Food Sensitivity
There is a lot of confusion out there about food sensitivities. Is it an intolerance? Allergy? Or something else? Allergies are easy to identify- they involve an immune reaction to a food. An intolerance, on the other hand, has no immune component; rather, it occurs when certain natural food chemicals or additives irritate certain nerve endings which then triggers symptoms in different parts of the body. This depends on where your sensitivities lie, and will vary from person to person. The commonest places for food sensitivities to show up are:
SKIN- hives, rashes, eczema, itchiness, nappy rash
GUT- loose stools, cramps, bloating, colic
RESPIRATORY- sneezing, hay fever symptoms, asthma
NERVOUS SYSTEM- aggravation of ADHD behaviour, headaches, insomnia, irritability, restlessness
What are you sensitive to?
Again, this can vary between individuals. Food intolerances run in families, and will often result in the same sensitivities and symptoms through generations. Natural food chemicals include:
Salicylates: these are a family of plant chemicals found in many fruits & vegetables. In nature, these protect the fruit / vegetable from insect or pest attack. The highest concentration of salicylates is found just under the skin, so often peeling the food helps reduce levels. High-salicylate foods include grapes, berries, apricot, pineapple, tomato, capsicum, olives, nuts, honey, coconut, apple cider vinegar, tea, coffee & wine. They are also found in essential oils (lavender, eucalyptus, tea tree) and aspirin. Salicylate-sensitivity frequently shows up as skin reactions.
Amines: these come from the breakdown of proteins and are found in any aged foods- leftovers, aged cheeses & tinned foods. High amounts are also found in nut spreads, chocolate, fruit juice, sauces, vegemite, and fermented foods such as beer, wine & vinegars. Amine levels are increased with ripening (ripe banana, avocado, tomato, etc.) Headaches, gut issues & body pain are often linked to amine sensitivity.
Glutamates: this amino acid enhances the taste of foods. Glutamate-rich foods (cheese, soy sauce, stock cubes) and pure mono-sodium glutamate (MSG) are often added to meals to bring out the flavour. Sensitivity often shows up as behavioural issues such as ADHD & insomnia.
Sensitivity Threshold
How sensitive you are determines how much of these food chemicals you can tolerate. One or two strawberries may be fine, but eating the whole punnet brings out a rash. Amines and salicylates can build up in your body over time, so often symptoms can be hard to trace back to a particular food. The only reliable way of discovering which food chemicals may be triggering your symptoms is to ELIMINATE all possible trigger substances at the same time, wait a good 4-6 weeks for symptoms to subside, and then reintroduce them one-by-one.