Food Allergies and Your Health.
This months article is a look into the intricacies of food allergies and how they play a role in our health. Food is a basic necessity of life and it is difficult to think that something that nourishes you can actually be harming you.
Food allergies can present in many different ways and it is not always easy to tell what in your diet is the culprit. With foods such as peanuts and shellfish, there is a definite anaphylactic response that happens when a person who is allergic to these foods eats them. The signs and symptoms include increased heart rate, sweating, swelling of the throat, hives, and many other things that indicate the body is having a large immune response to the food. These strong reactions clue people into the understanding that these foods need to be avoided.
While there are certain types of food that cause these strong reactions, there are also foods that can cause reactions on more of a sub-acute level. The signs and symptoms that come along with these types of reactions are fatigue, foggy memory, inability to focus, difficulty sleeping and many others. The reason for these reactions is due to the inflammation that is being caused by the immune system reacting to the food. It is the extent of this inflammation over a long-term period that results in chronic health problems.
A great way to gain a better understanding on whether you are having reactions to certain types of food is through food allergy tests. There are many different types of tests available but I feel that the benefit one gains from an allergy test not only comes in the results that you get but also in the interpretation of the information. As a naturopathic physician, I use a holistic approach that works to understand both how and why certain foods are affecting your health.
If you believe that you may be suffering from food allergies, I would suggest consulting a naturopathic physician.
Dr. Jesse Buttler
www.nwnaturalmedicine.com