We often associate food allergies and sensitivities to foods like dairy or wheat creating problems with gas/bloating, fatigue, eczema/rashes, asthma etc… However, did you know that your unwanted symptoms could also be occurring due to a reaction to a certain component in your food rather that the food itself? This is one of the reasons that food sensitivity test results may not show significant food intolerance even though a patient is symptomatic or people may not see improvement in symptoms even after strictly following a food sensitivity test. Our immune system can actually build a reaction to various components found in food and by identifying and reducing the load of these components, unwanted symptoms can Voila… be relieved!
Some of the most common triggers include sulfites, salicylates, histamines and amines but may also include nitrates, glutamates and oxalates. These substances are present in our food and our body has the capacity to eliminate them, however when imbalances begin to occur, these foods can produce a food chemical overload that can send someone into tizzy causing headaches, brain fog, rashes, itching, joint pain and digestive issues just to name a few.
We become reactive to these substances partially because of our genetics but mostly because of our over exposure to these substances. Reactions to sulfites and salicylates are actually quite common because we can get into a dietary groove where we eat more of these substances than our body can get rid of and so our immune system reacts with a histamine response. This can be further compounded because many healthy foods such as avocados, cashews and fermented foods are high in histamine, therefore people can often overload just by trying to eat healthy. Spinach, eggs and broccoli are healthy but too many sulfur rich foods with certain genetic tendencies can produce unwanted symptoms such as skin and GI issues in some!
It isn’t uncommon for someone to embark on what they consider to be a super healthy plant based diet and then all of a sudden find themselves feeling worse and actually feeling more stuffy and allergic. This is because each one of us has a metabolic balance that needs to occur and what works for one person and makes them feel terrific isn’t necessarily going to work for someone else.
our very own Beth Mosher has been on the front lines of this, assessing patients and figuring out the root causes of stubborn symptoms, even when nothing else seems to work. If you are still dealing with ailments such as migraines, digestive discomfort, skin issues and fatigue, even after following a food sensitivity test result please contact us at 201-238-2720 or email us and we would be thrilled to help!