Is your food making you sick - and tired?

So all I wanted to do was find out if it was true that food sensitivities can cause major problems with your health. As is the case with most of these seemingly simple things I like to look up, there was just TOO MUCH SCIENCE involved in the whole subject and it made my head hurt. Why do I keep doing this to myself?

The overall answer appears to be yes, hidden food sensitivities can contribute to a large number of health problems. Depending on who you ask.

Would you be surprised to learn that traditional medicine thinks testing for food sensitivities (which is different from a true allergy) is all bull hockey, while naturopaths and holistic practitioners believe in it whole-heartedly? Doesn’t surprise me any. If patients can eliminate symptoms by diet alone, what would that do to the drug industry? What? No prescriptions to write? We can’t have that, can we?

So back to this food sensitivity thing. I was originally reading an article with the catchy title, “Your Hidden Food Allergies Are Making You Fat” – because, you know, no one would read the article if it didn’t stress the weight aspect of the subject. Anyhoo, I read the article, which I found interesting and wanted to learn more about food sensitivity and how it relates to other health issues.

Statistics show that only about 5% of adults have true food allergies, while 80% have food sensitivities. Pretty high number. The claim is that these hidden food sensitivities, which cannot be detected in standard allergy testing, can cause some of these symptoms:

celiac disease/gluten intolerance
fibromyalgia
weight gain or inability to lose weight
extreme fatigue
autism
ADHD
hyperactivity
anxiety and panic attacks
insomnia
chronic pain
depression
irritable bowel
migraines
ear problems
sinus problems
arthritis
gallbladder attacks
headaches
bone and joint pain
gastrointestinal distress

And that’s just a partial list.

So what causes food sensitivities? I read an interesting article about how our immune systems have changed very, very little from our hunting and gathering days. The days when we would basically eat what was available and in season. We couldn’t store grains, so we didn’t eat them every day. Now all kinds of foods are readily available year round and we eat tons of the same things every single day. But our bodies weren’t designed to eat like that and, eventually, our immune system becomes sensitive to those foods. Or something like that. I’m no anthropologist – but you get the drift.

I have personally noticed how various foods affect me adversely. I cannot eat bread. I bloat severely and gain weight immediately if I do. Is it the wheat? Is it the gluten? I don’t know, but I do know there is something in there that my body just doesn’t like. If I stay away from it, not only do I feel better, but my weight drops. I have discovered that tree nuts will trigger a migraine. Not allergic, but definitely sensitive. I have been told that I am allergic to casein, a milk protein. No major allergic reaction, but I sure don’t feel good when I eat anything that contains it. Sugar makes me flat out sick. Always has. And there are other odd symptoms I have that I am convinced are food-related – but I just haven’t been able to track down which foods they are. Yet.

Which brings me to the testing. ALCAT testing (the testing mentioned in the big fat allergy article, above) is designed to pinpoint your specific food and chemical sensitivities with a simple blood test. Then, armed with this knowledge, the patient eliminates all of the foods to which they have been found to be sensitive. Health restored, weight lost.

Sounds easy enough. The problem is, number one, the test is uber ridiculously expensive – anywhere from $400 to $1100, depending on the number of items you are being tested for. Out of range for the average suffering Joe. Number two, even if you could get your doctor to do the test for you, your insurance probably won’t cover it. Number three, there are equally divided reviews on the test’s effectiveness. And, again, I believe that division is between the traditional and alternative camps.

I would LOVE to be tested for food and chemical sensitivities. I would love to know RIGHT NOW which foods are causing problems with my health. And, okay, I’ll admit it – my weight. Unfortunately, my recent QVC spree has left me a little light in the wallet. It’s my understanding there are other, less expensive, tests that can be done – but they’re still not $1.98. So, until I win the lottery, or my insurance company gets with the program, I’m going to have to stick with my hit or miss method of sensitivity detection. And be miserable.

Do you feel there are some foods that you might be sensitive to? Do you have symptoms that your doctor doesn’t seem to be able to fix? If money were no object, would you shell out the cash to be tested? Even if you might find out that you’re sensitive to, say, HOPS, and your beer drinking days would be over? Or am I the only one who truly believes what we’re eating could be making us sick?