Allergies, food

Food allergies and sensitivities are on the rise, and yet the diagnosis is difficult, since symptoms vary from person to person. Corn may cause muscle aches in one person and stomach cramps in someone else. Immediate or delayed adverse allergic reactions when eating specific foods include dark circles and puffiness under the eyes, chronic diarrhea, malabsorption, chronic infections, chronic inflammation, bloating, insomnia, swelling, cramping and the deadly reaction known as anaphylactic shock. Diarrhea is a very common result of food allergies, but stomach cramps, constipation and indigestion are other problems. Food allergies can also provoke hives, sore throats, hay fever, migraines and asthma attacks. Allergies can produce vague symptoms too, like emotional irritability, fatigue and anxiety. Studies show most hyperactive children have at least one food sensitivity. Sensitivities to food have been implicated in causing reactive hypoglycemia, playing a role in food addictions and cravings, and being linked to candidiasis, which can prepare the foundation for allergic responses.

Certain allergies have the tendency to appear quite suddenly without warning, and they can disappear just as quickly. Delayed-onset allergies appear gradually. This is often true if the problem substance has been eliminated from the diet for some time and the body has been given time to heal itself.

A widely accepted diagnostic tool for pinpointing allergies is the elimination diet; on the basis of a simple, bland diet, or after a fast, suspect foods are reintroduced one at a time. Although this technique is time consuming, it is an excellent method for identifying problem foods.

Food allergies is a term applied to a whole host of reactions caused by consuming various substances. In actual fact, allergies are only one of three possible causes of irritation. Allergies are caused by an overreaction of the immune system to a particular substance. What is often thought to be an allergy may actually be a food intolerance because symptoms are the same or similar. While allergies are caused by an immune system response, food intolerances occur when the digestive tract lacks enzymes for proper digestion, as in lactose intolerance when the body lacks the enzyme lactase. Food sensitivities are a personal oversensitivity to a certain type of food, unrelated to an immune system response.

Any food or substance can be an allergen. Common sources of food allergies are:

Milk

Milk allergy can be manifested by asthma, eczema, rhinitis, and gastrointestinal distress, including bleeding, pneumonia, and even anaphylaxis. Obviously, every parent should be alert for signs of milk allergy.
There are actually several different proteins in milk that may produce an allergic reaction. Most of these allergens are heat resistant, so scalding or boiling the milk will not help inmost cases, but it may be worth a try.
People who must avoid milk because of allergies should be sure to get adequate calcium and vitamin D in their diets. Vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium. Sometimes, though rarely, a milk-sensitive person can tolerate yogurt or certain cheeses, such as goat's cheese. A vitamin-mineral supplement is also helpful in maintaining adequate calcium intake. A pediatrician should routinely be certain that plenty of calcium and vitamin D are included in the formula or in vitamin drops if a child has milk allergies. An adult who eats a balanced diet ordinarily has nothing to worry about with respect to calcium, but a milk-allergic woman should consult with a physician on the best way to supplement calcium, especially after menopause.
Cow's milk is found in the following: processed milk products,' such as powdered or evaporated milk, breads and pastries, butter and margarine, except margarine made with soybean oil, caramels, chocolates and other candies, cheese, cream sauces and soups, ice cream, sherbet, puddings, pastas, some luncheon meats and hot dogs, certain nondairy milk substitutes containing caseinate; pies with cream filling or made with butter; yogurt.

Egg

Egg allergy also can be quite dangerous in children. It is the white, not the yolk, that causes the problem, and raw white is more likely than cooked to provoke symptoms. But even cooked whites may be potent allergens, and an egg-sensitive person may even have to avoid the yolks, since they can be contaminated with whites. Egg-sensitive children are rarely allergic to chicken and other poultry.
Reactions can include hives and angioedema, flare-ups of atopic dermatitis, nausea, vomiting, and anaphylaxis.
Youngsters usually become more tolerant of egg whites as they get older, but this allergy may continue into adulthood, and very sensitive people may even have to avoid preparing foods with egg whites. Vaccines produced in eggs may also cause a strong reaction but the culprit may often be gelatin used in the vaccines.

Nuts and legumes

Soy or peanut allergies are fairly common in both children and adults. Both foods are legumes.
Often the oil of these legumes and of nuts is safe for allergic individuals, but we advise avoiding the oils as well as the nuts and legumes themselves. Hot-pressed oils are extracted at temperatures of 302°F, a process that breaks down the allergenic protein. But some very sensitive individuals may react even to the minimal remaining allergen. Moreover, gourmet oils are typically cold-pressed at 149 to 203°F, which leaves the allergenic protein intact. The oil is delicious but allergenic. The decision as to which oils are safe must be left to your own physician.
With respect to children's allergies, soy formulas, unfortunately, are the best substitute for a milk formula for bottle-fed babies. If your infant does not seem to do better on soy, it may be that she or he has an allergy to that, too. Your pediatrician will recommend a substitute diet.
One of the most potent of all allergens is the protein in  peanuts. As far as is known, it has been responsible for more food-allergy deaths than any other allergen. The sensitive person must scrupulously avoid raw and roasted peanuts and any form of cooked peanuts. One must constantly be alert to the possibility that peanuts may have been added to a recipe.
For unknown reasons, there has been a striking increase in peanut allergy in the past ten years, and children are increasingly at risk. It may be advisable not to feed peanuts or peanut butter to children under age three, in order to minimize the chance of the children developing a sensitivity to peanuts.
A peanut-allergic person should beware of hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) in food products. Peanuts are sometimes used to produce this.
A person of any age who is allergic to peanuts may also be allergic to other legumes and even to honey (the bees may have fed upon legume blossoms). Watch out for peas, beans, acacia, black-eyed peas, chickpeas (garbanzos), lentils, licorice, senna, soybeans, and tragacanth.
Soybeans may be present in bread, cake, crackers, candy, cereals, ice cream, lecithin, margarine, infant formulas, processed meats and sausages, salad dressings, sauces, shortening (including Crisco), soups, soybean noodles and pasta (of course), and Chinese food. Allergies to tree nuts are most commonly manifested by hives and anaphylaxis. Occasionally gastrointestinal complaints may occur.
Nuts are very difficult to avoid because they are used so widely. However, here are the worst offenders. There are six families, and cross-reactivity may occur within a family (in other words, if you are allergic to one kind of nut, you are likely to be allergic to its relatives): Family I - Brazil nuts; Family II - cashews and pistachios (related to the mango); Family III - macadamia nuts; Family IV - English and black walnuts, hickory nuts, and pecans; Family V (nuts and fruits of the plum group ) - almonds, apricots, cherries, plums, nectarines, peaches; Family VI - filberts and hazelnuts.

Shellfish and fish

If you are sensitive to one variety of fish or shellfish, beware of other foods in the same class. For example, if you are allergic to oysters, be careful with clams and scallops, but there is no reason to think that tuna will be a problem.
If you are allergic to one kind of bony fish, you may be allergic to other kinds or even to all bony fish. There is a common antigen in all of them. However, there is no reason to avoid shellfish, unless you are allergic to shellfish as well.
Fish allergen can cause atopic dermatitis, hives (urticaria), and angioedema. It is rarely associated with asthma, but a very fish-sensitive person may get an asthma reaction from the odor of fish cooking. Fish allergen's greatest danger is that it can cause anaphylaxis.
A fish-allergic person may have to be careful in using glues made from fish extract. Fish extract used as a fertilizer is also a problem. In fishing communities, fish allergen can be found in house dust.
Fish-allergic people also have to stay away from imitation crabmeat, which frequently is made with surimi, a processed fish product. Surimi is also used in certain meatless food products such as meatless hot dogs and pizza toppings.

Wheat

Wheat allergy is more common in childhood than among adults. It can cause atopic dermatitis, and sometimes asthma and urticaria. A sensitivity to the gluten in wheat and other grains is responsible for celiac disease.
People with wheat allergy must follow restricted diets, because wheat is so widely used. It is ordinarily found in bread, cookies, and other baked goods; many beverages, including beer and malted milk, breakfast food and cereals; canned baked beans; chili; flour; pasta; meat products such as burgers, meat loaf, hot dogs, and sausage; and sauces, gravies, and soups.

Additives and contaminants

Food additives can cause a variety of adverse reactions. Most are not allergens themselves, but they may exacerbate asthma or other allergic conditions. Sometimes a food such as milk may contain small amounts of a drug, such as penicillin, to which a person is allergic.

Yellow dye #5

Several food dyes have come under scrutiny in recent years as health risks. Tartrazine (FD&C Yellow #5), a coal-tar derivative, has been linked to bronchospasm in asthmatics, and to hives and angioedema. The reaction seems to be nonallergic, in the sense of being non-IgE mediated. The sensitivity is associated in some cases with a sensitivity to aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, including ibuprofen and indomethacin. About 15 percent of aspirin sensitive asthmatics cannot tolerate tartrazine.
People who have asthma and are sensitive to aspirin should probably avoid tartrazine. The problem is that it is not always listed on food-product labels as an ingredient. It is now used less than in the past, but it may be present in flavored drinks, candies, sherbet, pudding, frosting, dry cereals, and even medicines. Any food product or medicine colored yellow or green may contain tartrazine.

Monosodium glutamate

Monosodium glutamate, which is naturally present in some foods, such as Camembert cheese, is widely used as a flavor enhancer by cooks in restaurants and in commercially prepared food. MSG, routinely used in many Chinese restaurants, is famous for producing the "Chinese restaurant syndrome" that afflicts some people after eating Chinese food. The symptoms include headache and general aches and pains, chest tightness, sweating, and nausea. It will produce hives in some patients and sometimes provokes a flare-up of asthma, which can be delayed up to twelve hours.
As mentioned above, this is not an allergy. Indeed, everyone will experience at least some of these symptoms if they ingest a large amount of MSG. Particularly susceptible people should avoid the substance. (Unfortunately, food manufacturers often do not list monosodium glutamate specifically on labels). Many Chinese restaurants will eliminate MSG if the customer so requests.

Sulfites

Sodium bisulfite and other sulfite compounds are effective, cheap, and tasteless food preservatives. Unfortunately, sulfites can cause a range of allergy like reactions, from rhinitis to anaphylaxis. Anyone who has ever suffered an unexplained episode of anaphylaxis should consult an allergist to determine whether sulfite sensitivity might be the cause.
Sulfites also can cause severe, even devastating asthma attacks in asthmatics.
The cause of these attacks was a mystery for many years, because such a wide range of food was involved and sometimes patients would react to a particular food and sometimes not. It took scientists quite a while to figure out that it was the preservative, not the food, that was causing the asthma attacks and other reactions.
Fresh vegetables caused trouble because they were often sprinkled with sulfites to keep them colorful and crisp. Patients also sometimes, but not always, reacted to beer, wine, pizza, and other foods.
Today the foods in which sulfites are most commonly found are dried fruits and vegetables; gelatin products; pickles; sausage; wine; vinegar; some fruit juices; cider; molasses; shellfish; beer; citrus drinks; prepared potatoes and potato chips; mushrooms; and guacamole.

Lesser additives

The artificial sweetener aspartame is 700 times as sweet as sugar and has no caloric value. The substance is believed to be relatively safe, but there have been some reported cases of asthma and hives associated with ingesting it.
The following additives also have been implicated in adverse reactions, but less is known about them.
Benzoates, butylated hydroxytoluenes (BHT), and hydroxyanisole can occasionally cause hives. These substances are used as preservatives in ready-made foods, bread, milk, fats, oils, margarine, mayonnaise, soft drinks, and instant drinks. Sodium benzoate can exacerbate asthma, although this occurs only rarely.
Papain, present in meat tenderizer, has been implicated in cases of anaphylaxis.

Toxins

Various types of food poisoning result from toxins produced by bacteria and other organisms. Some types, especially botulism, can be fatal.
A number of toxic reactions resemble allergic reactions, and one, produced by a fish toxin, mimics allergy almost exactly because it is caused by histamine. But the histamine, rather than being released by the victim's own immune system, is produced instead by bacteria in the fish. The fish involved are of the scombroid family and include tuna, bonito, mackerel, swordfish, sailfish, marlin, sardines, anchovies, and herring. The poisoning can occur when the fish have been inadequately refrigerated. Symptoms occur fifteen minutes after ingestion and last eight to twelve hours. Typically the patient suffers nausea and other gastrointestinal problems, as well as hives, headache, and flushing of the face.
An allergic reaction to fish usually involves one person, whereas a toxic reaction will involve everyone who eats the fish.

Allergy-causing food additives are particularly difficult to avoid, and can make dining out impossible. Corn, for instance, is found in starches and syrups added to hundreds of groceries, and sulfites are used in everything from wine and beer to baked and frozen goods. A relationship also exists between the foods repeatedly eaten and those that cause allergic responses. In Japan, for instance, fish allergies are more common; in North America, wheat is more of a problem.

The underlying cause or initial trigger that provokes the immune system response is more obscure. However, chemicals added to food to preserve or change the color or taste, or used as pesticides, are still increasing, weakening our bodies and our immune systems. Food additives and pesticides (especially in the many canned, processed and frozen food), and overuse of antibiotics contribute to a build-up of toxins in the body.

Allergies have been linked to improper digestion and leaky gut syndrome. Patients with food intolerance often have an abnormal intestinal flora. It is thought that the intestines allow incompletely digested particles to enter the bloodstream. These are then recognized as foreign substances and attacked by the immune system. Causes of improper digestion are often related to poor enzyme or stomach acid production.

Introducing solid food to babies too early in life has also been linked to allergies, as the enzymes are not yet available for proper digestion. Homogenized and pasteurized cow's milk fed to babies often has a similar effect, as the proteins are foreign and difficult to digest, and the fat particles enter the bloodstream without having been fully digested. Human milk is much easier to digest than cow's milk and contains substances such as gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) which support babies' immune systems. Especially in children, emotional triggers should be ruled out as an underlying problem. Stress can impair the immune system from functioning optimally, allowing allergies to appear.

Supplements and herbs

Supplements should focus on improving digestion and adding nutrients that are lacking from poor absorption. The lack of nutrients, especially vitamins C, E and A, results in an instability of the cell walls, which allows allergens to enter more easily. Nutrients and vitamins are also important for the immune system, particularly the minerals zinc and selenium. With vitamin E, be sure to choose the natural form with mixed tocopherols.

Bioflavonoids, especially quercetin, work with vitamin C and also stabilize cell walls. For digestive support, vitamin B complex and magnesium should be added. Digestive enzymes are also recommended to improve digestion and assimilation. Friendly bacteria such as acidophilus should be supplemented to help fight bacterial infections which may be causing the allergy.

Before starting any therapy, it is strongly advised to detoxify the body by fasting for at least three days. If the liver is plugged up with fatty tissue and an excess of toxins which it cannot neutralize, inadequate secretion and allergies often result. It is also important to support the adrenals, the immune system and the digestive function.

• People who have allergies often suffer from calcium deficiency. Take 1 tbsp. of stinging nettle juice and 15-20 drops of horsetail tincture twice daily to supplement the body's need for calcium.
• Calendula helps control candida overgrowth in the bowels, which inhibits proper digestion. Take as a tea or 5 drops of tincture with water. Combine with Echinacea, lemon balm or agrimony.
• Agrimony heals damaged mucous membranes and soothes bowel irritation. Take as a tea or 4 drops of tincture three times daily. Combine with chamomile for better effect.
• To heal mucous membranes and soothe gastric sensitivity, take 2-4 drops of goldenseal tincture, with liquid or one 200 mg capsule three times daily for a couple of days at a time only. Combine with agrimony (avoid during pregnancy or if high blood pressure is indicated).
• Black walnut husks clear out parasites that cause a food allergy. Take 2 capsules twice daily.
• Birch juice or tea cleanses the blood and helps eliminate uric acid. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1-2 tsp. of dry birch leaves. Drink 3 cups daily for two to three weeks.
• The following mixture stimulates the liver and digestive tract and is very beneficial for most allergic conditions. Combine 2 tbsp. each of lemon balm leaves, agrimony, peppermint and celandine. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 tsp. of the herb mix. Drink 1 cup in the morning and 1 cup in the evening.

What else you can do

• Strengthen the immune system by getting plenty of sleep, fresh air and moderate sun.
• Avoid prolonged stressful situations. Worry, guilt and incomplete digestion also weaken the immune system.
• Lymph drainage, rising-temperature baths, herbal and clay wraps, and water therapy will enhance herbal and all other therapies applied.
• Relaxation techniques and deep-breathing exercises should be incorporated in the regular daily routine.
• Always eat slowly, in a relaxed atmosphere.

How much to take

• Vitamin C, with bioflavonoids, 1,000 mg three times daily
• Quercetin, 500 mg three times daily
• Vitamin B complex, 100 mg
• Acidophilus, 3 capsules or 1 tsp
• Vitamin E, with mixed tocopherols, 400 IU
• Vitamin A, 25,000 IU daily
• Bromelain, 1,000 mg three times daily
• Zinc, 35mg, with 3 mg copper
• Selenium, 200 mg

Back To Top