Having a food sensitivity or intolerance can manifest in various ways and may differ from person to person. Common symptoms include gastrointestinal discomfort such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, or constipation. Some individuals may experience headaches, fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes, or nasal congestion after consuming trigger foods. These symptoms can range from mild to severe and may occur shortly after eating or take several hours to develop. Additionally, food sensitivities can impact mood and cognitive function, leading to feelings of irritability, brain fog, or difficulty concentrating. Overall, having a food sensitivity or intolerance can be uncomfortable and disruptive to daily life, prompting individuals to seek ways to identify and manage their dietary triggers.  While Naperville Integrated Wellness does offer functional health testing services, we also understand the notion of looking deeper.  More often than not we understand the root of the problem could be more than understood.  Learn more about functional medicine with food allergy or food intolerances now.

Food Allergy or Food Intolerance: What Are They

A food allergy is an immune system reaction that occurs shortly after eating a particular food. It involves the body’s immune system mistakenly identifying certain food proteins as harmful substances, triggering the production of antibodies such as immunoglobulin E (IgE). These antibodies cause the release of histamine and other chemicals, leading to symptoms that can range from mild to severe, including hives, swelling, itching, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, and anaphylaxis.

On the other hand, a food intolerance does not involve the immune system but rather occurs when the body has difficulty digesting certain foods. It may result from enzyme deficiencies, sensitivity to food additives, or reactions to naturally occurring substances in food. Symptoms of food intolerance typically include gastrointestinal discomfort such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, or abdominal pain. Unlike food allergies, which can be life-threatening, food intolerances are generally less severe but can still significantly impact quality of life.

Food Allergy and Food Sensitivities In Healthcare

The subject of food allergy and food sensitivities are a very hot topic these days in healthcare. More and more people are being tested for food-caused health issues or removing common  foods from their diet like gluten, dairy, nuts, eggs, etc. While many people do experience improved health by removing certain foods from their diet, the underlying cause of such food problems may not really be due to the foods themselves.

Then there is the ever growing group of individuals who have removed many foods from their diet but still suffer the ill-effects of various foods. This can become very frustrating and inconvenient when many foods must be avoided.

In our office we do test patients for food allergies and food sensitivities, but sometimes the underlying issue is not really the foods but the individual’s tolerance to these foods. You might be a little confused at this point and that is understandable considering food allergies and sensitivities and basically an intolerance to foods and the current treatment is to simply avoid such foods. The real question is WHY do so many people have problems with common foods and why does this health problem appear to be growing?

Looking To The Underlying Factor With Gut Health

Looking for and identifying the underlying cause of health issues is at the core of functional medicine. So if we want to go beyond identifying and avoiding problematic foods we will need to focus on improving tolerance to these foods. There are many explanations available today that attempt to explain how food problems arise in the first place. Some common explanations include leaky gut syndrome, gut flora / microbiome imbalances, GMO foods, stress and increased overall toxic load on the body. While these may in fact be contributing factors to the food dilemma, there may be more fundamental health issues present. After all, not everyone suffers with food allergies or sensitivities.

Instead of avoiding more and more foods, maybe we should be focusing on supporting our body’s ability to tolerate the foods in our diet. The only other solution is to continue to avoid these common foods for long periods of time, if not indefinitely. The ideal solution would therefore require the individual to improve their tolerance to these foods so that the immune system does not become activated and start to target and “fight” against food. Our immune system should not be attacking food! It should be defending us against real threats like bacteria, viruses, yeast, and cancer cells.

Two Causes Contributing To Food Problems

So let’s take an integrative medicine approach to this subject and discuss 2 possible CAUSES that could be contributing to the food problems so many are facing today.

Glutathione Depletion

Maybe you have never heard of glutathione but it is an extremely important chemical that is produced by your body; in fact it is produced by every cell in your body and is responsible for numerous functions. Glutathione is the body’s master antioxidant and is composed of 3 amino acids; cysteine, glutamate and glycine. Its functions in your body are too numerous to detail here but among them are:

• Immune system regulation
• Detoxification and elimination of toxins
• Cellular DNA repair and protection
• Enzyme function

Inadequate levels of glutathione could set the stage for immune system overload and imbalance and lead to food allergies and sensitivities. Without ideal levels of glutathione, your body may struggle to keep the immune system working properly, detoxify itself and keep cells healthy. Increased stress and toxins from the environment tend to deplete this vital chemical and lead to chronic health problems. Low levels of glutathione will alter normal immune function and can make you more susceptible to food allergies or sensitivities.

Neurotransmitter Imbalance

Neurotransmitters are chemicals produced by the nerves in your body. Without proper levels of neurotransmitters, your nervous system cannot work properly. In addition to being necessary for your nervous system to work properly, these chemicals are involved in the regulation of the immune system. To give you some idea of how important these chemical are, I have listed just a few of the health problems are have been attributed to a neurotransmitter imbalance:

• Anxiety
• ADD and ADHD
• Depression
• Irritable bowel syndrome and functional medicine (IBS)
• Natural Relief For Allergies
• Poor concentration or mental focus
• Weight loss center in Naperville
• Insomnia
• Serotonin and Migraines
• Chronic fatigue
• Hormonal imbalances

You may not think that many people suffer from neurotransmitter imbalances but they do. It has now been estimated that 1 in every 6 Americans take some sort of psychiatric drug and most of these are antidepressants. Antidepressants are prescribed for neurotransmitter imbalances. The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that 242 million U.S. adults filled prescriptions for psychiatric drugs in 2103. There has been a steady increase in the use of psychiatric medication for adults and children in the United States.

So if you suffer from one of the conditions above, your body is most likely struggling to produce enough neurotransmitters. Even if you don’t have any of the health problems listed above, it does not mean that you don’t have an imbalance of these very important chemicals; it only means your imbalance is not manifesting as depression, anxiety, etc. Again, neurotransmitters not only affect how nerves work, but they are involved in immune system regulation and therefore tolerance to foods.

How To Balance Glutathione Depletion and Neurotransmitter Imbalances

Glutathione depletion and or neurotransmitter imbalances can often be treated using specific nutrients which permit the body to make more of these vital chemicals. Contrary to what most people believe, antidepressants do not increase neurotransmitter levels in the body; they help the body to function in a state of chronic deficiency.

Underlying glutathione and / or neurotransmitter imbalances just might be the true underlying imbalance(s) that contribute to food allergies and sensitivities. Supporting the production of these chemicals in the body can be a more appropriate and healthy solution to the food dilemma so many people are facing today.

Looking To See If You Have A Food Sensitivity or Food Intolerance?

It is imperative to conduct independent research, acquire comprehensive knowledge, and pose numerous inquiries. When gathering information, it is essential to meticulously evaluate the source. The healthcare sector often features a plethora of inaccurate, outdated, profit-motivated, and biased information, even from reputable entities.