It’s not just “bad” food that causes problems with digestion and absorption. Any food, including “good” foods have the potential to be an allergen in the body. Food allergies are very common and very often overlooked. In fact, many medical professionals don’t look for food allergies because they fundamentally don’t believe in them. However, the evidence for food allergies is overwhelming and most private labs offer food allergy testing.
There are 4 main categories of food allergies to become aware of so you can identify them. When most people, including many medical professionals hear the word “allergy” they think of the typical symptoms like skin rash, hives, swollen throat, itchy watery eyes, and nasal discharge. However, this really only reflects one type of allergy, the IgE-mediated Immediate Sensitivity reaction. The chart below describes the differences between the 4 categories of food allergies you should distinguish between.
| IgE-Mediated Immediate Sensitivity | IgG-Mediated Delayed Sensitivity | Food Intolerance | Food Sensitivity | |
| Symptom Onset | Within minutes after exposure | 2-48 hours after exposure | Most likely 30min to 2 hours after exposure | Most likely within minutes after exposure |
| Diagnosis | Skin prick testing | Blood draw for IgG levels | Elimination diet | Electrodermal testing |
| Mechanism | IgE and histamine release from mast cells | IgG released from white blood cells | Deficiency of an enzyme to break down the food | Unknown |
| Treatment | Anti-histamines | Elimination diet | Digestive enzymes | Elimination diet |
IgE-mediated immediate sensitivity allergies occur when a protein triggers the release of histamine from de-granulated mast cells. The symptoms usually occur within minutes and are usually relatively severe and sometimes cause anaphylaxis. This type of allergy is most commonly induced by nuts, peanuts, shellfish, citrus, and environmental allergens like pollen, dander, and mold. IgE-mediated allergies are relatively uncommon for most other foods. The best way to test for IgE-mediated allergies is through skin prick testing. Anti-histamines provide relief for this type of allergy.
IgG-mediated delayed sensitivity allergies occur when a protein triggers the release of immunoglobulin G (IgG), an inflammatory product from white blood cells in the digestive tract. The symptoms usually occur anywhere from 2 to 48 hours after exposure and are of a more chronic and inflammatory nature. Common signs and symptoms include indigestion, gas, bloating, cramping, eczema, psoriasis, headaches, physical fatigue, mental fatigue, and edema. Anti-histamines do not improve these symptoms because histamine production is not involved. The best way to test for IgG-mediated allergies is to examine a blood sample for immunoglobulin G production from the white blood cell population.
Food intolerances are not a true allergy because they do not involve an immune-mediated response. Food intolerances occur when the body lacks an enzyme to break down certain food molecules. The most well known example is lactose intolerance where the body is deficient the enzyme lactose. Therefore, whenever dairy products are consumed lactose is not broken down and causes digestive upset. Enzyme deficiencies can occur for almost any food and are not actually a true allergy but nonetheless cause digestive symptoms.
Like food intolerances, food sensitivities are technically not a true allergy because there is no known measurable immune system response. In fact, we understand very little about the causes and mechanisms of food sensitivities. The best way to test for food sensitivity is through an elimination diet and ruling out IgE allergy, IgG allergy, and food intolerance. The treatment for food sensitivity is elimination or rotation diet.
To learn more about Dr. Barlow’s treatments or to schedule an appointment contact Dr. Barlow’s office at 250-448-5610 or via email at info@drbrentbarlownd.com
Interestingly, when my mother was first dgoanised with Lupus the key things she was allergic to were:Sunlight (she now uses factor 50+ sunscreen and thick shirts all year round);Cow’s milk dairy products;Red wine;Coffee; andBeef.We used to summarise it as the sun and anything to do with a cow or which you would have when consuming cow-products .My personal views are that there is a whole lot more going on behind this, since Lupus is an auto-immune disease. It’s almost certain that there were (and are) other intolerances that influenced the list above, although I find it interesting that the in-depth allergy testing done by both her doctor and her homeopath did not reveal any significant wheat allergy.Her allergies, if only provoked briefly, bring on a state where she appears to be heavily drugged. Outwardly she seems to be falling asleep and struggles to form sentences or respond to external input, but she has told me that (frsutratingly for her) she is completely awake internally and aware of being asked questions etc. (More long-term exposure brings on a rash.) I would have been doubtful about the beef, but I’ve seen her have meals where the only wrong food is beef (especially meals where I’ve cooked them myself so I know what has gone into them) and this drugged-state still comes on, so there is definitely something specifically wrong with the beef. I’m very taken by Ben’s suggestion that there may be a difference between grass-fed and grain-fed beef I’ll have to see if Mum is up for an experiment sometime.