Food Allergies

[dixiechick]

TweetDo you know food allergies are very common? Some people have them, but don?t realize it because their symptoms are so mild. It is estimated that between 6 and 7 millions people suffer from food allergies. It is estimated that about 1/4 of the American population is lactose intolerant. Lactose intolerance is more prevalent in different ethnic groups:

Up to 80% of African Americans
80% to 100% of American Indians
90% to 100% of Asian Americans
15% of Caucasians

I've just learned something new as I have continued research on allergies. Gluten (wheat, barley and rye) intolerance is called Celiac Disease. They don't consider gluten intolerance a food allergy but rather an inherited autoimmune disease, and their symptoms are very similar. I'll write more on this later.

Allergic symptoms can be anything from a rash to asthma, and so severe it can kill. Reactions can affect the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, skin, or cardiovascular system. This means you can have heartburn, zits or severe anaphylaxis. This is common with people who are allergic to peanuts.

I was having severe heartburn? frequently. I thought it was stress related, but one day I figured out what was causing it? onions. For my bf, it?s tomatoes. Whenever he eats tomatoes, he breaks out with acne on his chest and back. Now I was reading on www.acne.com website, and they said food doesn?t cause acne, but on www.foodallergy.org site they say allergic symptom can affect the skin. Then in another section of acne.com it states that food can cause flare-ups, so it may not be scientifically connected or proven, but it does happen.

The most common food allergies are milk, egg, peanut, nuts (walnut, cashew, etc), fish, shellfish, soy and wheat.

So how do you figure out what is causing your allergies without going to allergist? Start by cleaning up your diet. This means you have to eliminate all the goods stuff. Just eat the basics? protein (chicken, beef, fish, turkey) and carbs (potatoes and rice). If you are still having reactions then it is probably fish? take it out of your diet. If you are still having symptoms eliminate a food group one at a time until the symptoms go away.

You have to eat this way for a couple of weeks until all of your symptoms go away. Then add foods back into your diet one at a time weekly. For example, fish one week, dairy the next week, nuts next? fruit the next week and so forth. Some where along the way you will eat the thing that is causing your symptoms. That?s how you find out those mangos make your face puffy and eyes swollen or sausage causes your heartburn.

At the present time, there is no cure for food allergy. Avoidance is the only way to prevent an allergic reaction.

Hope this helps? I know I feel much better when I leave the onions off my hamburgers.

[dixiechick]

TweetCame across an article in Healthsmart today (you can pick it up at Vitamin World) on wheat, so I though I update this post. It talked about being allergic to wheat.

You have a wheat allergy or sensitivity - or suspect you might. Wheat is one of the top seven food allergens, and there are more than 80 different components in wheat a person can react to. Some people develop a rash quickly after eating wheat, a classic allergic reaction, but most people who are wheat sensitive have more subtle, delayed-onset reactions, such as post nasal drip, sinus congestion, or joint aches one to three days after eating it. If you eat a lot of wheat and don't feel well, try eliminating all whate products and see if your health improves. Or ask your doctor to order an immunoglobulin G (IgG) food intolerance test, or consider ordering a finger-prick test from York Nutritional Laboratories (www.yorkallergyusa.com) that you can perform at home.

It listed the most common signs of wheat sensitivity as:
- allergies, asthma or frequent rashes
- diarrhea and/or constipation
- digestive bloating and upset
- frequent sinus problems, earaches, or headaches
- strong cravings for wheat and overeating or inability to stop eating wheat
- unexplained fatigue, depression, hyperactivity or joint and muscle aches

Signs of Gluten Sensitivity:
- Abdominal pain
- bloating and gas
- dental enamel defects (vertical or horizontal grooves in teeth)
- depression
- diarrhea and/or constipation
- fatigue
- frequent canker sores
- frequent unexplained headaches
- iron-deficiency anemia
- low blood cholesterol
- low blood levels or zinc, vitamin D, vitamin K, and other nutrients
- short stature in children
- presence of autoantibodies (antibodies to self) in the blood

(Listed the source - Going Against the Grain by Melissa Diane Smith)


Anyway, sorry it was so long... I tried to pull out only what pertained to this thread... it was a very interesting article on reasons to cut wheat from your diet.

[dixiechick]

TweetWhat Is A Gluten Allergy?
By Grant Segall

In wheat, barley, rye, and low level oats, there is a rubbery like protein called gluten. This substance is what helps the dough bind, which you would see with baked breads and other baked foods. Although these grains contain gluten, which can cause a gluten allergy in sensitive people, they also contain a number of other proteins that can also cause allergy symptoms.

The four primary proteins found in wheat, rye, and barley includes albumin, globulin, gliadin, and glutenin, better known as gluten. While the symptoms and severity of the symptoms of gluten allergy vary from one person to another, generally a person would experience hives, swelling, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting, or asthma. If the person is highly sensitive to gluten allergy, the symptoms could be life-threatening.

The good news about gluten allergy is that if the person has a reaction after eating wheat or wheat product, making an early diagnosis is easy. The challenge is that so many of the foods we eat are made with wheat, making it difficult to tell where the real problem lies. Most often, a trained doctor or allergist would conduct a skin prick test or take blood to confirm that gluten allergy is the problem.

If the reaction to gluten is severe, the solution might be to eliminate wheat and wheat by-products from the diet. However, if the gluten allergy is minor, then reducing the amount of wheat consumed and/or allergy medication or shots might do the trick. If the person with gluten allergy is a young child, chances are he or she will outgrow the allergy.

Gluten Intolerance, also known as Coeliac Disease, is a hereditary disorder that affects the immune system. In this case, when gluten is consumed, the mucosa, which is the lining of the small intestine, is damaged. When this happens, important vitamins and nutrients are not absorbed properly. When a person has this type of gluten allergy, the symptoms would be different in children than they would be in adults.

For children, the gluten allergy would be seen as abdominal distension, impaired growth, abnormal stools, irritability, poor muscle tone, malabsorption, poor appetite, and wasting of muscle. If an adult has this type of gluten allergy, then diarrhea, significant weight loss, abdominal cramping and bloating, constipation, and offensive stools are common.

In both cases of gluten allergy, a doctor would need to perform blood tests to make a confirmed diagnosis. Once done, the only treatment is to have gluten completely eliminated from the diet. Because of this, it is essential that nutrient and vitamin deficiencies be addressed with things such as niacin, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, chromium, magnesium, selenium, folacin, molybdenum, and phosphorus. With proper care and diet, a person with gluten allergy can enjoy a hearty choice of foods without the irritating symptoms.

Grant Segall RPh is a pharmacist and webmaster for the allergy related website https://www.allergy-allergy.com.

[dixiechick]

TweetCeliac disease
Definition from the mayoclinic.com

Celiac disease is a digestive condition triggered by consumption of the protein gluten, which is found in bread, pasta, cookies, pizza crust and many other foods containing wheat, barley or rye. Oats may contain gluten as well. When a person with celiac disease eats foods containing gluten, an immune reaction occurs in the small intestine, resulting in damage to the surface of the small intestine and an inability to absorb certain nutrients from food.

Eventually, decreased absorption of nutrients (malabsorption) can cause vitamin deficiencies that deprive your brain, peripheral nervous system, bones, liver and other organs of vital nourishment, which can lead to other illnesses. The decreased nutrient absorption that occurs in celiac disease is especially serious in children, who need proper nutrition to develop and grow.

No treatment can cure celiac disease. However, you can effectively manage celiac disease through changing your diet.


Apparently there is a connection between Celiac Disease and Anemia. Because of the damage done to the small intestine the body can't absorb iron, folate, and vitamin B12. In turn Anemia is caused by a lack of iron, folate or vitamin B12. You can read more about it here... Celiac Disease and Anemia.

The Mayoclinic.com has some good information on Gluten intolerance. I also found another good source at Gluten Intolerance Group® of North America