The Truth About Food Allergies Minor Reactions Need Attention Too
By Zac Betts, Clinical Director, Abundant Living Medical
Have you ever eaten something and wondered why you felt yucky the next day, or even later that day?
Perhaps you have experienced severe allergic reactions in the past that made you quickly realize that your body did not tolerate a certain food.
Although this is the case for some, for many the allergic reactions are minor.
All too often food allergies are thought to cause only severe reactions, but common symptoms are headaches/migraines, stomach issues and hives.
People may not realize that “allergy” is a way of saying your body does not tolerate something well.
Whether it’s a medicine that makes you sick, a food that gives you hives, or on the less severe side, a food that causes you to lose less weight or have bloating, allergies are nothing to sneeze at (corny… we know).
Food allergies often present no symptoms at first.
A person may take years to realize they are allergic to a certain food or spice.
Eight foods are the cause of 90% of the allergies in the American population:
Milk, Eggs
Peanuts, Tree nuts
Wheat, Soy
Fish, Shellfish
That’s a staggering number when you realize how common these eight foods are in the typical diet.
Remember, just because these foods do not make you sick, you can still be allergic.
The only real way to treat and diagnose a food allergy is to first be tested.
The best treatment is an appropriate elimination diet.
Blood tests are preferred by some physicians over skin testing because they are significantly less painful.
Research is inconclusive as to which method is more effective.
The fact is that both tests are a good way to find out what your body is trying to tell you about allergies.
Just like a check-up with the physician, a food allergy test is also a wise idea.
Unlike the yearly check-up with the physician, a food allergy test is needed only once every 5-10 years.
The body changes constantly, so food allergies can come and go.
This is especially true with children who typically out- grow their food allergies.
But over the past 30 years, the number of children outgrowing their food allergies has dropped precipitously.
This most likely stems from diets dominated by processed foods.
That dietary change supports a strong argument for why food allergies have continued to rise at an alarming rate for so many years.
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