FOOD SENSITIVITIES LINKED TO COMMON HEALTH CONCERNS

Did you know that food allergies and sensitivities can contribute to weight gain? What we eat can affect our bodies in numerous ways, especially if we have an allergy or reaction to specific foods. 

Numerous health problems have been linked to food allergies and intolerances, including common everyday problems like migraines, aching joints, fatigue, gastrointestinal disorders, eczema, hyperactivity/ADD, asthma, and obesity. 

Here's a look at some of the links between food allergies and common health issues. 

Food Reactions & Weight Gain

We gain weight when we eat more than we can burn off. But this conventional diet wisdom does not always hold true. Weight gain can also be caused by health conditions such as hypothyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome, organ disease, prescription drug use, anxiety, blood sugar imbalance, and essential fatty acid deficiency. Additionally, one common cause is food sensitivity. 

Reactions to foods are not always immediate. They can occur many hours later as bloating and swelling in the hands, feet, ankles, abdomen, chin, and around the eyes. Much of the weight gained is fluid retention caused by inflammation and the release of certain hormones. In addition, there is the fermentation of foods, particularly carbohydrates, in the intestines, which can result in a swollen, distended belly and gas production. Food allergies, as well as food sensitivities, can cause weight gain.

How Testing Can Help 

Addressing food allergies and sensitivities can play a significant role in weight loss. When the body reacts to certain foods, it can cause inflammation and fluid retention, leading to weight gain. By eliminating these foods from your diet, you can reduce inflammation and fluid retention, which may result in weight loss.

Avoiding foods that affect your health can also help regulate your digestive system, leading to more efficient calorie burning and a healthier gut. If you suspect you may have a food allergy or sensitivity, consider getting tested for food allergies. Identifying and addressing these allergies/sensitivities can be crucial in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

Find out how we do food allergy testing.

Food SEnsitivity & ADHD Symptoms

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a behavioral condition in which children/adults struggle with executive function. Adults with ADHD may find it hard to focus, organize, or finish tasks, among other symptoms. 

While there isn't a significant amount of research on food and ADHD, those concerned about diet and ADHD have hypothesized that there may be a toxic or allergic effect by some foods. The most commonly targeted foods are milk, wheat, dyes, preservatives, sugars, and caffeine. These diet elements are believed to at least contribute to ADHD and ADD Symptoms.

Food Allergies & Arthritis 

The body can be allergic to any food; therefore, any food allergy is capable of causing inflammation and worsening arthritis symptoms. This includes RA, juvenile arthritis, and undefined joint pains. This is why it can be difficult to recognize the relationship between their diet and their symptoms.

Let’s use a dairy allergy as an example. If you eat any form of dairy, be it milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, or even dairy in the form of casein or whey in another food product, such as bread or milk chocolate, you can potentially trigger the symptoms of your food allergy, in this case, arthritis. Allergy symptoms may show up hours or even a day later, well after food is absorbed into your system.

Food Sensitivities & Chronic Fatigue 

Researchers do not know what causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), but they believe this illness involves interactions between the dysfunction of the immune system and trigger agents such as viruses. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome causes incapacitating fatigue, pain, neurological problems, and a list of symptoms that can represent other disorders. Each person living with CFS has a unique assortment of symptoms that fits into a recognizable pattern.

Allergic reactions to food, food intolerance (hypersensitivity), refined food, junk foods, food additives, and chemical contaminants in food can alter our moods and lead directly or indirectly to a constant low-energy state.

People with CFS frequently have sensitivities to foods, chemicals, and other inhalants. These may be classical allergies – which are IgE (Immunoglobulin Type E)-mediated sensitivities or food intolerance (which is not IgE-mediated, so allergy tests, such as skin prick tests, are negative) and chemical intolerance are especially common. Patients showing evidence of this often find that managing these sensitivities can be essential to improving or recovering from the illness.

Food Triggers & Eczema 

Eczema flare-ups can be prevented through careful management of your diet. One such way is by identifying food triggers that cause your eczema to flare up. Not all triggers are the same for everyone, so you will need to determine your food triggers.

The other way is to ensure that you have an adequate supply of nutrition that supports good healthy skin. Many eczema patients are found to be deficient in certain essential vitamins and supplements. Ensuring an adequate supply can help reduce the incidence of skin inflammation and dry skin.

Our health testing options help you determine how best to address your concerns. 

Diet & Fibromyalgia

While there is no specific diet for all fibromyalgia cases, different symptoms may suggest ways of improving your health through diet. As fibromyalgia sufferers often have one condition amplifying another (or several others), relieving even one can increase your quality of life, sometimes substantially.

If your body overreacts to certain foods, it could worsen conditions ranging from digestive troubles (gas, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea) to fatigue, headache or migraine, joint pain, mood disorders, muscle aches, and skin problems. Beef, citrus, chicken, corn, dairy, eggs, gluten (protein in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and kamut), soy, sugar, tomatoes, wheat, yeast, etc., are common problems for individuals with food intolerance.

Food & Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

The cause of irritable bowel syndrome is not well understood. In IBS, the movement of the digestive tract is impaired, but doctors cannot find change in physical structure, such as inflammation or tumors.

Treatment will depend on the types of symptoms you have and their severity, as well as how they affect your daily life, and will likely involve changes to your lifestyle. Active involvement in treatment is important to manage it successfully. Treatment usually focuses on changes in diet and lifestyle, avoiding foods that trigger symptoms, and managing stress.

Food Triggers & Migraines

Migraines involve changes in chemicals and blood vessels in the brain, which trigger pain signals, leading to headaches and other symptoms.

In many people, migraines are triggered by certain foods or smells. Eliminating exposure to these triggers may stop the headaches.

Symptoms of Food Sensitivity

Food plays such an important role in our bodies. Unfortunately, food that is completely safe to some might be the root of serious problems such as migraines, fatigue, arthritis, and weight gain in others. 

Symptoms of food sensitivity can include:

• headache
• indigestion or heartburn
• fatigue
• depression
• joint pain or arthritis
• canker sores
• chronic respiratory symptoms such as wheezing, sinus congestion, or bronchitis
• chronic bowel problems such as diarrhea or constipation

Relief Begins with Health Testing

Dealing with food allergies and health issues can be challenging and often frustrating. It's important to remember that food allergies can affect anyone, regardless of age or background. If you suspect you may have a food allergy or sensitivity, getting tested is a crucial first step in understanding your body's reactions and identifying potential triggers.

If you think an unknown food allergy might be causing one or more of these symptoms in you, call 480-839-4131 to schedule a free consultation with one of our licensed physicians. You can also fill out the form on near the top of this page if you'd prefer. We will start with a consultation, where you'll discuss the benefits of getting testing done to determine if a food allergy is the root of your pain or problem.

Health testing can get you back on track to living your best life, living pain and symptom-free. If you have lived with one or more of these issues for years, this might be the answer you've been searching for.