One Man’s Food Is Another Man’s Poison
Why Are They So Misunderstood?
The challenge for people that may be suffering needlessly from food allergies/sensitivities is the same old battle between special interest groups in the medical paradigm wishing to protect their bottom line and those playing word games. We will discuss the most dangerous types of food allergies first because they are dangerous! Then we will have a discussion about the type of delayed sensitivity reactions that are the most common and the most under diagnosed. From a very simple perspective, everything that you put in your mouth is a foreign object. Your body must manifest a type of oral tolerance to allow you to eat the food that brings you sustenance. Food allergies and sensitivities can create havoc on our bodies and systems. Most people are totally unaware of the consequences of consuming and ingesting the wrong things. For some people, an allergic reaction to a particular food may be uncomfortable but not severe. For other people, an allergic food reaction can be frightening and even life-threatening. Food allergy symptoms vary greatly with the type of immune response that is triggered. Antibody responses of the IgE type usually develop within a few minutes to an hour after eating the offending food. These types of reactions are the most visual and violent type. This is an example of the guy that eats the peanut and his throat and airways start closing off. If I touch crab legs, I will break out in hives. This is the same type of anaphylactic reaction that occurs in people with asthma or those people who are highly sensitive to bee stings. According to conventional western medicine, a food allergy is the result of your immune system’s misdirected reaction to food substances, most commonly proteins and carbohydrates. Fortunately, these IgE, hypersensitivity reactions are the minority of reactions we see caused by food. They trigger the histamine response and are the only ones that reliably show a positive response in the traditional skin testing model.
The most common IgE food allergy symptoms include:
- Tingling in the mouth
- Hives, itching or eczema
- Swelling of the lips, face, tongue and throat, or other parts of the body
- Wheezing, nasal congestion or trouble breathing
- Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting
- Dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting
Anaphylaxis
In some people, a food allergy can trigger a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. This can cause life-threatening symptoms, including:
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- Constriction and tightening of airways
- A swollen throat or a lump in your throat that makes it difficult to breathe
- Shock, with a severe drop in blood pressure
- Rapid pulse
- Dizziness, lightheadedness or loss of consciousness
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IgE antibodies are found primarily in mucous secretions. In serum it is present in very low concentrations and elevated in atopic diseases such as allergic asthma, hay fever and atopic dermatitis. An IgE reaction occurs about the time immediately after exposure to the allergen; food or inhalant. This type of reaction is referred to as a Type I immediate hypersensitivity reaction. IgE antibodies that are specific for the allergen, bind onto immune cells called mast cells and basophils. The allergen attaches the mast cell-bound IgE antibodies .This initiates the release of histamine and other inflammatory mediators from these cells. That is why you can see a positive redness and swelling response on a skin prick test. The allergic IgE response is comprised of not only an immediate event but in many cases, a late event as well. The early phase reaction usually occurs within 15 minutes of exposure to the allergen.
The IgG antibodies represent the most prevalent class found in the blood. It is produced after re-immunization, or secondary response to a food antigen. It is the primary mediator of the memory immune response. Often involved in Type III delayed hypersensitivity reactions, IgG forms an immune complex with the allergen. This antibody/antigen complex activates complement ,a group of small proteins found circulating in the blood stream that are involved in the release of inflammatory mediators. The inflammatory process is gradual and may take anywhere from several hours to several days, which is why this type of reaction is termed a delayed sensitivity reaction. This is the most common form of food allergy, comprising almost 80% of food sensitivities but missed by common skin testing or blood IgE. Although immune cells called macrophages dispose of these immune complexes immediately, they only have a finite capacity to do so. Excess antigen may saturate the macrophages capacity resulting in the prolonged circulation of complexes and their deposition into the body tissues. The phase reaction may then occur anywhere from two hours to four days later.
IgG antibodies represent the most prevalent class found in the blood. It is produced after re-immunization, or secondary response to antigen. It is the primary mediator of the memory immune response. It is the most common cause of food sensitivity reactions. Often involved in Type III delayed hypersensitivity reactions, IgG forms an immune complex with the allergen. This antibody/antigen complex activates complement (a group of small proteins found circulating in the blood stream that are involved in the release of inflammatory mediators. The inflammatory process is gradual and may take anywhere from several hours to several days, which is why this type of reaction is termed, delayed. Although immune cells called macrophages dispose of these immune complexes immediately, they only have a finite capacity to do so. Excess antigen may saturate the macrophages capacity resulting in the prolonged circulation of complexes and their deposition into the body tissues. Depending on which tissues are involved, it is thought that these complexes may be implicated in many different conditions/symptoms. This is the class of antibodies that I see causing the most problems for my people. The combination of the delayed sensitivity and the cumulative effect that these types of reactions have, are why I’m not a fan of the elimination diets that are often suggested. If you are adversely affected by something you ate three or four days ago, you’re never going to figure it out. You may have a mild sensitivity to several different foods that individually never cause a problem but combined together in the same meal, give your immune system the 1 – 2 punch. One of my people was a lady who had a mild sensitivity to a number of different fruits. She related that when she ate any of the fruits by themselves, she never noticed anything but whenever she was out to a brunch and ate fruit salad, she never felt good afterword. This is an example of the cumulative effect that IgG antibody responses have on your immune system. Many people suffer from maladies as a result of food sensitivities because they can affect almost every part of your body, organ systems and metabolic function. Most of us think of food allergies as affecting only the digestive system. Those are common but I routinely see people in my office with symptoms affecting everything from neurological/ behavioral conditions to skin conditions and body pain. When trying to evaluate some ones health challenge, you must approach from two different directions. One perspective is, what can I do to help bring balance back to the body system and the other is, what are the stumbling blocks to cure? The following is a partial list of symptoms that may occur with IgG/delayed food sensitivity reactions.
Research studies suggest elevated serum antibodies, IgE, IgG or IgA to food proteins are markers of this immune intolerance. For example, elevated IgA anti-gliadin is a proven useful marker of the immune reaction in the small intestine triggered by gluten, in celiac disease. The immunological trigger effects of specific-IgA antibodies merit close consideration for the screening and management of chronic inflammatory disease conditions where there is a suspected loss of oral tolerance. These may be especially important in Crones and Ulcerative Colitis. IgA represents a primary immune reaction. The half-life is about 5-6 days, compared to IgG which is about 20-24 days, and indicative of an ongoing immune reaction. The assessment of the both antibodies offers a comprehensive picture. IgA antibodies provide early defense against many antigens. IgA in the form of secretory IgA, sIgA, is produced from initial exposure to antigen. It represents local or mucosal immunity. sIgA binds and excludes antigen present in the intestinal tract, preventing excessive systemic absorption, for example, food peptides, bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi; proteins that are normally restricted to the intestinal tract.
The most overlooked immune response to food and environmental triggers are the cytokine responses. They may play a greater or lesser role for the individual, but for the more sensitive people, these may be the answer to often debilitating sensitivities. Cytokine responses may or may not cause the immune system to produce antibodies at the same time. Thus a person may have sensitivities for one type of reaction that aren’t apparent when testing for other types of responses. Cytokines may trigger immune responses that can cause inflammatory cascades and a propensity for stimulating auto immune conditions. Because of the complexity and expense of this kind of testing, I usually opt for the more basic antibody testing as a first line of investigation. Complex cases and a demonstrated chemical sensitivity of the individual may indicate this to be the proper direction to take.
