How to Identify Food Intolerances
Recent research is showing that the rates of food intolerances among Americans, particularly children, are rising steadily. The problems with food intolerances go well beyond simple digestive issues. If left untreated, they can cause neurological damage, obesity, behavior problems, mood disorders, metabolic issues, hormone disorders, infertility and serious diseases of the digestive tract.
Some evidence has even suggested that an unresolved food intolerance can contribute to cancer and a shortened lifespan. Therefore, it becomes critically important to identify and fix the problem. Although awareness regarding these problems is increasing, studies show that most people who have a food intolerance aren’t even aware of it.
Some people are asymptomatic, but most others simply don’t know what to look for. Here are some of the most common signs of food intolerance.
Food Intolerance Sign – Feeling Ill
Do you often find yourself with an upset stomach shortly after eating? Perhaps you suffer from uncomfortable gas and bloating as well? These are typically the most immediate signs that your body doesn’t agree with a certain food.
In some food intolerances, people lack an enzyme that is necessary for proper digestion of certain food components. The most common example of this type of situation is lactose intolerance.
However, there are some food intolerances that are immunological in origin. This occurs when the body recognizes a certain substance, usually a protein, as a foreign pathogen. The immune system then mistakenly attacks the cells of the digestive tract, causing digestive dysfunction. Over time, immunological food intolerances can cause serious intestinal diseases. If you suffer frequent digestive issues, but you can’t think of what may be causing it, you may want to consider a food intolerance test.
Food Intolerance Help – Elimination Diet
It’s possible to be intolerant to anything, but there are a handful of foods that pose the greatest threat. These include wheat, corn, soy, milk, peanuts, shellfish, eggs and tree nuts. However, people can also possess intolerances to honey, certain meats, mushrooms, coconuts, rice, seeds, certain fruits and beans. If there are numerous risk factors in your diet, you may want to root them out via the process of elimination. An helpful guide is Cleanse and Detoxify Your Body: 28 days to better health using nutrient-dense whole foods. Remove one suspected food from your diet for a couple of weeks and see how you feel. Reintroduce it slowly and note any possible reactions. If you have no discernible response, the food may be safe. Continue the elimination diet until you’ve identified all culprits. For added benefit, food intolerance testing can root out additional threats to health.
Food Intolerance Neurological Symptoms
Neurological symptoms are strongly associated with immunological food intolerances. Besides attacking the digestive tract, the immune system can also attack the body’s nerves. This often results in muscle spasms, difficulty concentrating, pins-and-needles, pains that feel like they’re in the bones, electric shock feelings, abdominal pain and cramping and itching or crawling feelings. Some research has linked unresolved food intolerances, like gluten intolerance, with neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s and dementia. These findings suggest that long-term nerve damage may be to blame.
Food Intolerance Symptom – Low Mood
It’s not uncommon for low mood to accompany a food intolerance for a variety of reasons. Intolerances that damage the intestines can inhibit the proper absorption of nutrients, many of which are necessary for mood-enhancing neurotransmitter production. Common triggers like gluten and casein can also plug into the brain’s opioid receptors, causing irritability, a deadening of positive emotions and an inability to enjoy things.
Food Intolerance Symptom – Constipation
Frequent constipation is another sign of food intolerance. When problematic substances plug into your opioid receptors, they can also halt peristalsis, or bowel movement. A lack of this movement means that you become constipated. Chronic constipation, while unpleasant, is also bad for health overall. When the body can’t eliminate waste, toxins accumulate and cause illness and malaise.
Food Intolerance Symptom – Fatigue
Loading your body with a foods it can’t tolerate puts a lot of strain on it. It expends a great deal of energy on healing damage and trying to fight off what it sees as a harmful invader. This is the same principle behind why you feel so exhausted when you’re sick. If you’ve been exposed to a food you’re intolerant to, be sure to take it easy and get plenty of rest and nutrition.
Food Intolerance Symptom – External Signs
Symptoms of a food intolerance aren’t always invisible. In many cases, they can show up as skin problems. Rough, dry or scaly patches on the skin, psoriasis, eczema, lupus and chronic yeast infections can all be linked to food intolerances. Even acne can be triggered by food intolerance by promoting inflammation and reducing resistance to germs.
Food Intolerance Testing
Unfortunately, the process of elimination doesn’t suit everyone and has its flaws. It is very time consuming, and you may skip over potential triggers without even knowing it. Plus, some people just don’t want to wait to find out how to get better. The best option for determining or confirming a problem food is to have a food intolerance test. Food intolerance testing accounts for a wide array of potential triggers, even the more obscure ones. This will help you understand how to re-shape your diet to safeguard your health.
Author Bio: Sarah is a small business owner, and is currently learning about health, using the internet. Aside from working on her own business, she likes to use social media, and read travel books.
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