Allergies and Intolerances

Food Allergies and Food Intolerances are terms often used interchangeably to describe an adverse reaction to a food.  It is important to be able to differentiate between the two reactions which are as follows:-

Allergy is an immediate response and is defined as an abnormal adverse reaction to a substance (known as an antigen) which the body recognises as an invader and attacks with various components of the body’s immune system and histamine. An allergen can be due to an inhalant reaction, bee stings or substances found in food such as gluten (oats, wheat, barley or rye).  Gluten allergy is known as Coeliacs and results in the villi (finger-like protrustions lining the intestine) of the digestive tract becoming flattened causing malnutrition, diarrhoea, weight loss and failure to thrive.  It is managed by removing these foods from the diet.

Classical allergy might present as migraine, eczema, rashes, nasal symptoms, asthma and mild itching to a full state of shock (low blood pressure -–anaphylaxis), that if left untreated can result in death. 

An intolerance on the other hand has a delayed reaction time and is an adverse reaction that does not involve the immune system or involves a different part of the immune system e.g. food poisoning or the inability to correctly break down particular food components such as lactose or milk sugar.  People with lactose intolerance do not have enough of the enzyme lactase to digest the sugar, lactose in milk.  This is a common food intolerance can be managed through diet and the use of lactase enzymes. 

Other people may be intolerant to flavour enhances (MSG) and preservatives (sulphates) used on foods.

Intolerance may also occur due to poor protein digestion due to a lack of stomach acid/ pancreatic enzymes, over-consumptions of food leading to aggravation of the gut lining causing a widening of the channels that allow molecules of food to pass through the gut wall and into the blood stream (also known as leaky gut) or parasites/bacteria or yeats causing irritation which could lead to food intolerance. 

Common Inhalant Allergens are:

Pollens, dander, pets fur, house dust mites, feathers, cotton wool, grass, flour and moulds.

Common Ingested Allergens are:

Peanuts, Shellfish, Peanuts, strawberries

Stings

Bee and Wasp Stings.Classical Allergy Symptoms

• Hives or body rash.
• Swelling of face, lip or eyelid.
• Swelling of vocal chords and tongue
• Shortness of breath, asthma like wheezing.
• Rapid drop in blood pressure and shock.
• Anaphylaxis is an unusual but potentially fatal condition in which various parts of the body experience food allergic reactions together i.e. hives, swelling of the throat and difficulty in breathing.

Atopic Allergy

This is due to the genetic blocking of an enzyme that converts essential fatty acids from linoleic acid (evening primrose oil) to Gamma-linolenic oil (GLA) resulting in a deficiency of GLA with resultant symptoms of atopy, eczema, asthma, hayfever, migraine, hives and hyperactivity.

Symptoms may occur at different times in a persons life i.e. asthma at puberty, eczema in pregnancy.  As it is caused by a defective gene different symptoms may occur in different members of the family. 

Commonest Food Intolerances in the UK

• Grains: wheat, rye, barley, oats
• Pip/nut group: fruits (specially citrus), nuts, coffee, chocolate etc.
• Eggs
• Milk – cows milk particularly (casein – the protein in the milk.
• Yeast
• Shellfish
• Sugar
• Alcohol
• Food colourings and preservatives

Food Intolerance Testing

There are various types of testing available including the Elisa IgG  pinprick blood test which detects elevated IgG antibodies against foods that appear to be a problem indicating a food intolerance.  These tests are offered by various companies and also as home test kit called The Food Detective. 

Sometimes people aren’t having an IgG reaction to a food but still feel they are reacting to foods in which case the ALCAT TEST® which objectively measures the blood cells’ reactions to a foreign substance under conditioned designed to mimic what actually happens when the food is consumed in real life.

The Food Detective

The Food Detective Food Intolerance test uses a highly sensitive immunoassay technique that has been modified so that it can be used in clinic as opposed to a laboratory which detects IgG antibodies to 59 commonly eaten foods in less than 40 minutes! Appointments for this test last for 1 hour and include a Nutritional Assessment session to give you a chance to see whether this is an avenue you might wish to explore further. The Nutritional Assessment session is also particularly helpful should the test result be negative. Fiona can of course offer other methods of laboratory testing for food intolerances as well should you prefer to go this route.

The in-clinic price for this test is £79.00 and includes a Nutritional Assessment. Please telephone 01728720736 to discuss this further with Fiona.

Alternatively, you can conduct this test yourself in the comfort of your own home for the price is £39.99.

Food Intolerance Symptoms

Gastro Intestinal: Chronic diarrhoea, IBS, gas, bloating, duodenal, ulcer, malabsorption, Crohn’s disease, colic, constipation and high acid.

Urinary & Reproduction: Bed-wetting, chronic bladder infections, cystitis.

Immune: Chronic infections, chronic fatigue syndrome, ear infections, rheumatoid arthritis.

Mental/emotional: Depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, insomnia, confusion, irritability, mood swings, lack of concentration, learning impairment, autism.

Musculoskeletal: Bursitis, joint pain, low back pain, arthritis.

Skin: acne, eczema, itching, skin rash, hives or urticaria, diaper rash.

Miscellaneous: Arrhythmia (fast heart beat), oedema, fainting, fatigue, lethargy, migraine, headaches, puffy eyes and dark circles under the eyes, itchy nose/throat, headaches, migraines, hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), horizontal creases in bottom eyelids, chronic swollen glands, chronic non-cyclic fluid retention.

Psychological symptoms associated with intolerances are:

Brain fag, poor concentration, irritability, confusion, depression, paranoia, hypersensitivity, aggressiveness, mood swings, schizophrenia.

It is still not understood why some foods have an adverse effect on some people as widespread intolerance has only been recognised fairly recently.  Pesticides, toxic gases, sealed houses and ready made meals may be partly to blame as may the overloading of the liver with tea and coffee.

Elimination Diet

An elimination diet can be carried out to find out which foods may be causing problems.  The idea behind it is that the reaction either disappears completely whilst various foods are eliminated or that a reaction occurs when the food is reintroduced.  It is a very accurate if all common allergens (foods usually most frequently eaten and crave) are removed from the diet for a period of 2 – 4 weeks and then reintroduced one by one every other day.  It is a very limited diet usually consisting of poultry, lamb, rice, green vegetables and occasionally some non-citrus fruit. 

Advantages – person finds out for themselves what is contributing to their symptoms and is more likely to be motivated to avoid it.

Disadvantages – difficult for a person to implement and it may be hard to recognise which food is causing a problem if there is more than one offending food.

On reintroduction of the food it is a good idea to take your pulse at rest for 60 seconds and write it down.  Then eat a large amount of the suspected food and take your pulse again after ten minutes.  Check your pulse again after 30 minutes and again after 60 minutes – if your pulse rises or drops by 10 points this is a good indicator that a food does not agree with you.  Also write down any symptoms that you have over the next 24 hours.  This test may not always be reliable as some foods take 2 – 4 days to cause a reaction.

Allergy Testing

IgE is the antibody produced in classical allergy which can be tested with various companies.