The Importance of Good Digestion to Prevent Allergies

Have you ever wondered why it seems like you can’t eat anything without getting bloated, gassy, irritable, sleepy, cramps, dizzy, itchy, rash, etc?

When your intestinal strength is compromised, toxins, undigested proteins and bad bacteria are able to seep through the gut lining and enter

the bloodstream causing inflammation responses throughout the body. Antibodies are released to attack the foreign substances in the blood causing itching, redness, runny nose, coughing, sore throat, shortness of breath and many other symptoms! When the same foods are eaten over and over again, the antibodies remember the antigen and trigger an immune response IMMEDIATELY creating an allergic reaction which can range from mood swings and psychotic episodes to cramping, headaches, diarrhea or constipation, skin conditions, brain fog and much more. Fatigue is the NUMBER ONE allergic sign followed by headaches.

‘All disease begins in the gut’
~Hippocrates (Father of Natural Medicine)Allergens do not necessarily cause their major symptoms at the place where they first come into contact with the body. When you have leaky gut, the allergen gets carried to other parts of the body through the blood and affect the CNS which causes mood swings, the mucous membranes (nose) which causes skin reactions, the lungs which cause bronchoconstriction (asthma) etc.

When an allergic reaction occurs in the GI tract, histamine is released and causes inflammation in the mucosa, which causes it to become more permeable. When an allergic reaction occurs in the stomach, histamine is released which triggers a large acid outpouring that can cause ulcers. The colon, gall bladder, pancreas, blood vessels, heart, musculoskeletal system, joints, adrenals, etc can all be affected by antibody responses to antigens.

Although the immune system initially responds with a heightened reaction when an allergen is contacted, the white blood cell population then becomes depressed and remains lower than normal for as long as the exposure continues. This can cause chronic suppression of the immune system if the allergen is contacted on a daily basis. This causes people to get sick all the time, develop autoimmune conditions and is the BIGGEST reason why people don’t think they have food allergies. They don’t get crazy reactions when eating allergenic foods because their immune system is suppressed, and they then discard the thoughts about food allergies.

People often say to me, “I got tested for food allergies by my doctor said I don’t have any.” The problem is that doctors test for allergies using the IgE and skin tests, which only test for immediate allergic responses. However, over 90% of food allergies are of the delayed-onset type, meaning they don’t appear to cause problems until a few days after consumption. IgE antibody responses appear in those that can die from the smell peanuts, a taste of milk, or a bee sting. Most people do not have these reactions when consuming things like gluten, dairy, sugar, eggs, etc.

I also get people telling me that they are definitely not allergic to gluten or sugar because when they eat these foods, they feel better instantly. What they don’t know, is that that almost definitely means they are allergic to that food and their food addiction is covering up their allergic symptoms. Your favourite foods are usually the ones you are allergic to and addicted to. Addiction causes chronic symptoms often hours or days after the food is eaten such as fatigue, weakness, headaches, irritability, and depression. When the addictive food is eaten again, the symptoms disappear temporarily and the person can keep himself in a symptom-free state by eating the addictive food frequently, thereby postponing symptoms of withdrawal. The result is chronic stress to the body, eventually leading to chronic and degenerative disease such as psoriasis for one example.

When the addictive food is removed from the diet, withdrawal reactions can last up to 4 or 5 days. Eating the food after withholding it from the diet will cause an increased allergic reaction. This is where you can use the elimination diet to determine your allergy triggers.

So what is the secret to preventing food allergies and eat the foods we love again? GOOD DIGESTION! When food is completely digested, that is, broken down to the smallest particle that it was designed to break down to, it is basically rendered non-allergic. This is because when food is fully digested and enters the bloodstream in that state, the immune system recognizes it as a familiar particle of food.

Avoidance of a certain food is not the answer for elimination food allergies long-term because if you do have a food allergy, you probably will not be allergic to it for life, unless you developed an IgE antibody response to that food. Most foods trigger an IgG response, which means if you avoid that food for 3 to 6 weeks, your body will forget its an allergen and you will be able to eat it again. Food allergy especially tends to rotate into new foods. This is because desensitization does nothing to help heal the digestive tract. The most important thing to do is heal the gut (rid, repair, replace), increase HCL production in the stomach, increase enzyme production and consumption and only eliminate the trigger foods for a certain period of time. Gluten and cane sugar are the exceptions. I always recommend one eliminates gluten or at least only consumes ancient sprouted wheat and avoids refined cane sugar and consumes raw honey or maple syrup instead.

The first common condition leading to allergies is yeasts and molds, the second is parasites and the third is digestive difficulties such as lack of enzymes, low HCL, hiatal hernia, etc.

So how do we improve digestion, protect the gut, and ensure allergy prevention? DIGESTIVE ENZYMES!

In the human body, absolutely every activity requires enzymes: eating, breathing, sleeping, working, and even thinking. Metabolism is involved in all these activities and enzymes are what keeps the metabolism working. Every activity of the body is dependent upon enzymes. Enzymes digest food, activate the immune system and build minerals into bone.

Enzyme deficiency is characterized by producing insidious, chronic degenerative and chronic inflammatory changes. Redness, swelling, pain, abnormal motion, disturbed digestion and chronic illness are frequent signs of enzyme deficiency.

Three categories of enzymes are of particular importance to health:

• Digestive enzymes that digest food
• Metabolic enzymes that run the body
• Food enzymes that are found in raw food

Enzymes are KEY to eliminating allergy. If you chew your food WELL, 90% of all your food allergies could be eliminated. When food is chewed well, it mixes with enzymes in the saliva and starts to digest in the mouth. The cells of fruits and veggies have an indigestible cellulose layer which must be broken down by chewing before the fruit or vegetable can be digested. If you get bloated after eating a salad, it means you did not chew it well enough to break it down!

It is important to note that vitamin B6 is a precursor to at least 50 enzymes and is needed for the metabolism of all amino acids. Trace minerals must also be present for enzyme production. Magnesium being the mineral in highest demand.

Pancreatic enzymes have a very specific pH range (7 to 9) in which they work. They require alkalinity to activate and therefore require the release of bicarbonate to activate and begin digesting food. Plant enzymes however have a broad pH range (3 to 9) and are the only enzymes that are capable of working throughout the entire digestive tract. They work in both acid and alkaline environments, ensuring more complete digestion of foods even when the digestive tract is incompetent. Because the pancreas works on demand, food that is more completely digested when it reaches the small intestine will require less enzymes from the pancreas, taking stress off that organ.

In summary, it is important to protect our digestive system by completely chewing our food, taking digestive enzymes and eating smaller meals. It is important to protect our digestive system by consuming plenty of gut healing foods, avoiding high sugary foods and processed foods and taking probiotics and prebiotics. If the gut is already destroyed, it is important to do a candida and parasite cleanse to rid the gut of toxins and bad bacteria, then consume plenty of Lglutamine, bone broths and aloe vera gels to repair the gut lining, and finally consume plenty of fermented foods and probiotics to replace and repopulate with good bacteria. Following these steps will help eliminate food allergies and will help avoid food allergies in the future!

Contact me to schedule an appointment so I can help create a program designed for YOU to help improve your digestion and eliminate your food allergies!

*Text cited from ‘Allergies – Disease in Disguise’ by Carolee Bateson-Koch DC ND.*