Search Results for: food allergies testing

Allergies

How many times do you hear the word “allergies” in a week? Why are people so allergic to everything around them? The allergenic reaction we get is supposed to protect our bodies when there is something really dangerous. An intruder needs to be sneezed out or washed out with tears. An allergic reaction helps to prevent pathogens from getting into our bodies by making it more difficult to swallow or breathe. Sometimes our bodies thinks we are under attack when, in reality, we are not. This has to do with how our immune system is trained. The immune system is the army of our body, watching for intruders in every system. An army that is not trained properly gets confused and overreacts. A large part of our army is made in our belly so it is not surprising to learn that many allergy patients have some sort of belly issue, too.

In our allergy program, our goals are to calm the reaction, retrain the immune system or army, prevent infections that often come with allergies, and restore function to the affected systems. We use natural tools that are gentle and effective in calming reactions such as an asthma attack, skin reactions, runny noses, and itchy eyes. In the case of asthma, inhalers may still be needed for a while, but patients who stick to the program are normally off inhalers within 3 months. Retraining the immune system may begin by identifying food intolerances and other sources of gut irritation. Respiratory infections, eye infections, and so on can become a constant struggle with the irritation that allergies bring, so the key is to prevent the allergies in the first place. My goal for patients is to nourish their bodies back to normal physiology and function.

Are we allergic to what we eat? Is there a solution?

Food allergies and allergy testing are of great concern today. Wheat and milk allergies have been talked about a lot. Environmental allergies such as cat and dog allergies have also been more common.

The effects of seasonal allergies can vary among sneezing, watery eyes, waves of fatigue, headaches, dizziness, breathing difficulties and a variety of other symptoms that can relate to pollen count, cleanliness, how often we are inside or outside, perfumes, soaps, detergents, clothing, etc. The allergy remedy involves the understanding that there is a threshold to how many foreign substances our bodies can tolerate. We can tolerate the intake of a certain amount of a substance, but if we are unable to eliminate what we do not need, the threshold goes down. A seasonal allergic reaction is often related to the immune system being over-reactive or over-protective. The immune system development starts in the belly, which is why so many individuals with seasonal allergies often have food intolerances, as well.

Let’s clarify some things. The difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance is the part of the immune system involved. Often, food intolerances can make allergies to food more likely. Food allergies can cause anaphylaxis or hives and are tested by the popular skin scratch test on your back or arms. Intolerances to foods, on the other hand, will cause reactions all over the body that may be strong or mild. Diarrhea, constipation, heart palpitations, fatigue, mood changes, headaches, and rashes can all relate to intolerance to food. It can be harder to connect the dots between food intolerances and their symptoms compared to food allergies.

Food intolerance testing can help take the mystery out of determining which foods cause symptoms and can be done by a blood sample and sometimes a stool sample. This kind of testing can differentiate milk protein allergy from lactose intolerance. It can also rule out gluten sensitivity and the most common food problems. Often, a fruit or vegetable that may seem harmless can be causing a symptom. Both the blood and stool food allergy tests can be run through our office. Fortunately, the accurate blood test can be done as a simple finger stick, which is much less traumatic for kids than a blood draw.

Most food intolerances are temporary and with the right approach, these foods can often be safely eaten again in moderation. Testing for food sensitivity can help set the stage for an effective food allergy diet or, in most cases, a food elimination diet. The antibody reaction of the immune system is tested for its reaction to the particular food or foods, whether in food allergy testing or food sensitivity testing. This approach is often quite effective for an allergy remedy, improving food allergies and seasonal allergies.

We specialize in finding out what your food intolerances are and helping patients heal their belly to be able to eat them again.  Start your path to feeling better and empowered to improve your health and vitality. For help with allergies, contact our office to schedule an appointment.

Journey of Health Medical Clinic

619-772-1164

Getting to Know the Relatives: The Importance of MTHFR Screening

Kayla Preece, ND
Shannyn Fowl, ND

Methyltetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) enzyme deficiency due to a genetic polymorphism is frequently talked about these days. Studies are showing this polymorphism to be linked to many conditions, from depression to hypertension.1, 2 With the myriad conditions linked to MTHFR deficiency, it seems perhaps too easy to connect patient symptoms to this condition. However, a patient that seems to have more than his or her fair share of family history for specific conditions may warrant a genetic screening test. Additionally, appropriate treatment thereafter may help the patient’s condition, no matter if it is correlated with MTHFR deficiency or not. The objective of this article is to help identify those patients who should be tested, to both identify relative health risks and to improve outcome of care.

MTHFR Polymorphisms

Around 40 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the MTHFR gene have been discovered, which can present as either homozygous or heterozygous genotypes. SNPs affecting enzyme function can affect the methylation of key proteins in the body. Many of these SNPS seem inconsequential to the proper functioning of the MTHFR enzyme. Two, however, have been shown to lower the efficiency of the enzyme enough to warrant looking at. The most severe change occurs with the C677T SNP (involving a thymine substitution for cytosine), which decreases enzyme activity by 35-60%, depending on whether the SNP is heterozygous or homozygous.3 In second place is the A1298C SNP, which is linked to a 30% decrease in enzyme activity in homozygotes.3 Frequencies of the homozygous genotypes range from approximately 2% to 23% (depending on the population and the specific polymorphism), with the highest percentages in Italian and Hispanic populations; frequency of the heterozygous MTHFR SNPs is much greater in all populations.4

In conventional medicine, the fact a patient has an MTHFR polymorphism is often considered an inconsequential finding, unless of course that patient presents with the most severe consequences of the SNP, such as hyperhomocysteinemia or neural tube defects. A growing body of research, however, is gradually raising awareness of clinical correlations with MTHFR SNPs, particularly homozygosity for 677TT, and naturopathic doctors are beginning to put this condition on their radar, testing more of their patients, and basing treatment plans on the results.

MTHFR Clinical Case Studies

The authors of this article gleaned clinical research from a practice in Southern California. The data were all derived from what patients self-reported in clinic visits, initial visit intakes, and doctor observations, as noted in the charts. Thirty-seven consecutive MTHFR-positive patients, confirmed with blood tests, were identified and used in this study, based on their positivity for MTHFR SNPs. Their charts were accessed for their chief complaint, family history, and past medical history in order to scan for a variety of characteristics. Patient data were then categorized by the genotypes present: 677CT, 677TT, 677CT/1298AC, 1298AC, and 1298CC.

Family history seemed frequently positive for clinical disorders in patients with MTHFR SNPs. Significant family history in this study required at least 2 of the 5 family history questions to be positive. Questions included a family history of diabetes mellitus (DM), cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, thyroid disease, and depression – the most common family histories that patients are asked about by clinicians. Many patients had more than 2 family members with these diseases. Specifically, among those patients with genotypes 677CT, 677TT, and 1298AC, more than 60% had a positive significant family history (Table 1). Table 2 shows family incidence found in each type of SNP.

Table 1. Prevalence of Family History* in 37 Patients with Specific MTHFR SNPs

Total number of patients (n=37)Patients with Zero Family HistoryPatients with 1 Family HistoryPatients with 2 Family HistoryPatients with 3 Family HistoryPatients with 4 Family HistoryPatients with 5 Family History% of patients with >2 Family History
677CT601131083%
677TT912230166%
677CT plus 1298AC721121057%
1298AC810241066%
1298CC721121057%

*Family History refers to CVD, cancer, depression, thyroid disease, and/or diabetes mellitus

Table 2: Incidence of Family History by Type in 37 Patients with Specific MTHFR SNPs

CVDCancerDepressionThyroid DiseaseDiabetes MellitusTotal Family History
677CT6/61/62/61/63/613/6
677TT9/96/94/91/97/929/9
677CT/1298AC5/74/74/71/72/716/7
1298AC5/85/82/83/83/818/8
1298CC4/74/72/71/72/713/7
Totals29/3720/3714/376/3718/3768/37

As this was a retrospective observational study, patients were not contacted to clarify any other information. Similarly, the group with known MTHFR SNPs was not compared to a similarly numbered group of patients who were known to be MTHFR SNP-free. These observations can be used as a stepping point for clinical trials in the future.

The following case was chosen to illustrate the point that a significant family history may be another piece to an MTHFR SNP-positive patient’s health puzzle. 

Case Study 1

GG is a 50-year-old female who presents to the clinic for osteoarthritis. Reproductive history is significant, with G6 P0 TAB2 SAB4 (6 pregnancies, 0 term births, 2 therapeutic abortions, and 4 spontaneous abortions). Patient had recurrent miscarriages at 4.5-6 months due to an incompetent cervix causing premature rupture of membranes. Fetus with genetic kidney anomaly was also noted in pregnancy history. She has significant family history, including grandmother with diabetes, grandfather with heart disease, father and mother with arthritis, a relative with allergies, grandmother with stroke, grandfather with alcoholism, siblings with depression/anxiety, brother with unspecified mental illness, and father and brother with high blood pressure.

Her chief complaint is osteoarthritis pain. She states that at times the pain is debilitating in her shoulders, lower back, and hips. She states she has some pain during yoga but no long-lasting episodes.

Her diet history includes a 5-month liquid, high-protein diet prescribed by her doctor at a local HMO. She has been drinking 120 oz of water per day since beginning this diet. Her exercise includes yoga and dance class. She has a menstrual history of menorrhagia. Other pertinent past medical conditions include ankle fracture and reconstruction surgery, asthma, stomach ulcer, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Her vitals were WNL. Her review of symptoms was WNL. Her labs revealed she was homozygous for the MTHFR 677 SNP (677TT).

Treatment

In December of 2013, following a thorough discussion of MTHFR, the patient was given the following instructions:

  • Avoid synthetic folate and folic acid in supplements and in fortified foods. Naturally-occurring folic acid (methyl-folate) is fine in moderation. No juicing of foods high in folate. Limit high-folate foods to 1-2 cups per day. A handout was given as a reference of high-folate foods (Table 3).
  • Methylcobalamin (vitamin B12): Take 1 capsule (1000 µg) daily with food. After 3 days, increase to 2 capsules, then to 3 capsules, or until symptoms such as headache, belly ache, or emotional changes are felt. Reduce capsule number to the last dose prior to symptoms.
  • Curcumin supplement (600 mg Curcuma longa rhizome extract, standardized to contain 90% curcuminoids): Take 1 capsule TID away from food for pain.

Follow-ups

In February 2014 the patient is taking 3 tablets daily of the B12 supplement, and is switched to a different turmeric supplement (turmeric phytosome, containing 500 mg of 18% standardized curcuminoids). She reports some relief in her shoulders but feels there is a long way to go. She is not having to take daily NSAIDs as often as she was previously. Unrelated to her musculoskeletal complaints, she states that she has been less “grouchy.” She states no reactions to her vitamin B12 supplement.

By August 2014, the patient states that her pain issue is essentially gone.

In September 2014, she is given continued nutritional support including a B vitamin complex supplement. She is told to finish the bottle and switch to a multi-vitamin, alternating with another nutrient supplement, magnesium, and to eat an anti-inflammatory diet for maintenance.

Table 3: Food High in Naturally-Occurring Folic Acid5

FoodPortionFolate (µg)
Chicken liver3 oz654
Brewer’s yeast1 tbsp313
Orange juice1 cup136
Beef liver3 oz123
Black-eyed peas½ cup100
Romaine lettuce1 cup packed100
Cantaloupe½ medium80

This patient had a significant family history for chronic disease. Though the research is not robust for correlations between MTHFR SNPs and osteoarthritis,6 practitioners have anecdotally observed a link between these 2 conditions. The patient has a significant history for miscarriage. MTHFR has been linked with miscarriage7 and may have been a contributor to this patient’s reproductive history. Clearly, a confounding factor in this case example is that multi-modality medicine can make it difficult to determine if the improvement of symptoms is from the MTHFR support or turmeric supplementation.

Following is another case that had impressive results due to guidance based on MTHFR testing.

Case Study 2

T.S. is a 47-year-old male that presents to the clinic for hypertension. He has had high blood pressure for the last 4-5 years. Patient reports that his blood pressure runs 200/100 mm Hg without medication, and 160/90 mm Hg with medication. He has tried several pharmaceuticals and finds that his best response is a daily combination of amlodipine (10 mg) and benazepril (20 mg). Family history includes at least 2 members of the family dying in their 50s from myocardial infarction.

Patient reports that his doctor did a full work-up and prescribed a low-salt diet and to lose weight. He took this advice very seriously, losing 20 pounds and juice-fasting, which normalized his blood pressure. He felt good. This was the start of annual fasts of 30 days of juice, consisting mostly of greens, apple, watermelon, and water. After each fast, his blood pressure would return to normal, but then rise again. This year, his annual fast did not resolve his hypertension, which is why he is presenting to my office.

Review of systems was significant for a visual spot in his right eye that occurs when he has hypertension and which resolves when his hypertension is adequately managed. Palpitations are common with caffeine intake. He has been unable to get erections since he started medication, and is in a happy supportive relationship. The high blood pressure is felt first in his feet. He is vegetarian, having eaten a mostly raw-food diet for the last several years.

His blood pressure in the office was 154/92 mm Hg. Physical exam showed retinopathy with neovasularizations in the right eye, and was otherwise unremarkable. Labs revealed iron-deficiency anemia and low HDL-C.

Treatment

While waiting on lab results, the patient was started on a liquid iron supplement, red rice yeast for increasing HDL-C, probiotics for digestive complaints, Crataegus (hawthorn) in liquid form (50 gtt daily), and deep breathing exercises. Patient refused magnesium supplementation, so high-magnesium foods were encouraged.

Follow-ups

Ten days later, the patient returned and reported a hypertensive crisis after breaking his juice fast. He presented to urgent care, where he was prescribed losartan; he discontinued this drug a couple days after starting, due to side effects of GI upset, shoulder pain, and erectile dysfunction. In fact, he decided to discontinue all pharmaceuticals since consulting me, against medical advice. His blood pressure was running 180/103 to 148/ 93 mm Hg on his home machine, and decreased to 123/76 to 103/65 mm Hg after implementing Crataegus. In the office, his blood pressure reading was 112/80 mm Hg in both arms.

MTHFR results revealed a 677 heterozygous genotype, which may explain the cardiac history on the paternal side of the family. Patient was educated on avoiding fortified folate in food and eating adequate food-source folate, as he prefers food over supplementation. He did agree to continue Crataegus and consider additional magnesium.

He returned 3 weeks later with a BP of 110/76 mm Hg, and reported that this has been consistent and that he has continued his treatment plan. His only complaint during this visit is hemorrhoids. He is attempting to convince his sister to get tested for the polymorphism, since it “has changed my life.”

The last contact with this patient was in a community function a year later; he reported he was doing well, without any hypertension reoccurrence. He has since moved out of the community and was lost to follow-up.

Closing Comments

The word “genetics” is becoming more commonplace. The ability to look into our patients’ genetics for answers, or at least for new leads regarding possible origins of their complaints and/or risk factors, fits perfectly into the naturopathic philosophy. However, it is hard to determine cause and effect. Many factors go into influencing the occurrence of diseases in a family, and attempting to attribute them to SNPs may seem like an oversimplification. However, as noted in this article, if it seems like a patient has more than his or her fair share of significant family history, consider MTHFR testing. Tailoring treatment plans based on the MTHFR SNPs helps doctors ensure that our patients have an environment most conducive to dealing with the genetic grab bag they were given.

Kayla Preece, ND, is a recent graduate of the National College of Natural Medicine, and will soon be licensed as a naturopathic physician and midwife. She is excited to begin her private practice in a rural community as a truly family doctor. She enjoys spending time with her husband, dog, chickens and honeybees.

Shannyn Fowl, ND, began her service to the medical community by exploring midwifery and working as a nurse aid for 13 years. When she learned of naturopathic medicine, she pursued a Bachelor’s of Biomedical Sciences at Western Michigan University and was privileged to participate in their neuroimmunoendocrinology lab. She earned her Doctorate from National College of Natural Medicine and continued to be active in research during medical school. Dr Fowl has a private practice and is adjunct faculty at San Diego Community College. She resides in San Diego with her husband and son.

References:

  1. Wu YL, Ding XX, Sun YH, et al. Association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and depression: An updated meta-analysis of 26 studies. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2013;46:78-85.
  2. Wilson CP, McNulty H, Ward M, et al. Blood pressure in treated hypertensive individuals with the MTHFR 677TT genotype is responsive to intervention with riboflavin: findings of a targeted randomized trial. Hypertension. 2013;61(6):1302-1308.
  3. Gilbody S, Lewis S, Lightfoot T. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genetic polymorphisms and psychiatric disorders: a HuGE review. Am J Epidemiol. 2007;165(1):1-13.
  4. Botto LD, Yang Q. 5,10-Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene variants and congenital anomalies: a HuGE review. Am J Epidemiol. 2000;151(9):862-877.
  5. Marz R. Medical Nutrition from Marz, 2nd Portland, OR: Marz; 1992.
  6. Inanir A,Yigit S, Tural S, et al. MTHFR gene C677T mutation and ACE gene I/D polymorphism in Turkish patients with osteoarthritis. Dis Markers. 2013;34(1):17-22.
  7. Nair RR,Khanna A, Singh R, Singh K. Association of maternal and fetal MTHFR A1298C polymorphism with the risk of pregnancy loss: a study of an Indian population and a meta-analysis. Fertil Steril. 2013;99(5):1311-1318.e4.

Solve That Asthma!

September 17, 2018 by / 1 Comment

Asthma can be such a challenge for kids to live a normal life particularly when it comes to sports involvement or spending the night at friends’ houses that have pets.  Fortunately, there are a lot of natural medicine treatments for asthma.  Food sensitivity testing or testing for food allergies can be very important to identify.  We can’t always control what is in our environment but we can control our diet.  Encountering allergens or things you react to can include both food and environment so the more you get in, the more reactive the airway will be and the less you encounter, the less likely the airway is to react.  As we decrease the aggravations, the child can eliminate asthma and the need to medications which is very exciting for the family.

Any Integrative Health Center is likely to see asthma in their pediatric population and our naturopathic doctors are no different.  Over 25 million people and their families experience the challenges of asthma contributing to a large number of office visits to the doctor and repeat visits to the doctor, both scheduled and unscheduled.  Many have to seek care in urgent cares when treatment is not managing asthma adequately.   We have a lot of hope for parents who are looking for alternative medicine or naturopathic medicine options for their pediatric kids with asthma.  There are a lot of tools in the functional medicine realm that helps create a holistic treatment approach for our patients.

The holistic doctor’s view of treating the whole body tends to be more successful than just treating the airway which may continue to get worse.  This is a functional medicine view of the body as well by working on the immune system response, some thing that is not clearly visible but is working on an unseen level.  The immune system is focused on keeping the body safe but if it is confused on whether food is aggravating, it will continue to try to address the problem.  Taking the food out for a period of time can allow the immune system to regroup, heal up the lining of the intestines along with make the enzymes that digest and break down the food into digestible molecules to distribute through the body.  The largest challenge here is to identify the foods that are causing the aggravation.  Food intolerances are often obscure.  Sometimes they are not easy to identify since it can take 4 days to have a reaction.

As a naturopathic doctor, I have seen many pediatric patients present with chronic asthma that is reoccurring and after treatment, they have a bag of pharmaceuticals that they no longer need that they have gradually been able to wean off.  This is empowering for kids and parents.  The basis of treatment again is identifying the food intolerances and food allergies, decrease the inflammatory burden their body is exposed to and balancing the microbiome.  There are many botanicals that can be used in the meantime to help relax the airways but addressing the cause is what gives the long lasting results.  Don’t underestimate your body’s desire to use natural medicine to heal from asthma.

This is something Dr. Shannyn Fowl is familiar with and has seen in kids and adults alike.  Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at (619) 772-1164 for a free 10 minute consult to see if we are the right fit for you.  Our Naturopathic Medicine Clinic in San Diego, CA welcomes new patients are interested in finding natural options for their healthcare concerns.

Filed Under: Allergies, Immune System, Pediatric Health

Hypothyroidism Causes

Hypothyroidism causes are on many patients’ minds. Are they at risk?  Are their symptoms related? What if their labs are normal? Trying to find answers through your insurance based doctor can be challenging.  If your symptoms don’t fit perfectly inside the box of the medical description for hypothyroid then the search for the cause of your symptoms usually stops here- all normal.  Even treatment is not one size fits all.  Varying degrees of treatment work for different people.  Often a medical doctor may not know what else to do. Naturopathic doctors understand that you are an individual and one size does not fit all.  There are many things to consider when treating hypothyroidism, therefore we must take an integrative approach.

Let’s talk about symptoms first.  Fatigue, hair loss, dry skin are common but if we look at you from a holistic view including the whole body; symptoms can include so many things that may not even make sense such as painful periods, brain fog or even depression.   Many patients who have come to me for painful periods or perimenopausal symptoms have had them completely resolve when on the proper form of thyroid medication and hormone support. It is very holistic thing to see when the body readjusts as the hormones are back in balance. Alternative medicine is all about including odd and unusual symptoms as part of the whole problem and the solution.

Finding hypothyroidism causes is an important part of treating hypothyroid in a naturopathic fashion.  Your case likely has a different collection of causes than the next person.  In addition, often the thyroid gets blamed for not functioning properly when it is other systems that have been taxed and cannot provide adequate support. For example, adrenal fatigue is a fairly common cause that is recognized among integrative practitioners particularly in a patient who has had to push through school or motherhood with young children.  This patient needs a holistic treatment plan to support her adrenals, her thyroid function throughout the body not just her thyroid and lifestyle adjustments to allow her body to heal.  Menopause is another key time when the liver is taxed and overwhelmed with keeping up with the hormonal changes so the thyroid’s requests may be interpreted as not important.  This patient may need some menopausal or hormonal support, sleep support and some simple detox methods to get her back on a natural rhythm.  These are all simple but targeted natural treatments that your naturopathic doctor can recommend.

In addition to these adrenal and menopausal causes, your naturopathic doctor may find that food intolerances or food allergies may be contributing to your hypothyroid diagnosis. Gluten often is a culprit in irritating the thyroid but we can also test a wide range of foods to see if any of them are causing your Hashimoto’s. Many patients may not even know that they have Hashimoto Hypothyroid unless the Thyroid Perioxidase Antibody (TPO) lab is also run in their blood draw.  The food intolerance test is a simple finger stick at our Journey of Health Medical Clinic so no need to be concerned about another blood draw.  This is not the IgE that you have run for allergies.  (See my food intolerance blog to understand more about the differences here.)  We have done over 500 of these with one of the most reputable and reasonably priced companies in the business of food intolerances.  Alletess.org has helped us take a holistic approach by identifying those often mysterious foods for patients.

As a holistic doctor, we are still considering that you may not even fit into these categories mentioned above as a cause for your hypothyroid or Hashimoto’s and there are still more causes that are less often part of the picture but still a potential instigator in your symptoms. Nutritional deficiencies are a possibility. MTHFR is a genetic change that can affect your methylation status.  That big word means utilizing hormones, vitamins, etc. properly and being able to detox our cells properly. (See my MTHFR blog.) By adjusting your methylation, we can often see shifts in your thyroid related symptoms as well.  Integrative medicine allows us to choose which treatment options work best for you and to address all the possible causes for hypothyroid challenges.

We specialize in this kind of thing and see it frequently in our office so it’s not a new idea for us. Getting the right care for your body is important and tailored for your specific body in mind. At Journey of Health we are dedicated to finding the right naturopathic solutions for each patient. We proudly serve the San Diego area, providing some of the best service in naturopathic medicine. If you wish to further your own journey of health with naturopathic solutions and alternative medicines, give us a call at (619) 772-1164.

Naturopathic Pediatrician Talks about Stomach Pain

September 15, 2017 by / Leave a Comment

Hearing your child complain of belly pain can be confusing and worrisome. Parents often try to make sense of it-whether it has to do with food or stool. Belly pain can be caused by many things such as: inflammation, digestive concerns, food allergies, constipation, and more. Options usually offered to pediatric patients include Miralax, PPI’s, steroids, and sometimes the suggestion of avoiding dairy or gluten. Naturopathic options are more plentiful including gentle alternatives such as botanicals, nutrition evaluations, testing for gastrointestinal infections, colitis, or food sensitivities. Call your Naturopathic Doctor to find your options. Stop the worry.

Finding the options that work for you empowers you and your kid to feel good so you can both do the things you love.

 

Filed Under: News

Is there a Natural Remedy for Allergy Symptoms?

August 5, 2013 by / Leave a Comment

Seasonal allergies, dog allergy, cat allergy, pollen allergy and food allergies are related.  One can lead to the other.   Seasonal allergies and asthma can be resolved quickly with botanicals or homeopathy as well as by addressing food allergies.   Signs of food allergies or intolerances can be a wide range of problems from food allergy rash or eczema, to palpitations, inability to concentrate, behavior challenges, pooping problems or belly aches.  Wheat allergy or gluten allergy and gluten intolerance are fairly common and can cause an immediate reaction when eaten for some.  Other most common food allergies include dairy, soy, citrus, fish, coconut, corn and nuts.  If the foods are eliminated for several weeks and then eaten again, the reaction can be pretty obvious. 

There are several food allergy tests.  The skin scratch is one test that many of us have had done, but only tests for anaphylactic reactions or hives, and many of us know this reaction already.  Stool samples can tell us reactions within the belly.  The IgG blood test helps identify all the other reactions, which can often be mysterious reactions that seem unconnected to food.  Palpitations, rash, behavior and brain fog can all be food allergy symptoms and can be identified with IgG food allergy testing.  There is some controversy over which test to use for accuracy and this is related to the lack of standardization of the food base being used in labs; only a few foods are the same in all labs.  Proper technique of obtaining blood can also affect accuracy.  Often patients had no idea that a fruit, vegetable or meat was causing such horrible consequences for them when the foods show up on an IgG blood test.

Kids with food allergies can find great answers in a simple blood test and elimination diet. The food allergy diet is only a part of an individual’s food allergy cure.  Most individuals should be able to eat most foods again with proper treatment.  Healing also involves finding the causes of food allergies.  Overall health and healing up the gut are important.  Here is the step that is most often neglected – retraining the immune system so it doesn’t continue to be confused about which food is the enemy.

The success of food intolerance testing and treatment is apparent when patients tell our office how lucky they feel to be a patient of Dr. Shannyn’s since it has changed their lives.  Parents report that a blanket has been lifted off their child while adults report that they feel like their life has been renewed.

Dr. Shannyn is available to help you with your food allergies and reactions with remedies to change your life, as well.  Email or call for a free 10 minute consult.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized
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