What Causes Food Allergies & How One Woman Has Reversed Hers
I had a lab partner in college whose boyfriend had a large section of his colon removed as part of his crohn’s disease treatment. He would carry what she affectionately called a "poop bag" with him for the rest of his life. I have seen mothers carry epi pens in their purse in fear that their child will stop breathing when they come in contact with peanuts or milk.
Food allergies and food sensitivities are becoming epidemic. There are various theories on what causes food allergies, but one that stands out for me is the theory that when our guts are unhealthy they do not properly digest foods and these foods then make us sick.
One woman I know, Ann Marie, has recovered from the symptoms of food allergies and can now eat the very foods that once made her so ill.
If Ann Marie’s story or her class, Reversing Food Allergies, can help just one of those people then it is worth looking into. Now let’s hear from someone who knows the bitter struggle of food allergies all too well.
What is your experience with food allergies?
Hidden food allergies absolutely devastated my health. I was 25 years old and I was so sick, I didn’t have the energy to do anything. I was getting sinus infections every month, had sores in my nose that wouldn’t heal, and my arthritis pain was so bad, I couldn’t even sleep through the night. I was taking Alleve and allergy medicine on a daily basis.
I had no idea that I even had food allergies, much less that these food allergies were causing my arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and other health problems. I did an elimination diet for 30 days and while the first week or two was pretty rough, the last two weeks, I felt like I was walking on air. All my symptoms vanished and I felt like a kid again. I’d jump out of bed in the morning, go all day, and I had no pain, no sneezing, no dizziness.
Of course then I found out the hard way that if I ate just a tiny bit of gluten or sugar, all my symptoms would come right back. So I worked on healing my gut. I took strong probiotics and avoided gluten and sugar.
It took me about 2 years but I did reverse my food allergies. I can now eat anything — wheat, sugar, you name it — and I don’t have any symptoms.
What do you believe causes food allergies?
Food allergies are caused by a damaged digestive tract. The digestive tract gets damaged by two things: (1) things that kill of our good bacteria and (2) things that damage our gut lining.
- Things that kill good bacteria. Our good bacteria is killed off by antibiotics, the birth control pill, steroids and other drugs, as well as chlorine in the water we drink, bathe and swim in. A hundred years ago, antibiotics were unheard of. We also ate plenty of naturally fermented foods at every meal — from naturally fermented sourdough to ketchup to sauerkraut to good old fashioned ginger ale. These foods provided probiotics to help build and maintain the good flora in our gut. These days, everything is pasteurized and sterilized, so not only are we killing off the good flora, but we’re not replacing it.
- Things that damage our gut lining. Foods that are hard to digest damage our gut lining. These foods include unfermented soy (the worst), as well as unfermented (unsoaked) grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
A century ago, all of these foods were traditionally soaked or fermented in order to make them more digestible (think about how you have to soak beans before eating them). Nowadays, with people using modern commercial yeast instead of traditional sourdough, these foods are not adequately broken down and are much harder on our digestive system.
We also used to eat a lot of chicken stock and other kinds of bone broth a century ago. Broth is one of the most healing foods for you digestive tract. Sadly, it has been replaced my MSG in most restaurants and packaged foods (including most of the canned soup you find at the supermarket).
How do you reverse food allergies?
First of all, we have to avoid foods that we are allergic to. Every time we eat a food that we cannot digest, it damages our gut further. That is why so many people end up with multiple food allergies. First they’re allergic to gluten, and they keep eating that, and then the next thing they know, they are also allergic to dairy. Then one day, they’re also allergic to nuts or eggs.
Unfortunately, most of us don’t know which foods we are allergic to. And, according to Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, author of The Gut & Psychology Syndrome, the tests that are available are not reliable at all.
The only real way to find out what you are allergic to is to do an elimination diet for 4 weeks. That is what I did. Then you gradually reintroduce foods, one by one. You watch for reactions, and when you have a negative reaction, you know you can’t have that food. At least not for a while, until your gut is more healthy.
It’s not just about avoidance of allergens. If you just avoid gluten or dairy, you’re not going to heal the gut so nothing will change.
We also need to heal and seal the gut by eating lots of fermented foods, taking probiotics and eating bone broth which helps to rebuild and strengthen the gut lining. Probiotics help because part of their job is to build and protect the lining — so the more good flora you have, the more they work to heal your gut.
It can take a while to recover is because you have to help the gut rebuild itself. Let me explain:
There are these tiny finger-like protusions that line the gut wall. They are called villi. The villi are covered with cells that are called enterocytes. These enterocytes are covered with tiny hairs, like grass. This grass-like covering is called microvilli. (Stay with me — I’ll explain why all of this is important.)
Now, when the gut wall gets damaged and there is not enough good bacteria, the enterocytes get damaged and worn down. And their "grass" stops growing and they become bald.
Why is this a problem? Because it is the microvilli that actually secretes the enzymes that allow you to digest certain foods. In other words, you need the enzyme "lactase" to digest "lactose" in milk and dairy products. If your enterocytes are bald and your microvilli is non-existent, you are not producing any lactase — and as a result, you can’t drink milk.
So it depends on how worn down your digestive tract is. If it is completely worn down, it might be a while before you are able to eat any complex foods that require enzymes to break down. These complex foods are called "disaccharides" (two sugars) and "polysaccharides" (multiple sugars) and include dairy, grains, sugar and starches. Monosaccharides (single sugar) are foods that do not require enzymes to break down. So they are easy for us to digest and don’t tax our digestive system.
In the beginning, you can only eat simple foods like meat, fish, bone broth, and cooked and fermented vegetables. In time, as you heal, you can introduce more and more complex foods one at a time.
If you continue eating food you don’t have the enzymes to digest, you are putting too much strain on your digestive tract, and not giving it the time and space to heal itself. This is why it’s important to stick to a restricted diet in the beginning, and eat lots of things that will help your body heal itself, like fermented foods and bone broth.
You can use the coupon code "HEAL" for $20 off enrollment and find out more about Reversing Food Allergies. Tomorrow Ann Marie will be giving away free enrollment to one reader.
Has anyone had experience with EoE?
Anyone have experience with EoE?
Kathy,
Any answer to this question. I was recently diagnosed with EoE and looking for a solution?
I was diagnosed with EoE but my main symptoms are horrible constant nausea stomach pain fatigue. I did a blood test to see if I was allergic to different foods and was a tiny bit allergic to a few that I was eating but don’t feel any different when I go on diets and avoid them. Not sure what it is but have been sick for 2 years and taking probiotics and diets have not helped at all….
Sorry Kathy. I just wanted to solve the math problem. I know I’m weird. Also, I like how it’s called ‘You are not a bot’.
What probiotics did you use ?
Hi, i’ve just been introduced to a probiotics called kefir milk grains!! Since taking it (for 3 days) I Have already felt a difference in how I feel!! Would definitely recommend it!! You can get water kefir as well. Not sure what that’s like. Milk kefir is great even if u can’t tolerate lactose a little as when u put the grains in milk (you have to leave it 24 hours) & in that time the grains feed of the lactose in the milk. You can read up on it on the Internet for more info. Hope that helps.
I have so many food sensitivities that I hardly eat anything now. I am sick most of the time. I really don’t know what to do. Is there anyway you can email me so we can talk? I am so happy to see that you have been healed of your food sensitivities! This has been going on for 2 and a half years. please help if you can. thank you so very much.
Food allergies and food sensitivities are really epidemic! More importantly, it’s completely inevitable for one to recognize the symptoms of allergy that they suffer from any food. Appreciate such an informative blog. Sharing one’s personal food allergy experience can be a big way out to save someone’s life. Cheers!
On a whim, I started taking a diverse probiotic supplement to see if it would help my several food allergies/insensitivites. Wheat and corn cause hives, soy seems to be a true allergy. After a week, I ate some bread – no hives or itching. Due to the variations in probiotics, valid research is sparse. But I will continue taking it and see what happens. I am cautiously optimistic.
Hi Nancy – Thanks so much for sharing that! Would you be willing to share the brand of probiotic that you’re using.
Thanks!
Shannon
Thanks so much for this informative web site. Just came from gastro dr, Still having pain after GB removal 5 months ago. Also allergic to everything! She is concerned about my weight loss and ordering an updated colonoscopy. But thought allergies and anxiety was likely my main culprits. I asked her about probiotics. she couldn’t give me a brand name. But told me to check Trader Joe’s or Whole foods in the refrigerator section and told me the bacteria and amounts to look for. I have tried making water kefir. But get severe sinus headache from it. She thought maybe allergy to something in it? But now I wonder if it was a food allergy same day possibly? She said allergies start at birth. I don’t know. But your explanation makes more sense to me. She also said they can’t be reversed. Again, not sure I believe that either. The science behind the unhealthy gut and probiotics just make sense to me. I also want to try fermenting vegetables to see if that helps me. Found recipe using Himalayan salt and bottled water. Is that what you use? Seems easy enough and I am desperate for better health. Allergies to everything, anxiety/depression, fatigue and constant sinus and digestive pain is a living Hell!
Hey there, I happen to have a really bad yeast allergy. Every time I consume something that contains yeast extract, or has yeast growing on it (like mushrooms, grapes), or that contains citric acid (fermented from yeast), my stomach will start to hurt very badly. Then I end up with a diarrhoea. Right now I eat lentils and tofu very often, and your article said that they actually hurt my digestive tract if not fermented. But the thing is, I can’t have fermented foods according to my nutritionist. I am not trying to ask for medical advice over the Internet, but can someone please suggest to me what to do next?
Rosebread – If you sprout or ferment lentils or other beans or grains, they should then be cooked. The cooking process would do away with all living yeasts and you would therefore not be consuming any yeasts. Hope that helps!
The cause of allergies and their after-effects (such as eczema, asthma, etc.) is most certainly an imbalance in the gut flora and the proliferation of toxic and undigested substances in the body. However, I believe it’s deeper than slowly introducing food or taking a good probiotic. The cause, simply put, is Genetically “Modified” Organisms (GMOs). I use the term “modified” because it’s generally used but I believe it should be referred to as “Genetically Corrupted Organisms”. If we think of DNA in essence we are simply talking about “Information” and “VERY SPECIFIC INFORMATION” at that. Everything in your body RELIES on this information BEING 100% CORRECT in order to function correctly. Once this information is corrupted it produces a chain reaction the results of which are allergies: This occurs when corrupted cells malform (mutate) and cannot carry out their original function. This then forms internal scarring (Cirrhosis), leaky gut, followed by yeast mutation and fungal proliferation, leading to gluten resistance, eczema, Celiac disease, psoriasis. In other words, GMOs wage a silent war on the body. Left unchecked it will lead to organ malfunction and ultimately death. The body is intelligent, IT KNOWS SOMETHING IS WRONG AND CANNOT PINPOINT IT. WHILE YOUR BODY WAGES WAR WITH THE CORRUPTED DNA (INFORMATION) IT SENDS T-CELLS INSTRUCTIONS TO DESTROY THE INVADER ON SITE DUE TO ITS POTENTIAL TO HARM THE BODY. The reason for this is because when our gut bacteria comes in contact with “corrupted DNA” two things happen. 1. These bacteria become “corrupted” because they themselves are injesting our food to produce various vitamins and cofactors. THESE CELLS REPLICATE and while MOST WILL DIE OFF (creating gut bacteria imbalances), there will be billions of strains that will CONTINUE TO REPLICATE THIS “CORRUPT DNA” 2. The second thing that happens, is your body doesn’t recognize it and in turn develops an “EMERGENCY IMMUNE RESPONSE” through its first line of defence (histamine deployment). IT IS AFTER THIS POINT, we usually get some manifestation of sickness and get some ANTIBIOTICS, which in many cases does NOTHING for the CORRUPTED GENETIC MATERIAL IN OUR SYSTEMS, and further COMPOUNDS THE PROBLEM. So you may ask, why wheat allergies, why gluten, peanuts, almonds, milk, soy, eggs? Many cows and chickens are now being fed GMO corn, soy, wheat, almonds, peanuts, EVEN FLOWERS are being “engineered”. THEY ARE EVEN PRODUCING GMO POLLEN! Which I believe is ONE of the causes of seasonal allergies, HAYFEVER and ASTHMA.
So, here is the solution: As stated above, you have to: 1. avoid MOST food products and eat food that will replenish your gut flora (bacteria). Start with one or two BASIC foods. (I would start with Raw Milk Kefir and Raw Honey. But you can start with bone broth). 2. ALSO mentioned above: Consuming your allergen WILL DELAY YOUR BODYS RESPONSE TO FLUSHING OUT THE “CORRUPTED DNA”. Remember your body is INTELLIGENT but it’s working with THOUSANDS OF NEEDLES IN A HAYSTACK. 3. You must FAST! Fasting will give the body the time it needs to do what it has to do. Get used to fasting for a day or two at a time. With nothing in between except distilled water (or at least purified non-chlorinated water). Hopefully you will recover, however it’s hard to say how long it will take. There are no known timeframes for recovery. Everyone is different. HOWEVER, based on this article, YOU DO KNOW IT’S POSSIBLE. That should be enough to go on.
Like this person: Renee
May 20, 2015 at 4:37 pm/Reply
I have so many food sensitivities that I hardly eat anything now. I am sick most of the time. I really don’t know what to do. Is there anyway you can email me so we can talk? I am so happy to see that you have been healed of your food sensitivities! This has been going on for 2 and a half years. please help if you can. thank you so very much.
I too have the same issue. I can’t afford much bc of my battle and medical bills. Can you contact me so I can get some help? I REALLY can’t rely on Drs anymore and am desperate. I can’t even play with my 4 year old son much and that really hurts too. I went from 160 lbs to 108 lbs. I can fell almost all my bones and can’t even sit comfortably in a chair because I’m so bony. Any help would be absolutely and genuinely appreciated!
I have the same problem! I have lost tons of weight and I am so bony now. I have lost my way and dont know what to do. I have 6 autoimmune diseases and gotten severe food allergies.
Hello Shannon, This article describes exactly what I am going thro. I tested positive for anti-gliadin antibodies and went on a gluten free diet, realized I also had a milk intolerance. Went completely diary free. I still had my symptoms come back and am now thinking that I also have intolerance to corn and eggs as my symptoms flared up yesterday after eating corn and eggs. Is there a food intolerance test that is available?
I am so sensitive to all foods that I can not take any vitamins, suplements or medication. So probiotics are out of question. what to do than ???
Hi, i am 55 year old female and i’ve become allergic to dairy products, greasy food and nuts..problem is, it affects the rigt side of my face, nostril bleeds, right eye looks and feels funny, my gum on that side become swollen, both ears itches, headache and slimy saliva in my mouth. ..i try my best to avoid eating these foods, but i wonder what could be the cause, since this only started last year and is getting worst. …any answers to what might be the problem? Thank you
This article looks more like about food intolerance and not about foods allergies.It is good to know that Foods intolerance has a lot to do with how the body digest foods like above article and foods allergies has a lot to do with the immune system. Anyways the article is useful but the title is wrong.
Hello Shannon thank you for this article that has been the best one I have read so far. I have been vegetarian for 20 years, some parts I went completely raw, only ate occasionally some raw cheese and that is when I found out my intolerance to grains. Later I have tried to sometimes eat them but with worse results. The problem now is that over the last years I am finding that every day there is always something I have to avoid. From grains and soy, it went to dairy, then eggs, then fruits, now chickpeas, green peas and beans, (lentils for the moment are ok), then nuts, then dark chocolate, I think now eggplants too. I have been taking probiotics for almost a year, Vitamin B12, C, Calcium, Krill oil and now I have started with Vitamin D. The only thing that I can eat are salads, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, tomatos, spinach,olive oil. And lately every time I eat I feel very tired and sleepy. You are suggesting to eat meat, fish, bone broth etc. Do you think that being a vegetarian for so long I can start eating meat again to reverse allergies? The other day I felt so bad I cooked a little peace of chicken with a bit of lemon to see if it made me feel better but I felt worse, also tried tuna but no chance, same symptoms as the rest. Any suggestions? thank you.
Hi, I just got a blood test positive for Wheat and Dairy allergy. Is that the test the Dr. was referring to in the ” Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, author of The Gut & Psychology Syndrome, the tests that are available are not reliable at all.” Thanks!
I wish more people know the reasons of their conditions were food allergies. I have ADHD. Mom has diabetes and sleep apnea. Dad has sleep apnea. My sleep apnea disappeared after I cut out sugar and gluten. I don’t have very obvious symptoms of foods allergies. It was not easy to tell but I am sure my ADHD was the major symptom of hidden allergies. I dont have time to make my own fermented foods. Probably easy but there were so much to learn. I take probiotics pills and hope that helps.
The AIP PALEO elimination diet worked for me. It took 1 1/2 years.