Food Sensitivities: What You Need to Know
January ... A time to refocus — time to invest in yourself. You may know all the ins and outs of “diets” and the “gym,” though I may have more food for thought — literally . Numerous tools for food and nutrition can promote overall health and well-being, but one you may not have seriously considered is food sensitivity testing. Why is it important to consider? Consuming foods we are allergic and sensitive to can create an inflammatory response in our body that promotes inflammation. This inflammation results in a series of events that ultimately break down the gut lining. When our gut lining breaks down, food particles pass through the gut, into your tissues, and your bloodstream. This causes further health complications. Want to know more? Let’s delve into this further and shed more light on how this can be an important tool for you to utilize when improving your health. What is it? A food sensitivity test is done via a skin prick test or a blood test and tests for different immune responses to numerous food antigens revealing your food allergies and sensitivities. Allergies and sensitivities are different , though they can cause the same symptoms. We use the Precision Point Diagnostics P88 Dietary Antigen Test at Berman Health and Wellness. It looks for four different immune responses to 88 of the most common foods we typically consume. The most common immune responses this reveals are food allergies and food sensitivities.
What is the difference between a food allergy and a food sensitivity? A food allergy is identified by the antibody Immunoglobulin E, or IgE. The immune system produces this antibody and causes an immediate response to a foreign substance. IgE symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, swelling, and hives, can be severe. Food allergy symptoms usually develop within a few minutes up to two hours after exposure. A food sensitivity is identified by the antibody Immunoglobulin G, or IgG, and can be a more subtle response to a food. Sometimes, you don’t even notice the reaction! Symptoms include fatigue, headache, nausea, hyperactivity, bloating, mood changes, and dark circles under the eyes. IgG symptoms typically occur within 3–72 hours after consuming the potential food antigen. Why is it important? As I mentioned earlier, constant exposure to your food sensitivities and allergies will cause an inflammatory reaction in your body. Over time, that inflammation hurts our gut lining, causing further reactions to foods we commonly eat and expose ourselves to. A lot of times, when we review the results with people we work with, they are surprised when seemingly random foods show up on their test results, foods they eat all the time. An example is salmon, known for containing anti-inflammatory omega-3 healthy fats. However, if the underlying cause is poor gut health, your foods may not be absorbed properly from the small intestine. Instead, they are entering your bloodstream and causing further reactions like bloating, headaches, and nausea. Over time, repeated exposure causes your body to react more aggressively, leading to more severe reactions. Is it right for you? Approximately 32 million people in the U.S. have food allergies. From our experience guiding hundreds of people through their food sensitivity results, we all have foods we are sensitive to, whether low, moderate, or high-level sensitivity. These can surface in different ways we may not realize. These sensitivities can be developed over time because of poor gut health. These symptoms include muscle aches, joint pain, headaches, or skin rashes. Any symptoms that may appear “random” may be due to a reaction to the foods you’re eating. The good part is that this can be reversed! If you are interested in learning more about this process and how we support you through it, reach out to us at 239‑431-0232, and let’s see if we’re a good fit for you!
–Jenni Berman PA-C, CPT, CNS, CICI OWNER, BERMAN HEALTH AND WELLNESS
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