We have been blessed with parents that live close by and are willing to wrangle two young kiddos for a weekend while my husband and I get in a little R&R. Recently, my parents took on this feat and knew my daughter couldn’t tolerate dairy. Being the amazing grandparents they are, they made a special trip to the store to get lactose free milk. While so grateful, I had to explain their granddaughter couldn’t have this milk because she has a sensitivity to the milk protein (casein) rather than a lactose problem. I explain food sensitivities to them and have to believe there are other families struggling with this same confusing problem. What are food sensitivities? How do I know if I have one? Can I treat it so I can go back to enjoying my grandparent’s house?
What is a Food Allergy vs Food Sensitivity?
A food allergy occurs when a specific antibody or fighter cell (IgE) in your body reacts to a certain food. This triggers a cascade of inflammation causing hives, swelling, nausea/vomiting, etc. This typically happens rather quickly and if severe may require epinephrine or steroids to calm the symptoms. If you don’t have these immediate symptoms, a food allergy is unlikely…but you could still suffer from a food sensitivity. A food sensitivity (aka intolerance) is mediated by different antibodies (IgG and IgA) or can be due to lack of enzymes/impaired absorption. This reaction occurs slower (can often take days to weeks) and produces a variety of symptoms including: bloating, constipation, diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, anxiety or depression, fatigue, joint pain, eczema, and headaches. Some will argue that an allergy is more problematic and that definitely is the case in the short term with an anaphylactic reaction. However, I would argue (and research would too) that a food sensitivity causes more damage in the long run. If food chronically creates inflammation, your gut becomes leaky which allows your body to be exposed to foreign substances. Some of these substances can closely resemble your own cells, so when you create antibodies to these foreign substances, the antibodies also attack your own body…thus autoimmune disorders skyrocket!
How do I know if I have a Food Sensitivity?
If you have any of the above symptoms, I recommend looking into digestive testing. Food sensitivities are one component of this testing. There are two ways to test for food sensitivities:
- Elimination Diet: This is the most affordable option but can be the hardest and most frustrating. For this, I recommend doing 30-60 days of a Paleo diet because it eliminates the most inflammatory foods (grains, dairy, sugars, etc). After 30 days, if you’re feeling better, you can slowly add back in these foods to see if your symptoms recur. This is tricky as it can take days or even weeks for symptoms to develop due to a food sensitivity; introducing one new food per week is key.
- Food Sensitivity Blood test: This checks for IgA and IgG antibodies to certain foods. (if you are worried about an allergy, you could also test for IgE antibodies). The caveat with these tests is you have to be eating the tested foods for at least 2 weeks prior to testing. For example, if you eat gluten free, you would need to go back to eating gluten for at least 2 weeks before this test or it could be falsely negative. Most routine hospital labs don’t offer this testing, so physicians need to order it through a functional medicine lab. I like Cyrex labs as it tests for both IgG and IgA antibodies. The cost can range from $200-$500. Unfortunately, this test is not 100%…meaning, for example, if it comes back normal and you feel horrible after eating tomatoes, then by all means don’t eat tomatoes!
Treating Food Sensitivities
If your food sensitivity test is abnormal, the initial treatment is to remove the offending food. Sometimes this is enough to solve all your symptoms. However, frequently, you can be reacting to a food because your gut isn’t healthy for other reasons (imbalance of bacteria, infections, lack of acid or enzymes, stress, etc.) Further testing may be needed. This is great news because if you seek treatment for these other offenders, your gut can become healthy and you may be able to tolerate your “sensitive” foods again. Your gut is forever changing, so your food sensitivities may change too!
Are you feeling “off”? Chronic symptoms that won’t change? Perhaps, it’s the food you eat. Perhaps, your gut is trying to tell you something. Please contact me for an appointment…I would love to help you pursue health. Become resilient, ever growing…MINT.
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