Food sensitivities can often be a hidden culprit when it comes to ongoing health issues. We often think of Food Sensitivities presenting as digestive problems, but even more troubling are the often-unrecognized physical responses that can happen inside your body from the systemic inflammation that Food Sensitivities can ignite.
Food Sensitivities, also known as food intolerances, are adverse reactions that occur when the body has difficulty digesting or processing certain types of food. Unlike food allergies, which involve an immediate immune response, Food Sensitivities typically manifest gradually and are often dose-dependent. Common Food Sensitivities include lactose, gluten, soy, and certain additives or preservatives.
In today's world, Food Sensitivities have become increasingly prevalent. Many individuals find themselves experiencing adverse reactions after consuming certain foods, leading to a range of uncomfortable symptoms that are often never attributed to the foods you are eating. Understanding the dynamics of Food Sensitivities and their effects on the body is crucial for those seeking relief and a better quality of life.
How do you find out which foods you are sensitive or allergic to? How do you know if what you’re dealing with is a true Food Allergy vs. a Food Sensitivity? Addressing Food Sensitivities and Food Allergies requires testing and a bit of clever sleuthing, but once you uncover what triggers allergic reactions and omit those items from your diet – or employ one of our novel treatment approaches - you may well experience a tremendous surge in overall health and wellness.
A Food Allergy is defined as "an immune system reaction that occurs soon after eating a certain food” where “even a tiny amount of the allergy-causing food can trigger signs and symptoms such as digestive problems, hives, or swollen airways."
A Food Sensitivity is defined as "a reaction that occurs when a person has difficulty digesting a particular food” which can “lead to symptoms such as intestinal gas, abdominal pain, diarrhea and more.”
From their definitions, it would appear that Food Sensitivities involve the digestive system, while Food Allergies involve the immune system. But both cause inflammation, which is the larger issue as chronic inflammation can lead to illnesses like fibromyalgia, cancer, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and more.
Food Sensitivities can arise due to various factors. Family history is one factor. Even aging is implicated, as some people develop certain Food Sensitivities late in life. Your Food Sensitivities and Food Allergies may be lifelong, but some childhood allergies may resolve in adulthood. There’s no clear understanding of the etiology of these reactions to certain foods.
Most conventionally trained doctors will tell you that Food Sensitivities and Food Allergies are chronic conditions that you'll need to manage for the rest of your life. In some cases that may be true, but it all depends on what is causing your Food Sensitivities. Sometimes medications or medical conditions – even stress - can trigger temporary reactions to certain foods.
One primary cause for some individuals may be the body's inability to produce sufficient amounts of specific enzymes needed for digestion. For example, lactose intolerance occurs when the body lacks the enzyme lactase, responsible for breaking down lactose in dairy products.
Another trigger is the presence of naturally occurring or artificial substances in food that the body recognizes as foreign. This recognition can lead to inflammation and the activation of the immune system, resulting in symptoms such as digestive issues, skin problems, and fatigue.
If you have Food Sensitivities or Food Allergies, you may face any of these symptoms or a combination of them:
Some people experience symptoms that impair their overall functioning – even when symptoms are not acute or even recognizable as a response to food. There are studies that link Food Sensitivities and Food Allergies to conditions ranging from depression to substance abuse issues.
Sometimes traditional Food Allergy testing will help, but many times Food Sensitivities will go undetected. We can test through IgA and IgG testing or do bioenergetic testing with Andrea for SAAT testing and treatment. Meeting with one of our providers will help you decide what is the best method for you.
Identifying specific Food Sensitivities can be challenging due to the delayed and often subtle nature of the symptoms. Keeping a food diary can help pinpoint problematic foods.
Once diagnosed, managing Food Sensitivities involves eliminating or reducing the intake of trigger foods. This may require adopting alternative dietary approaches, such as gluten-free or dairy-free diets. It is important to note that individual sensitivities vary, and what triggers symptoms for one person may not affect another.
Our Food Sensitivity specialists will provide you with a thorough examination, medical history review, and testing. Proper diagnosis and testing is key to treating Food Sensitivities.
Most people will go to a conventional medical doctor and do the standard Food Allergy testing, a skin prick, skin injection or patch test. This consists of pricking your skin with different substances to see if you develop a welt or rash, showing a reaction to said substance. If so, treatment options include allergen avoidance, medications or allergy shots (immunotherapy).
Unfortunately, this type of test only measures a small portion of your immune system. This is called IgE and it makes up about 1% of our total immune reaction. But IgG makes up about 70% of our immune system. Unfortunately, these reactions are very common. That headache you have today could have potentially come from one specific food you ate sometime in the past three days. How will you know what that is without strict documentation or elimination? At our office, we use specific lab testing to pinpoint which foods you need to eliminate.
If necessary, you may also be asked to eliminate suspect foods for a week or two and then add these foods back into your diet one at a time. While not foolproof, the process can be very helpful in linking your symptoms to certain foods.
Also, in some cases, you may be given small but increasing amounts of the food suspected of causing your Food Sensitivities or Food Allergies. If you don't have a reaction during this test, you may be able to resume this food in your diet again.
Complete abstinence from your culprit foods is, in some cases, the only sure treatment for Food Sensitivities or Food Allergies. But that’s not always the case. Our goal is to achieve your optimal health, using a customized variety of treatment tools that may include:
Soliman Auricular Allergy Treatment (SAAT) - SAAT is a patented allergy treatment that has been proven to provide the most prolonged relief from allergy symptoms compared to any other acupuncture method. This newly introduced powerful technique is changing the lives of our Bloomington patients who suffer from all types of allergies.
Low Dose Allergen (LDA) Immunotherapy - LDA is a type of immunotherapy that’s commonly used to treat environmental allergies, food allergies, and autoimmune conditions. It’s a simple, safe, and effective treatment that dissolves right under your tongue.
Low Dose Immunotherapy (LDI) - Similar to LDA, LDI uses extremely low doses of allergens along with the beta-glucuronidase enzyme. While LDA therapy is mostly used for overactive immune responses to things like food, pollen, and other “outside the body” contributors, LDI is used largely for “foreign invaders” or infections that cause inflammation in the body.
Again, testing is key. We can do IgA and IgG testing or do bioenergetic testing with Andrea for SAAT testing and treatment. Meeting with one of our providers will help you decide what is the best method for you.
Gather your symptoms and any history of your attempts to identify or counter Food Sensitivities or Food Allergies in the past, together with your treatment questions or requests – and we’ll put together a customized plan to treat the root causes of your Food Sensitivities until you are functioning optimally! Call One Agora Health at (952) 234-5898 or contact us online today.
One Agora Integrative Health Clinic
9220 James Ave S.
Bloomington, MN 55431
Phone: (952) 234-5898
