NUTRITION AUTHOR
Shannon Dolan
DISCOVERING FOOD SENSITIVITIES n Everything you need to know about food sensitivities and how to discover them.
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eliminate any that exist. The most common allergens include gluten, dairy, corn, soy and eggs. Gluten, corn and soy are among the crops that are sprayed heavily with pesticides, causing issues with digestion. Dairy and eggs can cause issues due to the processing of the foods, the diet the animal was on and the proteins inside the food that the body may not be able to break down. For example, lactose can be hard for people to break down if they do not produce the enzyme called lactase. Consuming foods the body is sensitive to leads to inflammation in the intestinal wall and decreased absorption capabilities of the microvilli. When this occurs, the intestinal walls become compromised, and the microvilli cannot absorb nutrients. If not addressed, the inflammation can lead to undigested particles slipping through. There won’t be actual food particles circulating in your body, but rather structures of molecules that are not broken down. These molecules cause inflammation throughout the body. The most recognizable symptom of a food sensitivity includes an upset stomach, diarrhea and/
n a study published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, roughly 20 percent of adults report having some sort of food allergy or sensitivity, with reports of sensitivities being on the rise. Evidence of this increase can be seen at the grocery store and when dining out—with more and more menus and aisles marked for gluten-free and dairy-free options to accommodate customers.
What is the main difference between an allergy and a sensitivity?
One can be life-threatening. A true allergy causes an intense immune system reaction. This reaction is felt shortly after ingesting the food. If an allergy is severe, it can even lead to anaphylactic shock. A food sensitivity is a little less intense but still triggers a reaction in the immune system. Even though sensitivities don’t trigger an anaphylactic shock and may not elicit a histamine response, food sensitivities may not be felt until a few hours, a day or possibly longer after exposure of the food. While a food sensitivity is not life-threatening like a true allergy, it is still necessary to rule out and
SEPTEMBER 2020
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