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An allergic response or intolerance to a food or food ingredient comes under the general category of food sensitivity. Such reactions cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms, including digestive upsets, headaches and bloating. In most cases recognizing and avoiding-or at least cutting down on-the offending food is the only effective treatment.

Peanut allergies seem to becoming more common, especially among children. If you or your child is allergic to peanuts, you be vigilant. Many snack foods and biscuits contain small amounts of peanut products, and Asian restaurants often cook with peanut oil.

The best oil is to used coconut oil for your cooking, the most healthier and friendly for your body systems, heart and your weight management …see also articles about coconut oil and its benefits on this site.

When you have a food allergy , the immune systems reacts by releasing antibodies from white cells, which attack the culprit food. Their attack releases other substances from white cells, such as histamine and leukotrienes, that cause inflammation. This inflammation results in the production of reaction of reactive oxygen particles (free redicals), which can damage the body.

The immune system may also manufacture antibodies. These ‘mop up’ the food in the intestines, blood or elsewhere in the body, creating tiny particles called immune complexes. These can also lead to harmful physical effects.

There are two basic types of food sensitivity: allergies, which result from immune –system activities, and intolerances. If you have an allergic reaction, your immune system responds to certain foods (allergens, or ‘culprit foods) just as to any other invader see the allergic response above, in a research, as many as 6 percent of people and infants may have a food allergy, but only about 1.5 per cent of adults are affected.

A food sensitivity that does not consist of an immune-system response is termed a food intolerance. It may result from being unable to digest certain foods properly because a necessary enzyme is lacking. Example include celiac disease, which involves gluten intolerance, and lactose intolerance (inability to digest sugars in cow’s milk) . Some people react to monosodium glutamate, or MSG, with faintness, flushing, headache and abdominal pain (known as Chinese restaurant syndrome). Certain artificial food coloring (especially orange and yellow) can trigger eczema or asthma, and caffeine can lead to insomnia and shaking. Fruits and other carbohydrates cause abdominal pain in some individuals. The stomach is slow in emptying such foods, and the bacterial fermentation produces wind, which distends the stomach and intestines.

It is thought that damage to the intestinal lining-for example, by irritation from certain foods, infection or antibiotics-can cause a ‘leaky gut’ and allow traces of undigested foods to enter the blood. This leakage can trigger a food allergy in susceptible people.

In this form of allergic response, symptoms appear within one to two hours of eating even a small amount of the culprit food. The immune system produces inflammatory substances and a type of antibody known as IgE. Blood test and skin test for IgE are most likely to identify immediate-onset allergy. Symptoms may include:

• Hives
• Allergic rhinitis (hay fever)
• Asthma
• Swelling of the lips, mouth and the lining of the respiratory tract.

Symptoms appear up to 72 hours after eating the culprit food. They’re usually provoked by eating a large amount of it or having it frequently. The immune system produces IgG (and, perhaps, IgE) antibodies and in some cases inflammatory substance as well. Identifying the culprit can be difficult because symptoms tend to be vague, take time to appear and often result from foods that are common in the diet (see Common culprits below). You may be more susceptible to this form of reaction when physically or mentally stressed, and you may crave the very food that makes you ill. In addition to the symptoms listed for immediate-onset allergy possible symptoms include:

• Flushing
• Fatigue
• Muscle weakness, aching and stiffness
• Eczema
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Abdominal pain
• Joint pain
• Palpatations
• Bloating
• Weight fluctuation

PREVENTION

• You can help prevent damage from allergic reactions by making sure that your diet is healthy and includes plenty of foods containing flavonoids, copper , iron, magnesium, selenium, zinc, essential fatty acids and vitamins A, B (especially B6), C and B .
• If you are sensitive to wheat , don’t use biscuits and cakes as ‘comfort foods’ unless you know that they are wheat-free.
• If you have attack of gastroenteritis , you may suffer from temporary food intolerance to gluten or sugar, so take care as you recover to reintroduce only gradually foods that contain wheat, barley, oats, rye or added sugar.
• To reduse your baby ‘s risk of an allergy or other food sensitivity developing in later life, breast-feed for two a year, and wait until the infants is four to six months old before introducing any other foods.
• Withhold those foods most frequently implicate in allergies until a baby is at least six months old-longer if there is eczema or asthma in the family.

Anaphylactic shock

This is potentially fatal allergic reaction that includes breathing difficulty , a rapid fall in blood pressure and , in some cases, loss of consciousness. If you experience shortness of breath or feeling of faintness after eating a suspected food allergen , seek urgent treatment . An epinephrine injection could save your life.

Common culprits (occur allergy symptoms)

Wheat , milk, soy, bananas, eggs, fish, shellfish, nuts, seeds, beans. Peas, lentils, tomatoes, citrus fruits, yeast, chocolate and food additives are among the most likely causes of food sensitivity.

TREATMENT

DIET:Try to identify your culprit foods . People with an immediate-onset allergy generally react to one or two foods , while those with a delayed – on set sensitivity may react up to 15.

Keep a food diary for three months , recording everything you eat and any symptoms. This may allow you to identify an obvious relation –ship between a food and an adverse reaction.

If you suspect a certain food , don’t eat it for three weeks , then reintroduce it to see whether it causes problems.

If this single –food elimination doesn’t work, exclude all the most likely culprits for these foods every four days to see if it triggers a reaction. However, if you are not knowledgeable about nutrition, don’t attempt this exclusion diet without medical supervision.

Be aware that when you give up a food to which you are allergic, you may experience temporary withdrawal symptoms, such aas headaches , fatigue and irritability.

Once you identify your culprit foods, you can omit them from your diet altogether , in which case all your symptoms should disappear within three to six months. Or, if you are not severely allergic, see whether you can eat a small amount once every four days or more withot trouble . you may need to exclude the culprit foods completely for six months before you gradually reintroduce them in this way.

Supplements

If you have digestive problems, take Lactobacillus acidophilus tablets (as directed on the package). Along with vitamins A ,C and E, as well as flavonoids and zinc , to help heal the lining of the instestines.

If your food sensitivity results from a lack of a specific digestive enzyme, try taking a supplement of that enzyme.

Herbal remedies: Herbs cannot cure an allergy, but some may help soothe symptoms while you are searching for culprit foods . They may also aid in healing after withdrawing the problem food from your diet.

Drink a cup of tea made from Echinacea, liquorice and red clover or take a few drops of Echinacea tincture in water three times daily.

Drink a cup of yarrow or chamomile tea every four hours – or combine both herbs in a tea. Yarrow and chamomile contain substances that act as natural antihistamines and therefore help to counter food allergies.

Caution for safety concerns

Anti-allergy salad

Eating plenty of fresh salad vegetables may help you combat allergies by boosting your immune system.leafy vegetables such as nettles , rocket and baby spinach are good sources of the antioxidants vitamin C and beta –carotene, plus iron and folic acid , while nasturtiums provide both a peppery , head –clearing taste and plenty of sulphur compounds to beat infection.

Get medical check-up if you are uncertain about the cause of your symptoms, you suspect you have lactose intolerance or celiac disease. Symptoms from a suspected food allergy do not improve after self –help measures.

Get help right away if you suffer a severe allergic reaction , such as a rash, shortness of breath, fainting , or swelling of the mouth , tongue or throat.

See also: ABDOMINAL PAIN, ALLERGIC RHINITIS, ARTHRITIS, ASTHMA, BLOATING, CONVULSIONS, DEPRESSION, DERMATITIS, DIABETES, DIARRHOEA, FATIGUE, HEADACHE, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, INDIGESTION, ITCHING, MIGRAINE, NAUSEA AND VOMITING, OVERWEIGHT, STRESS.

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