Uncovering your food sensitivities can relieve you of nagging symptoms and long-term health issues. In doing so, it is important to know the difference between food allergies and food sensitivities.
Food Allergies involve the release of IgE Antibodies, and are considered “true” allergies (ie. Peanut allergies). While our immune system is designed to protect the body from foreign invaders, the immune system of an allergic person attempts to “protect” the body from harmless substances such as pollens, animal dander, dust mites, mold spores, and components of certain foods.
If you have a true food allergy, your immune system will react to the ingested food antigen by releasing IgE antibodies. Reactive symptoms are more severe (ie. Wheezing and closing sensation of the throat) and occur immediately upon contact with the food. These IgE “allergies” are life-long and it is advised to avoid these foods permanently.
Food Sensitivities, on the other hand, involve the release of IgG Antibodies and should not be termed “allergies”; rather they are “sensitivities” involving the delayed release of IgG antibodies.
The IgG response will typically manifest in the gastrointestinal tract causing many digestive discomforts such as gas and bloating. IgG responses involve more mild symptoms that may take a few hours or even a few days to show up, which is why many people do not attribute their uncomfortable symptoms to a food reaction. It is advised to avoid your reactive foods for a period of 6 weeks, and then reintroduce and monitor symptoms.
Often we consume too much of one food, which can create an IgG response. Simply rotating foods so that you do not consume the same foods on a daily basis is a healthy practice.
Learn your individual response to 200 common foods listed below. An awareness of your more reactive foods can allow you to make important dietary adjustments for greater health. Food sensitivity testing provides valuable information on inflammatory processes, enzyme deficiencies, and overconsumption of certain foods.
This test can help you understand whether you are suffering from a food sensitivity, enzyme deficiency, and/or inflammatory condition. You may even be suffering from more than one food intolerance. Doing nothing can post a greater risk to your health. Undiagnosed food intolerances can cause serious long-term health problems like osteoporosis, anaemia and many others.