How Hidden Food Sensitivities Go Undetected
Food Sensitivities vs. Food Allergies
Both food sensitivities and food allergies involve the release of antibodies, which are specialized inflammatory proteins that help your body fight invaders. But there is a BIG difference between the two. One is easy to detect and life-threatening, while the other is more difficult to detect (without the right tests) and slowly causes damage, often unknowingly.
Allergies: Fast, Intense & Life-Threatening
Food allergies involve a part of the immune response that utilizes IgE (immunoglobulin E) antibodies, which trigger the immune system to release a variety of protective inflammatory chemicals. This response to an allergy is very intense, quick and often life-threatening.
These antibodies are also more generalized, meaning they won’t target a specific invader, but promote a broad inflammatory response. They also don’t have a memory.
Sensitivities: Subtle, Slow & Hard to Detect
On the other hand, when you have food sensitivities or intolerances, a different type of antibodies are triggered, called IgG (immunoglobulin G) antibodies. These specialized proteins jump into action and trigger a less intense inflammatory response in attempt to protect you from the invader. These reactions are more subtle, the onset is much slower, and the response is not life-threatening.
They take time to learn and remember the situation, which also makes them more specific. This way, your body will know how to better respond the next time it sees the same invader.
Food Sensitivities Are Often Delayed
Food sensitivities can elicit a response that might not be experienced or noticed for up to 72 hours. The result is a much more subtle, inflammatory reaction that can be very hard to detect, especially if you’re eating that food on a regular basis, such as gluten or dairy. This puts your body into a constantly reactive state. Since most people are eating foods they’re unknowingly sensitive to, they’re living in a chronic state of inflammation and stress.
Reacting to Everything??
The immune system is there to protect us from danger, but when there are too many insults to our system, we can begin overreacting to almost anything that enters our bodies. This is essentially what happens in autoimmune conditions.
Learn more about the immune-gut connection in this article.
Food Sensitivities Can Manifest In A Variety of Ways
Generally we think of sensitivities involving the gastrointestinal system, and while they do often manifest as bloating, constipation, diarrhea and pain, they can cause reactions far beyond the GI tract.
Here are some common symptoms:
Chronic fatigue
Joint pain
Fibromyalgia
Acne
Skin rashes, bumps or itching
Puffy face or eyes; redness
Runny nose or sinus congestion
Frontal headaches
Blood sugar imbalances
Poor sleep
Anxiety, depression and other mental health issues
How We Develop Food Sensitivities
So how do we develop food sensitivities? You may have guessed it, but it’s because of Leaky Gut (AKA intestinal permeability). When the gut lining becomes damaged, this triggers that immune response we talked about. Our immune system can react to all kinds of different substances, including chemicals from our environment or foods and put us into a chronically stressed state. (More on this next time).
Food sensitivities are hard to detect on your own because:
You’re likely eating them daily (maybe even multiple times a day!)
Reactions are delayed up to 72 hours and are less intense (unlike allergies)
But, there is actually a very easy way to detect food sensitivities!
Make sure you’re subscribed to the Flourish Natural Wellness Newsletter so you’ll be notified for my next blog. I’ll be breaking down exactly how leaky gut causes food sensitivities and how you can detect them — easily!
Asher Kleiber
Registered Holistic Nutritionist™
Sources:
The Autoimmune Solution by Dr. Amy Meyers, MD
Elimination diets are a key component to any gut-healing protocol, but you can’t expect to fully heal and restore your gut health simply by eliminating a food or multiple foods.