Research has shown that food sensitivities are becoming more common and are having a greater impact on our health than we previously thought. Approximately 30 percent of people will experience some sort of food sensitivity in their lifetime.
Food sensitivities are a delayed food reaction that can cause discomfort in one or more body organs because of something you ate/drank. Food sensitivities can be categorized depending on their mechanism. Commonly, people who suffer from food sensitivity experience symptoms because their body lacks a certain chemical or enzyme needed to digest food properly.
It is often difficult to pinpoint which specific food you are sensitive to because symptoms may not appear for two or three days after digestion. Common foods that people are sensitive include:
- Cow’s milk
- Eggs
- Peanuts
- Soy foods
- Wheat/Gluten
- Fish
- Shellfish (shrimp, lobster, crab, etc.)
- Tree nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, etc.)
Symptoms of food sensitivity vary greatly depending on each person and the type of food they are sensitive to. Common symptoms include skin rashes, IBS, nausea, abdominal cramps, gas, diarrhea, constipation, nasal congestion, sinusitis, asthma, and cough.
Gluten Sensitivity
Gluten sensitivity (also known as gluten intolerance) is experienced by people who have issues absorbing gluten-containing foods such as wheat, barley, and rye—and is commonly linked with celiac disease in which gluten produces negative effects on the body. However, more and more people are showing gluten intolerance and do not have any signs of celiac disease. That is why gluten intolerance is commonly separated from food intolerances and food allergies because it has the characteristics of both. Individuals with non-celiac gluten sensitivity experience symptoms such as headache (“foggy mind”), joint pain, and numbness in the arms/legs as well as experience GI complications such as constipation, diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, and bloating/gas.
To be on the safe side, people tend to remove all of these foods from their diet when trying to determine the possibility of gluten sensitivity. Thankfully, the FDA approved regulations that allow food manufactures to label products as “gluten-free” if they contain less than 20 ppm of gluten making it easier for those who are gluten sensitive to choose the right foods.
We Can Help!
If you believe that you may be food sensitive, we can help. Call our office today to schedule an evaluation and consultation to talk about testing and treatment options.
