The Daily Assailant: Food Intolerances.
By Dr. Jonci Jensen, ND
Sarah is a 38-year-old woman who would start out leaving for work in the morning wearing one size of clothing and would be wearing two sizes bigger by the end of her workday. She would keep extenders in her desk so that her clothes would still fit by the end of the day. She went to see 11 different specialists trying to identify the cause. When she came in to finally see me, I recommended that she begin an elimination diet. For 3 weeks, she would eat whole foods eliminating common food allergens such as dairy, wheat, soy, corn, and eggs. She immediately started losing weight. By the end of the 3 weeks, she no longer needed her extenders and literally did not recognize herself in the mirror. Then it came time to reintroduce the foods that she had eliminated. She seemed to be handling most foods OK except soy. On the days that she ate soy, she needed the extenders again. After months of testing, Sarah finally discovered that she was intolerant of soy.
Most of us have heard the urban legend of the person in a restaurant (or airplane) that went into anaphylactic shock because of peanut particles that were spread through the air. Many of us have heard of the friend of a friend with gluten intolerance or Celiac’s disease. Some of us have even heard of the kid down the street with chronic allergies, ear infections, or skin rashes that avoids dairy. What are common food intolerances? What are some common conditions associated with these intolerances? What testing is available?
The American Military has various branches that, in general, have certain functions: the Marines and Navy protect our waters, the Army protects the ground and the Air Force protects the air. The immune system has various lines of defense against invaders also. The military system is similar to a set of proteins created by the immune system called immunoglobulins.
There are immunoglobulins Es (IgEs) that help the body to have an immediate “allergic” reaction. This causes the anaphylactic reaction that results in immediate swelling, difficulty breathing, and a rapid heart beat. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is our “first line of defense, like the Army. IgAs exist on the skin, in the mouth, and in the digestive tract and results in less immediate reactions (up to about 3 days). Immunoglobulin G (IgG) are associated with more chronic infections (high levels of IgG to the Epstein Barr virus have been associated with chronic fatigue syndrome). IgG reactions take a longer time to produce a reaction (up to about 10 days). The implication of Immunoglobulin M (IgM) reactions with food intolerances is still being investigated.
Conventionally, food allergy testing has looked mostly for IgE reactions for common foods such as peanuts, seafood and strawberries to name a few. More attention and testing have been focused lately on food intolerances rather than a frank “allergy”. Common food intolerances include wheat, dairy, soy, corn, eggs and nuts.
Food intolerances frequently produce digestive symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, pain, and acid reflux. Some people don’t experience digestive symptoms but rather skin rashes, congestion, anxiety, depression, insomnia, or joint pain. Research suggests a link between food intolerances and many chronic diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome, Hashimoto’s Disease, Interstitial Cystitis, and Chronic Sinusitis.
Food intolerances have also been implicated in mental illnesses such as Depression, Anxiety, and Schizophrenia.
Conventional testing for food allergies has traditionally included a skin prick test looking for an IgE interaction. More recently, laboratories have improved the reliability in blood testing for food intolerances. These companies generally offer blood testing (either as whole blood or a skin prick) for IgA, IgG, and IgE food interactions. Most of these companies test for about 100 foods and cost varies from about $100 all the way up to about $1,000 and can be ordered through your naturopathic physician or other alternative health practitioner. This testing is very good for those that “need to see it in writing”. The “gold standard” is still considered to be an elimination diet where common allergens such as dairy, wheat, eggs, corn, and soy are eliminated for 3 weeks or so. Foods are then reintroduced into the diet one at a time. This definitely takes much more work, but allows the person to experience exactly how their body reacts to the foods. It also gives the body the chance to rest during the simple cleanse.
Many chronic conditions are linked to food intolerances but discovering it may literally change your life. If you think that you may have a food intolerance, talk to your naturopathic physician or other health practitioner about how to identify your hidden assailant.
(Photos by Melissa Carugati.)
