How to Cope with Food Allergies

If food enters the body without being properly digested, your immune system will produce antibodies to attack that particular food as if it were a threat to the body, and thereby cause a reaction. Antibodies trigger the release of histamines, which in turn cause gastrointestinal, respiratory and skin problems.  Reactions to foods eaten can occur from a few minutes to a few hours after they have been consumed.

The most common food allergies are to eggs, milk, peanuts, wheat, potato, carrots, celery, chocolate, soft drinks, corn flakes, sugar and fish such as cod, trout and plaice. Symptoms of a food allergy can include the following: itching; redness; burning sensations; vomiting accompanied by diarrhoea; respiratory problems such as asthma; sudden drop in blood pressure; and suffocation. About 15% of the public suffer some form of food allergy.

Prescription drugs such as antihistamines, cortisone or decongestants in the treatment of food allergies are ineffective, and all have serious side effects. As an allergy is a digestive problem, it is important that your food is broken down into the smallest particles prior to consumption in order to facilitate proper digestion.

Consuming products containing simple sugars should be avoided if at all possible. Simple sugars cause blood sugar levels to fluctuate rapidly, and cause hyperglycemia temporarily in the body, necessitating the release of insulin to counter this condition. The release of insulin lowers blood sugar levels rapidly resulting in hypoglycemia, which heightens the craving for more sugar.  This vicious circle can be the cause of food allergies, resulting from the fermentation of excess sugars in the intestines.

Lots of modern processed foods have additives containing chemicals, while others are made up largely of synthetic substances. A person can easily develop an allergic reaction to these inputs into food. Therefore pay attention to food labelling in order to establish that the packaged food you are purchasing contains mainly natural food. Avoid any synthetic foods.

Eggs can be a problem if they are from hens that have been fed antibiotics and other medications in order to prevent disease. Farmed fish are also fed manufactured substances in order to prevent afflictions, such as lice, they would not normally suffer in the open ocean. It is wise therefore to pay attention to the source of the food you are consuming.  

In order to combat food allergies it is therefore best to make whole natural foods a major part of the diet. The majority of the nutrients that you required daily should be obtained from whole grains, leafy green vegetables, eggs from free-range hens, walnuts, black radish, tomatoes, plums, prunes  chicken, meat, low-fat yogurt and ocean- fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna. If you buy processed foods, make sure you are purchasing ones that contain the largest amount of natural foods, and have received the least amount of processing by paying attention to the ingredients list which foods companies are legally obliged to put on packaging.

Manganese can help the body fight food allergies. The main food sources of manganese are whole grains, leafy green vegetables and nuts. It could also be taken as a food supplement requiring up to 10 milligrams per day. Pantothene is a food supplement that stimulates the adrenal glands to produce the body’s own cortisone. You will need to take 500mg. of it twice daily.