What Are Food Sensitivities?

There are a number of symptoms that my patients commonly describe, including:

• Fatigue

• Headaches

• Irritable Bowel/Digestive issues

• Brain Fog

• Weight Gain

• Joint Pain

• Rashes

Sound familiar?

In medical school, I was taught to evaluate symptoms to form a diagnosis and prescribe a medication for that symptom - such as a pill for your headache or cream for your rash.

20+ years later my approach has changed. Rather than focusing on which medication to prescribe for your symptoms, I ask the question:

WHY are you experiencing these symptoms?

I use Functional Medicine to evaluate and treat the root causes of illness.

While there are many factors that can contribute to symptoms and illness, perhaps none are more important than FOOD. I see it with patients every day -the food that you eat has an immediate and significant impact on the way that you feel.

Could food sensitivities or intolerances be causing your symptoms?

Many of the symptoms that my patients describe, including the most common ones listed above, are often the result of food sensitivities or food intolerances. Identifying these reactions and addressing their root causes can provide lasting symptom relief.

FOOD ALLERGIES ARE DIFFERENT FROM FOOD SENSITIVITIES

Food allergy reactions are immediate, within minutes of exposure to the trigger food, and in some cases can be life-threatening.

When you have a food allergy, your immune system releases IgE when exposed to that food. IgE is a fast-acting immunoglobulin that causes symptoms soon after you eat the triggering food.

Food allergy symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening and may include swollen or itchy tongue, runny nose, skin itching, hives, wheezing/shortness of breath, the closing of the airway, abdominal pain, or vomiting.

Common food allergy triggers include peanuts, tree nuts, and shellfish.

With true food allergies, strict avoidance of trigger foods is critical, as reactions are potentially life-threatening.

FOOD SENSITIVITY

Unlike food allergies, food sensitivities involve reactions that are delayed and not life-threatening. Food sensitivities are a result of your immune system creating inflammation in response to certain foods you eat.

Symptoms related to food sensitivities may occur several hours up to several days after eating a trigger food.

Symptoms will vary from person to person and can include multiple symptoms outside of the digestive tract. Common symptoms of food sensitivities include:

• Fatigue

• Headaches

• Irritable Bowel

• Brain Fog

• Weight Gain

• Joint Pain

• Rashes

Other symptoms can include mood changes, changes in menstrual patterns, migraine headaches, poor sleep, acne, and nasal/sinus congestion.

Food sensitivities are common to gluten/wheat, dairy products, sugar, eggs, corn, nightshade vegetables, and more.

What you need to know about food sensitivities:

Food sensitivities are often caused by LEAKY GUT.

Increased intestinal permeability, often referred to as “leaky gut,” involves the breakdown of the intestinal barrier. A healthy gut has tightly packed cells lining its border. When the gut becomes unhealthy (from prolonged stress, poor diet, digestive problems, and/or bacteria and yeast overgrowth), this tightly packed barrier breaks down, and gaps in the intestinal wall allow food particles and organisms to get through the wall in a way they were not able to before - triggering the immune system to make inflammation which causes your symptoms. (I’m simplifying, but hopefully, you get the point.)

Food sensitivities are the result of your immune system creating inflammation in response to food. Many symptoms throughout the body may be related to food sensitivities, and the root cause underlying most food sensitivities is increased intestinal permeability, or “leaky gut”.

FOOD INTOLERANCE - A DIFFERENT TYPE OF FOOD SENSITIVITY

While food sensitivities result from your immune system reacting to food, food intolerances are a result of the body lacking an enzyme or nutrient needed to properly digest or break down a particular food or a component of the food.

Symptoms of food intolerance generally occur within an hour of eating a trigger food. Common symptoms include gas, bloating, abdominal pain or cramping, nausea, and diarrhea, but may also include flushing, inflammation, and flu-like symptoms.

One of the most common food intolerances is lactose, a component of milk products. Those with lactose intolerance lack lactase, the enzyme needed to break down lactose and will experience abdominal bloating and diarrhea after consuming milk products. Supplemental lactase may be given for better tolerance of milk products.

Less well-known trigger ingredients I commonly see with patients include histamine, preservatives/flavorings, sulfites, and acidic foods.

Food intolerances are not immune system-mediated. They are a result of the body lacking a substance needed to break down a food component.

Learn more about the root causes of food sensitivities in part two of the series, coming soon!

As a board-certified Integrative & Functional Medicine physician, I “dig deeper” to uncover the underlying root causes of your symptoms and create a personalized plan that goes beyond the prescription pad to incorporate diet/lifestyle change, nutritional supplements, holistic therapies, health coaching, and more!

Ready to get started or want to learn more? Contact Us