Boston nutritionist, Dr. Judith Mabel food allergies and sensitivities

Food Allergies and Sensitivities

Do you suffer from digestive problems, such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation?

Do your eyes sometimes feel itchy or watery?

Are you prone to mood swings, food cravings, depression or headaches?

Do you often experience fatigue, hyperactivity, or difficulty in concentrating?

Do you suffer from recurrent asthma, bronchitis or sinus problems?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you may be experiencing symptoms caused by food allergens. The symptoms may be immediate or may be delayed – by hours or even days after exposure. One study reported that nearly 60% of patients with food intolerance experiences delayed, rather than immediate, reaction to provoking foods.

There are two major ways to identify food allergens:

The allergy elimination diet. In this diet, you would eliminate foods that tend to be troublesome to a large number of people, foods such as dairy, wheat, sweets and some specific fruits and legumes. After a period of time, you would then add back the eliminated foods, noting which ones cause your symptoms to reoccur.
A blood test which identifies antibodies to specific foods. This test measures for the immediate, or IgE antibodies, and also for IgG antibodies that cause delayed reactions – "hidden allergies" that do not show up on conventional tests.

Why are allergies increasing? No one knows for sure, but some scientists believe that increased chemicals in the air, water and food is causing increased severity of allergic reactions. And most commercial foods now contain hundreds of hidden ingredients – both natural and synthetic – that have been identified as agents in many allergic reactions. These reactions lead to a symptom called "leaky gut", which allows penetration of antigens that are normally prevented from crossing through the gut mucosal barrier.