Food Intolerances

Food intolerances can manifest in many different ways. People with typical food allergies will have food intolerances that give rise to hives, itching, pain the mouth, throat, and stomach, and in serious circumstances anaphylactic reactions (severe allergy) that may require hospitalization. Other food intolerances can be related to immune sensitivity to food through a process called IgG production. There are four types of the immune chemical IgG’s that are produced in response to foods, pathogens, or environmental exposures, i.e. pollens. IgG 1 – 3 have the ability to trigger immune sensitivity to various foods leading to food intolerances of different sorts. This could be an IgG food intolerance to dairy, an IgG food intolerance to wheat, or IgG food intolerances to grains, meats, nuts and seeds, etc. These type of IgG food intolerances often cause bloating, gas, abdominal discomfort, but have also been associated with headaches, body aches and pain, and mental changes in memory, emotions, and behavior. Other food intolerances can often be seen by intolerance to certain chemicals in food.

Food Intolerances With Chemical In Food

Many foods have natural chemicals which some people have a difficult time processing. These food intolerances are to various chemicals called phenols and salicylates which can trigger imbalances in brain chemistry leading to emotional problems, learning difficulties, memory processing, and behavior. Also, food intolerance to phenols. etc. is something seen quite commonly with children on the autism-spectrum who become hyper and agitated when they consume foods high in phenols. In addition to IgG and phenol/salicylate food intolerances there are other chemicals which cause problems too. These are called peptides.

Food Intolerances With Wheat & Dairy

Peptides are small chains of amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. When the body attempts to digest certain food items such as dairy and wheat there can be an increase in abnormal peptides that interfere with brain chemistry. These peptides have a chemical similarly to opiates and interact with opiate receptors in the brain and nervous system. This type of food intolerance is quite common in the autism community, and in certain individuals with mental health challenges like Schizophrenia. The consumption of foods like wheat and dairy for a person carrying this food intolerance problem can have devastating consequences. It is not uncommon to see individuals on the autism-spectrum have heightened anxiety and emotional problems, along with behaviors leading to self-injury that can be tracked back to wheat and/or milk food peptide intolerance.

Testing for various food intolerances is important to decipher what type of food intolerance is occurring. Common blood tests for Food IgE look at true allergy to foods. The more common profile of total IgG (Comprehensive IgG Food Sensitivity Test) is appropriate for a wide range of people suffering from food intolerances. The Urinary Peptide test is easy to perform and is helpful to identify food intolerance with respects to milk and wheat peptide problems.

 

Recommended: Common Food Allergies