravings and drives, and has the same potential for withdrawl symptoms.
This may sound crazy to you. But ask yourself: Do you ever wake up at night and raid the refridgerator? Do you just have to have ice cream every day? Or a steak? Do you always eat the same thing for lunch? Do you just LOVE pasta? Do you find yourself in front of an open refrigerator without realizing how long you have been there? Do you have trouble falling asleep without a bedtime snack? Do you ever feel better after eating a particular food? If you can answer yes to some or all of these, you may be addicted to foods!!
I had the good fortune to discover my allergies 4 years ago (when I was 21 years old). All through my childhood, I would have chronic colds and brochitis. It seemed that I would get brochitis 3-4 times a year, which would then hang on for quite some time. I had headaches several days a week since I was 12 and acne to boot. Everyone thought I was just a hypochondriac or trying to get attention. Nothing could be further from the truth. I went to tons of doctors trying to solve these chronic problems- I received antibiotics and codeine (for the headaches). None of it worked.
In college, I became a vegetarian. I was not a "good" vegetarian, though, I was what I call a bread and cheese vegetarian- not a lot of vegetables of fruit- just bread and cheese. I had horrible stomach problems, chronic diarrhea. I went to a GI doctor and had several blood tests, an ultrasound, an upper GI and a colonoscopy- what an awful experience. They didn't find anything and I was still sick.
During this time, I can also remember having brochitis for 2 and 1/2 months. I was constantly taking codeine cough medicine to help me sleep. I had tried antibiotics and birth control for my acne, which worked, but I didn't like much. My roomates was sure I was crazy- I wasn't so sure I wasn't. Also, my weight was the highest it had ever been. I weighed 155 and I was 5'5". Not exactly obese- but I didn't feel good about myself.
After I graduated from college, in addition to the headaches, GI problems, acne and colds, I can remember having wierd aches and pains in my legs and arms and having occassion irregular hearbeats (it felt like heart hiccups). I thought I was going to die- the heartbeat thing really scared me. So I went to the doctor and had an EKG- the doctor told me that my nervous system was just "messing up" and sending the signal to the heart too early- but not to worry. It was no big deal. I also had wheezing at times.
My headaches were worse than ever and I decided to take control of my health. I bought the book Food and Healing by Annemarie Colbin and began to realize as I read how powerful foods can be. She had mentioned that dairy could cause skin breakouts. So, I decided to try to get rid of dairy. I actually had more headaches for the first month and no improvement in my skin. (I now know that this was my body cleaning itself out.) But after a month, my headaches were GONE. It was like a miracle!!! No skin changes, but the headaches dissappearing was like a dream come true, so I didn't care.
A few months later, when I was shopping at Costco, I saw a book, Dr. Braly's Food Allergy & Nutrition Revolution by Dr. James Braly, MD. It described me to a tee. I read about the blood test you could have done and I decided to do it.
My results told me that I was allergic to milk, cheese, eggs, wheat, rye, bananas, tuna fish, oysters, asparagus, mushrooms and peanuts.
At first, I was so sad- all my favorite foods. I didn't do very well on the elimination/rotation diet they suggested. But I still tried to stick to it and I did see improvements. However, I will say that it took me about a year to learn how to live and cook without dairy and wheat. Those were tough. I spent lots of time in the health food store, asking questions and reading. Now, after 4 years, it seems like second nature to me. I still find it difficult to resist my allergic foods at social events and at restaurants- but a little usually won't hurt me.
After years of experimentation, I have pretty much attached certain foods to certain symptoms that I had. FOR ME:
I am not sure about the others because I have been able to avoid them pretty well. I have avoided them so long, I may not be reactive to them any more. I ate some tuna fish this summer- I looked for a reaction, but never noticed one. Same with bananas.
I am happy to say that as long as I avoid my allergic foods, I am symptom free. No more headaches, stomach problems, chronic colds, wierd achy legs and arms and irregular heartbeat. I am now in control of my food and my food does not control me. Sometimes I indulge in dairy for a few days in a row and will wind up with a headache. However, I know that if I stop eating it, the headache will go away and not come back. I lost all that weight pretty easily- I am now 5"5" and 128 instead of 155. My skin is still a challenge- but almost ALL of my health problems were completely SOLVED by elimination of allergic foods.
Immuno Laboratories 1-800-231-9197
Parts of this description are taken from Dr. Braly's book. Click here to learn more about it.
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