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Food Allergies Medical Considerations
Medical Considerations
Digestive Enzymes: Must have a very high quality, bioavailable, preferably broad spectrum formula, for rapid and complete digestion of foods, to prevent developing possible food allergies. Raw food has intact enzymes that assist in the digestion of that food group. Cooking destroys enzymes. Our bodies also have enzymes that assist in digesting foods, however enzyme function diminishes with age. Failure to completely digest foods leads to incomplete assimilation of nutrients. The result is the development of a number of chronic medical conditions, food allergies included. Plant based digestive enzymes work at any pH; meaning once it is in your stomach, it starts working right away. Animal based digestive enzymes do not begin to work until after your stomach pH drops very low; thus any person with hypochlorhydria (a lack of hydrochloric acid in the gastric juices), may never benefit from animal based digestive enzymes. Enzymes taken with meals will be used up in the stomach while they help digest that meal. Enzymes taken on an empty stomach will go into the blood stream intact. Blood conditions such as stacking of red blood cells (RBCs) like a stack of coins (RBC Rouleau), or red blood cells clumping together (RBC Aggregation), or accumulations of Uric Acid Crystals in the blood, can be greatly helped with a combination of Plant Digestive Enzymes and Antioxidants, taken on an empty stomach. (See our section on
pain.)
Intestinal Flora Replacement: Sometimes referred to as “Probiotics”. We must create a healthy environment within the Gastrointestinal Tract. Antibiotics destroy the friendly gut bacteria, allowing the naturally present candida bacteria to overpopulate, and then mutate into a mold, which penetrates the intestinal wall to infect the rest of the body. This process has the end result of a "Polysystemic Candidiasis Infection." (Poly meaning in many systems of the body.) Replacing friendly bacteria on a regular basis, but especially during and after any antibiotic use, is very important for the prevention of a candida overgrowth. A high quality, balanced, Intestinal Replacement product, should replace the delicate strands of the various acidophilus types of intestinal bacterium. This is essential during Candida die off so other Candida does not "refill" back into the empty spaces in the intestines. This should assist in combating digestive disorders, vaginal yeast infections, and helps the body resist diseases caused by "unfriendly" bacteria.
Food Allergy Testing: The most accurate and thorough food allergy lab test uses blood serum to measure antibody titers against common foods.
Adrenal and Thyroid functions tests: Weakness in these areas can also contribute to increased sensitivities to food allergies. Hair Analysis Tests: A properly collected and interpreted hair analysis can give strong insight into both toxins and nutritional deficiencies that can contribute to heightened allergic responses, both airborne and food allergies.
Food Allergies tend to develop by one thing getting worse and another thing following suit and cycling in a downward spiral after that. A common scenario is where a person or a child gets an upper respiratory infection that produces a high fever and a secondary infection that needs to be treated by antibiotics in the practitioners eyes. Antibiotics are then given, following which the natural flora in the gastrointestinal tract is severely changed and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is inhibited. Subsequently the immune system is weakened further. This causes more infections and more rounds of antibiotics. IgG testing can track this quite satisfactorily and demonstrate what foods the person is becoming most sensitized to. They tend to be proteins and / or other foods that are consumed repetitively. Food sensitivities then develop. Because the digestion cannot handle them appropriately, they tend to get the immune system to respond as though those substances are foreign to our bodies. To put it bluntly, eventually the immune system is fighting your food instead of the infections. You are now experiencing allergic responses to specific foods allergies. In order to break the food allergy cycle, you first have to pick the foods that are the worst offenders. Lab tests are helpful to determine those foods. Eliminating those foods from the diet, taking a digestive aid, enzyme therapy, or hydrochloric acid for a period of time, will help break the cycle of not tolerating heavy protein foods. It is imperative to take an effective digestive enzyme formula with all meals and snacks. This formula should be a very broad-spectrum and biologically active and useable formula. Most of the digestive enzyme formulas found on the common market only contain the common enzymes, rather than a broad and full spectrum. Once the person is recovered which usually takes from 3 to 6 months, then you need to ascertain what kinds of foods they aren't going to tolerate for the rest of their life. Most people have one or two kinds of foods, usually heavy proteins that they don't tolerate. If they stay off them they'll have less chance of breaking down and having other kinds of allergies. Treating people with dietary allergies can help other kinds of allergic illnesses. Environmental allergies to mold, house dust, and animal dander sometimes cannot be avoided and the severity of the IgE attacks can sometimes be mediated by treating other kinds of illnesses. The entire organism benefits from a dietary analysis. Treating only the symptoms will not lead to long-term health improvements. If you are just treating itchy eyes, runny nose, or asthma because of allergies, you are not getting to the root of it. You need to treat the cause and make the organism stronger. When a Naturopathic Physician tries to fine tune the patient, homeopathics and herbal therapy to build up the organism are very important. Those are prescribed in a very precise manner. See your Health Care Professional. Please cross-reference our sections on: Antibiotics and Candida Infections.
Enzymes are responsible for every activity of life. Each and every chemical reaction that takes place within the human body requires enzymes. Our digestive processes are dependent on adequate levels and functioning of digestive enzymes. Raw food has intact enzymes that assist in digestion. Nature intended us to obtain these enzymes from our food sources. Most individuals though, ingest high amounts of cooked food devoid of such enzymes. As our own body’s enzyme function likely diminishes with age, failure of proper digestion can result. This may evolve into a lack of adequate nutrition and the development of a number of chronic medical conditions. A quality line of enzyme products should be utilized on a daily, meal-to-meal basis, for anyone who has indigestion, or any other digestive complaints. All enzymes need to be plant based. This is very important as plant based enzymes work under nearly all pH environments. Animal based enzymes will only work "after" your stomach lowers its pH to around 3.0. This certainly will not benefit those individuals who already have digestive problems related to improper stomach pH values. There are two classes of enzymes recognized: 1. Metabolic enzymes - These are responsible for repair, formation and function of each cell within each and every tissue of the body. Over the course of time, these enzymes "wear out" and require replenishment by the body. 2. Digestive enzymes – The main enzymes are the proteases, amylases and lipases, which are involved in the breakdown of ingested proteins, carbohydrates and lipids (fats) respectively. However there are also other enzymes that should be included in a proper enzyme formula. Proper breakdown of these ingested foods is necessary to allow proper absorption of the nutrients to occur. The current use of metabolic enzymes is limited to specific medical situations such as clot dissolution through intravenous use. Digestive enzymes, though, have been used and are available in supplemental form to assist in numerous digestive disorders. There is extensive evidence that supports the use of digestive enzymes for a wide range of Gastrointestinal illness including malabsorption, pancreatic insufficiency, celiac disease and lactose intolerance. There are at least two studies that have shown benefit in food allergies with the use of enzymes. Conventional physicians frequently recommend enzymes for all of these aforementioned situations. Heartburn and indigestion also frequently may respond to enzyme nutritional support. Additional uses: European literature recognizes additional uses for plant based proteolytic enzymes. These compounds have demonstrated anti-inflammatory, fibrinolytic (blood thinning) and anti-tumor properties in a number of animal experiments. A study in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases showed benefit in individuals with arthritis. 556 people with various forms of arthritis were studied. 283 had good to excellent improvement and 219 showed mild to moderate improvement. The specific enzyme Bromelain, found within "Digestive Support" has been used successfully in Europe as an anti-inflammatory in diverse conditions such as allergic rhinitis and minor trauma including sprains and strains. Quality enzyme formulas thus have a broad range of applicability from improvement in digestion and gastrointestinal disorders, to enhancement of blood flow in individuals with circulatory disorders, to lessening of allergic and arthritis symptoms. Side Effects: Individuals with extreme cases of Gastritis, Gastric or Duodenal Ulcers should begin their Enzyme Supplementation with very little (or no) Protease. Then slowly introduce Protease in approximately 4-6 weeks. This is due to the situation that Protease may temporarily have a burning sensation on individuals with these situations. Drug Interactions: There is a theoretic concern for the use of Coumadin and protease digestive enzymes, due to the fibrinolytic properties of protease. The concern is: Coumadin is a blood thinner and fibrinolytic properties means to cause blood clotting. The question is whether taking protease would counter the effects of Coumadin. Blood clotting is a normal protective mechanism used by the body to stop people from bleeding when they get a cut. Without the ability of the blood to clot, a person could bleed to death from a small cut. No human studies have addressed this concern of Coumadin verses Protease enzymes. References:
1. Oelgoetz AW, Oelgoetz PA, Wittenkind J. The treatment of food allergy and indigestion of pancreatic origin with pancreatic enzymes. Am J Dig Dis Nutr 1935;2:422–26.
A large body of evidence over the past 75 years has demonstrated the preventive health value of eating foods fermented with Lactobacilli or Bifidobacteria. These beneficial bacteria are referred to as Probiotics. Probiotic bacteria are considered "friendly" bacteria. They are an essential component of a healthy gastrointestinal tract as they inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, boost immune function, decrease infection in the digestive tract, and enhance digestion through enzyme production. There are numerous species of lactobacilli and many strains for each species. The most well known of these, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteris, are normal inhabitants of the human digestive tract. Others, like L. bulgaricus and L. Salivarius are not. These organisms, though, still play an important role in maintaining the proper ratio of "friendly" organisms in the bowel by producing "bacteriocins" chemicals that destroy harmful (unfriendly) bowel organisms. Acidophilus and bifidobacteria maintain a healthy balance of intestinal flora by producing organic compounds such as lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid. These compounds increase the acidity of the intestine and inhibit the growth of less desirable organisms that fair poorly in this acidic environment. By occupying an ecological niche in the intestine, they further limit the growth of opportunistic organisms. A number of studies have demonstrated benefit of supplementation with Probiotics. The Annals of Internal Medicine published a study which showed that Lactobacillus ingestion reduced and prevented vaginal yeast infections in women. Lactobacillus has also demonstrated positive benefits in irritable bowel syndrome. The DDS-1 strain developed at the University of Nebraska, has proven to be a superior strain in terms of its compatibility with the human GI tract and its stability. (Therefore, the DDS-1 strain is used in this formula.) In another recent study, increasing levels of bifidobacteria reduced the count of Clostridium, a pathogenic disease causing bowel organism. Lowering of the level of Closridium reduced the amount of large bowel toxic chemicals believed to promote cancer. Also, the incidence of "traveler’s diarrhea," which is caused by pathogenic bacteria can be reduced by preventive use of probiotics. It is also important to utilize Probiotics after antibiotic use as recolonizing the intestine may reduce post antibiotic infection in the digestive tract by fifty percent. The choice of Probiotics is very important. It should be manufactured using highly viable, stable strains of organisms that survive passage through the digestive tract and take up residence in the GI tract. Side Effects: There are no known side effects with the use of probiotics. References:
1. De Simone C, Vesely R, Bianchi SB, et al. The role of probiotics in modulation of the immune system in man and in animals. Int J Immunother 1993;9:23–28.
Food allergies can manifest in either an immediate reaction, or a delayed reaction. Immediate reactions are called "IgE" reactions, and delayed reactions are called "IgG" reactions. Immediate reactions are easy to recognize as very soon after eating a food you are allergic to, you have a reaction that occurs every time you eat that food. The delayed reactions are very difficult to recognize since it can take up to four (4) days for the reactions to occur. For this reason the most popular food allergy blood test is the "IgG 4" test. The results are clearly listed: Usually 96 food foods are listed with the amount of your personal allergy towards each food. What is measured in the blood is the amount of antibody titers against each food. Antibody titers refers to how many antibodies your body has produced in relation to each food. The more antibodies produced by your body is the same as the amount of reaction you will experience if you consume those foods. The greater your hyper-reactiveness to certain foods equals the greater the number of antibodies that are present in your blood. Titer refers to the amount, expressed in medical terms. The "IgG 4" tests are for delayed reactions to foods, and are the most common test. Delayed reactions to food allergies can take up to 4 days to manifest. "IgE" tests are for immediate reactions.
DISCLAIMER This information is provided for Educational Purposes Only and has NOT been designed to diagnose, treat or cure any health conditions. Please consult a qualified Health Care Professional with Nutritional Training to diagnose your health conditions and avoid self-diagnosis. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration have not evaluated statements about these health topics or any suggested product compositions.
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