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Difference between food allergy and food sensitivity

admin — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 04:04:46 +0000

Difference between food allergy and food sensitivity

In recent years there has been a rise in many gut-related problems. A lot of people tried avoiding gluten, dairy, carbs and other foods out of the fear that they are the cause of their unpleasant symptoms.

It also doesn’t help to have many health ‘gurus’ and nutrition coaches promoting diets eliminating certain foods with claims they are bad for you. Remember Gwyneth Paltrow stating that nightshade vegetables are bad and should be avoided???

In this brief post, I will explain the difference between a food allergy, food sensitivity, and food intolerance. And will explain further why you could be experiencing gut-related problems such as abdominal bloating and discomfort, excess flatulence, lack of energy or even skin problems.

You might be wondering what’s the difference between those terms?

Food allergy is related to our body’s immune system.
Food sensitivity or intolerance is related to our body’s digestive system indicating that there is a dysfunction in our digestive system.

In food allergy, the symptoms become evident within seconds or minutes after ingesting or getting in touch with the allergen and can be life-threatening. Symptoms of food intolerance are not life-threatening, just uncomfortable and embarrassing to live with.

What is Food Allergy?

Our immune system is our defence against harmful invaders like bacteria and viruses. Sometimes our immune system gets confused and confuses certain foods as an invader and responds by producing antibodies to destroy them. A food allergy occurs when our immune system reacts to food by producing IgE antibodies after eating or, in some severe cases even touching allergens. The symptoms of a food allergy may develop anywhere between a few seconds up to 2 hours.

The common symptoms of food allergies include:

• Skin reactions like swelling, itching, and hives.
• Anaphylaxis: A life-threatening allergic reaction that causes difficulty in breathing, wheezing, fast heartbeat, anxiety, and losing consciousness.
• Gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting, diarrhoea, and bloating.

Eight common foods accountable for 90% of allergic reactions are dairy, eggs, shellfish, fish, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds and wheat. If you are allergic to any of those be careful when eating out. Look carefully at the ingredients list when buying packaged foods.

Food allergy tends to run in a family. Individuals with asthma, hay fever or eczema are more likely to also experience a food allergy. Anyone suffering from food allergy should be prepared and have an Epi-pen with them. Antihistamines can also be used to help manage accidental ingestion of the allergen. Besides immunotherapy, there is no other treatment available for food allergies.

What is Food Sensitivity?

Food sensitivities can occur due to the inability to digest a certain food. They are not life-threatening. But can be disruptive, often uncomfortable, and sometimes embarrassing. Remember that moment when you ripped a stinky one and blamed it on someone else? Or felt soo bloated that you had to unzip your jeans type of embarrassing.

The symptoms of food sensitivities are not mediated by our immune system and IgE antibodies like a food allergy. They are linked to the way our digestive system breaks down, absorbs, and utilized food. Symptoms develop after 2 hours of ingestion and are less severe than food allergies.

Common symptoms of food intolerances include:

• Diarrhea
• Bloating, gas, abdominal discomfort
• Stomachache
• Nausea
• Constipation
• Cramping
• Skin problems (acne, eczema, psoriasis)
• Headaches
• Anxiety
• Weight gain and water retention

The best treatment is the 4 R’s treatment:

-Remove food that is causing sensitivity.
-Replace what is missing. In case of low stomach acid try and eat spinach and rocket salad before your meal. If that doesn’t work try HCL supplements. Using digestive enzymes and supplements containing B-group vitamins can also be helpful.
-Repair or improve digestive function and rebalance gut bacteria.
-Reintroduce the foods that caused sensitivity. This is the most crucial step that most people miss.

SIBO, bacterial infections, sensitivity to some naturally occurring sugars in food, reactions to food additives and chemicals in food, fatty liver and imbalance in our microbiome can represent themselves as food sensitivities or food intolerances.

Tips to Live with Food Allergies and Food Intolerances

Living with complications like food allergies and food intolerances can be difficult. and depressing for some but not impossible.

Anyone with a food allergy needs to completely avoid the allergen and be ready. Epi-pen and/or antihistamines need to be kept nearby for emergency situations.

Instead of self-diagnosing and eliminating foods or whole food groups from the diet, there is a better solution. Work on your digestive system!

An experienced practitioner is able to help you identify the causes of your discomfort, and implement and modify your nutrition whiles treating the underlying issue.

For a person suffering from SIBO or any other bacterial infection implementing an appropriate regimen of nutrition and supplements to treat those is a way to go.

If you are having fatty liver and/or gallbladder problems addressing those and implementing an appropriate nutritional and supplementation regimen is a must.

The elimination diet can also work in some cases. Try to eliminate all foods that you think might cause the problem for one week and after one week introduce yourself to each food one by one every week to find out which specific food triggering the complication.

Paying for expensive IgG or other food intolerance tests in most cases is not needed since an experienced practitioner will be able to recognise and identify the problems.

When living with food allergies and intolerances it is necessary to learn how to read the labels and know what you are eating. Never ignore to check condiments and seasonings as they may contain MSGs and other additives that can cause problematic symptoms.

If you are reading this post I can assume that you have been experiencing some digestive problems…maybe they are abdominal swelling and bloating, changes in your stool, excess flatulence or event fatigue I could be of help. If you are ready to receive guidance, support and assistance please click here to book an Initial nutritional session.

Mirela Simic, Nutritionist and PT

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Diet for PCOS

admin — Sun, 27 Jun 2021 03:52:15 +0000

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition associated with hormonal imbalance in women. With a specific diet for PCOS, weight, insulin resistance and regular periods can be achieved and maintained.

This condition is more common among women of reproductive age between 15 to 44, and according to a study, 70% of women who are not diagnosed with PCOS have this condition. (1) Women with PCOS tend to produce more male hormones and have an imbalance in progesterone and estrogen levels. This hormonal imbalance is causing irregular menstrual cycles, increased facial hair growth, and difficulty conceiving. Furthermore, women with this hormonal imbalance are at increased risk of developing insulin resistance, diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases, but by implementing appropriate lifestyle changes and a specific diet for PCOS, those can be avoided. (2)

Causes

Ovaries are the productive organs in women producing estrogen, progesterone, and androgens controlling the menstrual cycle. Women suffering from PCOS not only have hormonal imbalances but are also more likely to have cysts on the ovaries interfering further with hormone production causing a lack of ovulation. In turn, this lack of ovulation in ovaries is what further alters the production of estrogen, progesterone, FSH, LH and androgens causing menstrual cycle irregularities. Hope you can see how this is somewhat a bit of a vicious cycle happening here.

The exact cause of PCOS is still unclear, but the following are some factors that may cause Polycystic Ovary Syndrome:

According to some studies, it runs in families, and some genes may contribute to the development of PCOS.
Insulin resistance is associated with PCOS. Up to 70% of women with PCOS are insulin resistant. As we start producing more insulin, it triggers the production of androgens in ovaries and results in hormonal imbalance.
Studies have shown that there is a link between increased inflammation and higher levels of androgens. Women with inflammation and extra body weight are more likely to have PCOS. (3)

The most common symptoms are:

Irregular, missed, infrequent, or prolonged periods,
Increased facial hair, or hirsutism.
Acne, especially around the jawline.
Fatigue
Headaches, especially before the period.
Darkening of skin especially on the neck, under the armpits, and the breasts.
Mood swings and many other symptoms. (4)

Risks Associated with PCOS

PCOS is one of the leading causes of infertility in women. It is harder for women with PCOS to get pregnant since they don’t ovulate regularly and don’t release enough eggs to get fertilized.

Up to 80% of women with PCOS are obese or overweight. Being obese with PCOS is associated with higher risks of high blood sugar, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, high bad cholesterol, and low good cholesterol. When all of these conditions are combined there are more chances for progression to diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, but as mentioned earlier implementing lifestyle changes and a specific diet for PCOS the condition can better managed.

Having PCOS also means that we are at a higher risk of developing endometrial cancer. In women with PCOS their uterine wall doesn’t shed like in healthy women causing the uterine lining builds up and increasing the risk of endometrial cancer.

Women with PCOS also have higher chances of developing depression and anxiety. Many of its symptoms such as irregular or prolonged menstrual periods, fatigue, mood swings, weight gain, and excessive facial hair can affect the mood and cause depression. (5)

With so many risk factors listed it is important to start with lifestyle modifications, diet for PCOS, and exercise as soon as possible.

Research shows that the best diet for PCOS management is the one that focuses on managing insulin resistance, maintaining a healthy weight and promoting hormonal balance.

Following a healthy diet such as the Mediterranean diet, or lower carb diet and being physically active can help improve cholesterol levels, lower insulin resistance, lower blood pressure, and blood sugar reducing the risk of diabetes and heart disease. (6)

Firstly a healthy diet for PCOS should include at least 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables. An adequate intake of fibre is an absolute must to prevent constipation and balance blood sugar levels. Lower GI carbohydrates, lean meats, fish, good fats, nuts and seeds should also be stapled ingredients in the PCOS diet. Furthermore, processed foods such as processed meats, refined carbohydrates (think of all those delicious pastries and bakery items), fried foods such as French fries or nuggets, and sugary beverages should be consumed sparingly. Those foods should not be used daily as they contribute to blood sugar imbalances, further insulin resistance and inflammation.

Supplements that have been proven to help women with PCOS to better manage their symptoms are berberine, inositol, folates(7), omega 3 fats (8), magnesium, vitamin B12, resveratrol and NAC (9).

Summary

PCOS is a condition associated with a hormonal imbalance. While some women might experience only mild symptoms, others might be experiencing a whole range of symptoms affecting their daily lives. Following a specific diet for PCOS and implementing lifestyle changes have been shown to have a positive effect on the management and prevention of further complications.

Mirela Simic, Nutritionist and PT

References

Boyle J, Teede HJ. Polycystic ovary syndrome – an update. Aust Fam Physician. 2012 Oct;41(10):752-6. PMID: 23210095.
Baptiste CG, Battista MC, Trottier A, Baillargeon JP. Insulin and hyperandrogenism in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2010;122(1-3):42-52. doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2009.12.010
Prapas N, Karkanaki A, Prapas I, Kalogiannidis I, Katsikis I, Panidis D. Genetics of polycystic ovary syndrome. Hippokratia. 2009;13(4):216-223.
Ndefo UA, Eaton A, Green MR. Polycystic ovary syndrome: a review of treatment options with a focus on pharmacological approaches. P T. 2013;38(6):336-355.
Sirmans SM, Pate KA. Epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of polycystic ovary syndrome. Clin Epidemiol. 2013;6:1-13. Published 2013 Dec 18. doi:10.2147/CLEP.S37559
Mirabelli M, Chiefari E, Arcidiacono B, Corigliano DM, Brunetti FS, Maggisano V, Russo D, Foti DP, Brunetti A. Mediterranean Diet Nutrients to Turn the Tide against Insulin Resistance and Related Diseases. Nutrients. 2020 Apr 12;12(4):1066. doi: 10.3390/nu12041066. PMID: 32290535; PMCID: PMC7230471.
Regidor PA, Schindler AE, Lesoine B, Druckman R. Management of women with PCOS using myo-inositol and folic acid. New clinical data and review of the literature. Horm Mol Biol Clin Investig. 2018 Mar 2;34(2):/j/hmbci.2018.34.issue-2/hmbci-2017-0067/hmbci-2017-0067.xml. doi: 10.1515/hmbci-2017-0067. PMID: 29498933.
Oner G, Muderris II. Efficacy of omega-3 in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome. J Obstet Gynaecol. 2013 Apr;33(3):289-91. doi: 10.3109/01443615.2012.751365. PMID: 23550861.
Günalan E, Yaba A, Yılmaz B. The effect of nutrient supplementation in the management of polycystic ovary syndrome-associated metabolic dysfunctions: A critical review. J Turk Ger Gynecol Assoc. 2018;19(4):220-232. doi:10.4274/jtgga.2018.0

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