The Real Cause Of Food Intolerances

Around us, the number of people who say they suffer from an allergy or food intolerance is multiplying . These reactions can be seen as diseases – and those who suffer from them, as sick – and treated as such, or they can be seen as natural responses of the body in its relationship with food and the environment.

The allergy or intolerance warns us that this relationship is suffering some imbalance, and asks us to take the necessary measures to correct it. They can be annoying reactions, which logically we would prefer not to suffer, but we can also understand them as an opportunity to take responsibility for our health and our lifestyle in general.

When a healthy person realizes that he reacts with abnormal symptoms to the intake of a food and goes to the doctor, he can be diagnosed with an allergy or an intolerance.

What is the difference between an intolerance and an allergy?

The intolerance can cause indigestion, flatulence, muscle aches, nervousness and anxiety states, insomnia, loss of strength, fatigue … There are no reliable analytical tests, except for gluten intolerance.

Sometimes elevated levels of IgG may appear , but an increase in these gamma globulins in the blood may be normal only due to the fact that the food in question is consumed periodically.

With which, the only thing that is clear in the intolerance is the sensitivity of the patient and his self-examination, through which he realizes that there are foods that he does not tolerate and that improves when he consumes them.

In allergic or atopic people (with a tendency to present immune responses), on the other hand, an increase in immunoglobulins IgE, IgG4 or eosinophils is found in blood tests.

They can also show positive reactions to skin tests or provocation tests (food is administered in isolation and the reaction is expected).

These people can suffer rhinitis, conjunctivitis, dermatitis, gastritis or enteritis, bronchitis … which are the symptoms that lead them to the doctor.

These are more or less intense reactions that disappear when contact with food ceases, but it should be noted that the reaction can also be acute and serious, as occurs in anaphylactic shock, which can be life-threatening if not treated with an injection. of adrenaline or a corticosteroid to cut off the body’s inflammatory response.

As Randoph M. Nesse explains in his book Why do we get sick? (Ed. Grijalbo), the allergic reaction is part of the body’s defense mechanisms against toxic agents or antigens that identify worms and parasites such as fleas, ticks, pinworms, filariae …

Therefore, an allergy can be an overreaction to similar antigens (proteins) found in food that are safe for most.

The causes of food intolerances

Neither allergies nor intolerances are anything strange. The predisposition to suffer allergies occurs between 15% and 30% of Europeans.

Although the problem has usually been confined to an alteration of the immune system, the truth is that it is not isolated from the rest of the body or the environment. In which the symptoms are triggered , psychological, endocrine and environmental factors can intervene .

The existence of a medical discipline such as psychoneuro-endocrine-immunology makes it clear how closely related all these fields are. Thus, an allergic reaction or intolerance can be caused or favored by agents present

The allergy does not affect only those who suffer from it, but the entire society. Somehow the allergy sufferer is showing other people that there is a problem. in the environment (pollutants, modified foods …), by genetics and by individual and collective ways of life.

Consequently, allergy is not a problem only for the person who suffers it, but for society as a whole. Somehow the allergy is often showing other people that there is a problem. We can all take it into account when avoiding risks and deciding the lifestyle that best suits us.

Prevent in the first months of life

If there are other people with allergies in the family, we can think that there is a genetic factor. In this case, we can prevent its manifestation in future generations by taking care of the entire pregnancy and lactation process.

During this time the mother can avoid contact with trigger foods, avoid exposure to toxic agents and breastfeed the baby, as it has been shown that breast milk protects against allergies in general during childhood and in adulthood.

There may also be a stimulation of immune sensitivity due to affective causes. As the expert doctor in psychosomatics Rof Carballo wrote, “the allergic person is inscribed in a system of three coordinates: a constitutional factor, a psychogenic factor and, thirdly, the exogenous and circumstantial circumstance”.

He added that normally the disorder appears due to a combination of these factors, not exclusively due to one of them. Each person can, through self-examination or with the help of a therapist, investigate how their emotional life may be altering their sensitivity.

To do this, it is necessary to observe in what situation the discomforts appear, the relationships with loved ones and how these are modulated in the face of the care they require.

The place where you live also influences. In recent years, cases have been seen to increase dramatically in the most polluted cities. Pollutants are not only found in the air, but also among the thousands of additives and ingredients used by the food industry.

The influence of pesticides and additives

The participation of various factors in allergy cases can be traced to some foods that frequently cause reactions. The strawberries appear among the most allergenic foods, especially in children.

But curiously, they are also among the most contaminated with chemical pesticides, which can multiply the chances of an allergic response. Therefore, it is not only a question of avoiding strawberries, but that they, and the environment in general, are free of toxic chemicals.

Another case, very much in vogue, is that of gluten. The number of people who show some sensitivity to this component of wheat and other cereals, or who say they feel better if they eliminate it from their diet, is multiplying.

The factors that may be contributing to the “epidemic” are several. Some experts assure that the human being is not adapted to the characteristics of the modern varieties of wheat, chosen by the industry based on their productivity.

Others, such as proponents of paleolithic or raw food diets, go further and claim that cereals in general are not appropriate foods for humans or at least for some.

Allergic components in wheat are also likely to be activated when accompanied by chemical additives or pollutants, as occurs in many bakery and pastry products.

On a practical level, the person who suspects gluten can try to follow a diet without this protein. If you feel better and can eat in a balanced way, getting the nutrients you need from other products, it is okay to change your diet.

In addition to avoiding the food that causes the allergy or intolerance, the affected person can modify their lifestyle, resort to medicinal plants and natural therapies, not to suppress symptoms, but as an aid in the body’s self-regulation process. . After a while you can taste the food again and check if there have been any changes.

Treat intolerances or allergies: better without drugs

It is normal for the person affected by an allergy or a food intolerance to seek the help of the doctor, but as far as possible, chronic treatments with synthetic drugs that are not free of side effects (such as antihistamines, which can affect the nervous system).

It is preferable to find gentle solutions and change habits related to food and lifestyle. The goal is for each person to be able to manage themselves in their search for balance with the environment.

But this has social aspects : for example, it is necessary to facilitate access to gluten-free food or reduce the amount of allergens in the environment.

Beyond food

Some tips, which are not directly related to food, can help in this recovery of balance :

• Take walks in the countryside at any time of the year and take sun baths (risk-free).
• Adapt to seasonal changes in temperature by using air conditioning or heating as little as possible.
• Rest and sleep in areas free of telluric influences (the help of a dowser is necessary to discover them) and electromagnetic pollution (antennas and mobile phones, Wi-Fi networks, proximity of electrical appliances …).
• Avoid as much as possible unnecessary treatments with antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that damage the intestinal barrier and increase its permeability.
• Touch the earth and plants, take care of a vegetable garden or garden. In this way you will favor contact with bacteria that the immune system needs to mature. This is especially important during the first years of life.