A food allergy or sensitivity occurs when there is an adverse reaction to the ingestion of a food. The allergic reaction may or may not be mediated (controlled and influenced) by the immune system. The allergic reaction may be caused by a protein, starch, or other food component, or by food additives (e.g., colorings, flavoring agents, or preservatives). Basically, if you are allergic to a food, your body reacts to it as if it were a dangerous invader. The white blood cells migrate in large numbers to the mucous membranes and the lining of the intestinal tract. There they release allergic and inflammatory compounds in an attempt to kill the false invader. All this inflammation causes the intestinal tract to become more permeable. Increased intestinal permeability - or a "leaky gut" - can allow large, food molecules to be absorbed into the bloodstream. The immune system rightfully recognizes these large molecules as foreign and develops antibodies against them. The result of this immune response can be asthma, eczema, psoriasis, chronic ear infections, and food allergies can even play a role in severe inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

Symptoms Associated with Food Allergies and Other Adverse Reactions to Foods

The following is a partial list of some of the most common symptoms or medical disorders which have been associated with food allergies or other adverse reactions to food.

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM Non-seasonal runny nose, nasal congestion Allergic rhinitis (hay fever) Allergic conjunctivitis (red, itchy eyes) Recurrent serous otitis media (inflammation and fluid in the middle ear) Asthma/wheezing Throat swelling (in serious anaphylactic reactions)	SKIN Eczema Hives Swelling of mouth, eyelids and lips (angioedema) Itching skin Flushed face or ears after eating
BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM Dizziness Irritability or aggression Hyperactivity, agitation or anxiety Poor concentration Mental exhaustion Insomnia Migraine headache	DIGESTIVE SYSTEM Diarrhea Belly pain/cramping Constipation Nausea and/or vomiting Bloating Burping Flatulence Upset stomach or indigestion
MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM Muscle pain Muscular tension Twitching muscles Muscular weakness Joint aches Joint stiffness	MISCELLANEOUS Persistent or recurring fatigue Dark circles under eyes Paleness Excessive sweating or slight fever Rapid heartbeat Bed wetting Frequent urination and excessive thirst

Note: Symptoms may occur immediately after eating certain foods or may take up to 24 hours or more to manifest. Symptoms may occur occasionally or may be constantly present depending upon many factors including:

• whether the adverse reaction is immediate (true allergy) or delayed (hypersensitivity or intolerance)
• the amount and frequency of food eaten
• the nutritional status of the individual
• the state of their gastrointestinal health
• other health problems such as chronic infection, accumulated environmental toxins, lack of exercise or emotional stress

Causes

Food allergy is often inherited. When both parents have allergies, there is a sixty-seven-percent chance that the children will also have allergies. Where only one parent is allergic, the chance of a child being prone to allergies drops from sixty-seven percent to thirty-three percent.

Repetitious exposure to a food, improper digestion, and poor integrity of the intestinal barrier are additional factors that can lead to the development and maintenance of food allergy.

A classic food allergy occurs when an ingested food molecule acts as an antigen-a foreign substance that triggers the release of an antibody by white blood cells known as IgE (immunoglobulin E). When the IgE and food antigen bind to specialized cells known as mast cells or basophils, it causes the release of histamine and other allergic compounds leading to swelling and inflammation.

Diagnosing Food Allergies

Here is a key point: do not rely solely on the skin-prick test or skin-scratch test commonly employed by many allergists to determine food allergies. Skin-prick tests only test for IgE-mediated allergies. Since only about ten to fifteen percent of all food allergies are mediated by IgE, skin-prick tests are of little value in diagnosing most food allergies.

Although many nutritionally oriented physicians perform blood tests to diagnose food allergies, in most cases such tests are not really necessary. What I recommend is going on a simple elimination diet first to see if their symptoms improve. I recommend that you start by eliminating the most common allergens especially milk products and wheat:

• Milk and all dairy products
• Wheat
• Corn
• Soy
• Citrus
• Peanuts and peanut butter
• Eggs
• Processed foods containing artificial food coloring

If your (or your child's) symptoms disappear or you notice an improvement in your mood or energy levels, you know that you're on the right track. By slowly reintroducing the various foods back into the diet (for example, trying one "new" food every three days), and paying attention to which ones cause symptoms to return, you can identify the real culprit.

Will you be able to eat that food again? That depends on whether the allergy is cyclic or fixed, cyclic allergies develop slowly and result from repeatedly eating a certain food, especially if a leaky gut is present. In cyclic food allergies, after avoiding the allergenic food for a period of time (typically three to four months), it may be reintroduced. Usually the food won't cause symptoms again unless you eat it too frequently or in high amounts. Cyclic allergies account for roughly eighty to ninety percent of adverse food reactions. Fixed allergies occur whenever a food is eaten, no matter how much time has passed. If you have a fixed allergy, you will likely remain allergic to the food for life. The exception to this is certain fixed food allergies in infants and young children. It isn't uncommon for kids to eventually outgrow their fixed food allergies.

The RevitalX Seven Day Intestinal Rest and Rejuvenation Program

An even better elimination diet is one that utilizes RevitalX - a high potency multinutrient meal replacement formula from Natural Factors, This product was developed by Michael Lyon, M.D., and specifically engineered to be an excellent source of important nutrients to support the gastrointestinal lining and aid detoxification. It is an excellent source of hypoallergenic vegetarian protein that we have termed GoldPeptides along with specific nutritional, probiotic, and herbal support to deal with food allergies. When used as the key component of an elimination diet, RevitalX is taken twice per day as the primary source of sustenance. RevitalX is made up with water or juice (fresh vegetable juice is preferred), or it can be made up as a fruit smoothie. Fresh or steamed vegetables and small amounts of fruit can be eaten when hungry and one simple meal is prepared in the evening with steamed vegetables, lean chicken breast and brown rice (cooked beans, split peas or lentils along with brown rice can be used as a vegetarian alternative). A lightly sautéed stir fry can also be prepared for this meal.

Natural Products for Food Allergy Sufferers

RevitalX is a complete formula for food allergy sufferers as it contains many helpful components. For example, each serving provides the beneficial bacteria Lactobacillus rhamnosus at a dosage of 9 billion cells per serving. This species provides the most impressive benefits for food allergy sufferers. Specifically, clinical studies have shown that when taken as a dietary supplement Lactobacillus rhamnosus markedly diminishes symptoms of food allergy.1 It appears that this specific bacteria has the ability to reprogram the immune system to both stimulate beneficial antibody production and to decrease the tendency towards allergic responsiveness. In this way Lactobacillus rhamnosus strengthens immune activity towards gut pathogens while decreasing adverse reactions toward foods. RevitalX also provides fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and soluble fibers designed to promote the growth of the beneficial probiotic bacteria like Lactobacillus rhamnosus.

Another extremely beneficial natural product for food allergy sufferers is Zymactive. This high potency protein-digesting (proteolytic) formula is able to breakdown large allergenic food proteins into small non-allergenic peptides. In the late 1930s and early 1940s there were reports that pancreatic enzyme preparations were quite effective in relieving food allergy symptoms.2 These benefits were confirmed in a recent double-blind study.3,4 For best results, simply take one high potency Zymactive before meals and another after meals.

Key References:

1. Majamaa H, Isolauri E. Probiotics: a novel approach in the management of food allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1997;99(2):179-85.
2. Oelgoetz AW, Oelgoetz PA, Wittenkind J. The treatment of food allergy and indigestion of pancreatic origin with pancreatic enzymes. Am J Dig Dis Nutr 1935;2:422-6.
3. Bannon G, Fu TJ, Kimber I, Hinton DM. Protein digestibility and relevance to allergenicity. Environ Health Perspect 2003;111:1122-4.
4. Raithel M, Weidenhiller M, Schwab D, Winterkamp S, Hahn EG. Pancreatic enzymes: a new group of antiallergic drugs? Inflamm Res 2002;51(Suppl.1):S13-4.

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Michael T. Murray, N.D., is widely regarded as one of world's leading authorities on natural medicine. A prolific author, Dr. Murray has written over 20 books on health and nutrition including the best-selling Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine and his latest book The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. Dr. Murray is also Director of Product Development and Education for Natural Factors one of the leading manufacturers of natural products.