Delayed Food Sensitivity and Inflammation: Why Some Good Foods Could Be Bad For You

By Ahmad Nasri, (MD Dom. Rep.), HD, CBS

A large number of us have hidden sensitivity, intolerance, or even allergy to different foods. It is estimated that 6 to 7 million Americans are allergic to at least one type of food. More and more people are showing high inflammatory markers in their blood like high sensitive C Reactive protein, ESR, etc. Even though most of them are prescribed several natural anti-inflammatory supplements, inflammation persists. An autoimmune clinical picture keeps on manifesting symptoms. One of the underlying causes of persisting inflammation is food sensitivity. This article emphasizes the issues concerning delayed food sensitivities and their great impact on our health and the role they play in increasing inflammation.

Two of the antibodies involved in allergic reactions are immunoglobulin E (IgE) and immunoglobulin G (IgG). IgE production occurs right after ingestion or inhalation of an allergen and is referred to as a Type I immediate hypersensitivity reaction. People are thus aware about these foods and try to avoid them. IgG antibodies, on the other hand, are produced for several hours or days after exposure to an allergen and are called Type III delayed hypersensitivity reactions. People are therefore not aware of those “good foods” that are silently causing them to feel worse upon repeated ingestion. They usually crave the foods they are allergic to because they get a “high” sensation, and thus get addicted to them.

Symptoms of Hidden Food Sensitivity:

• Chronic headaches (migraines) n Canker sores n Fatigue
• Depression n Failure to thrive n Joint pain or arthritic-like symptoms n Chronic indigestion or heartburn n Chronic respiratory symptoms such as wheezing or bronchitis
• Recurrent abdominal pain (irritable bowel syndrome)
• Bowel problems such as colitis, diarrhea, or constipation
• Nocturnal enuresis (bed-wetting)

Food sensitivity is frequently misdiagnosed and often untreated because it is difficult to link such symptoms to any specific event or food. Therefore, it is imperative to properly diagnose delayed food sensitivity in order to take appropriate corrective action.
IgG Delayed Onset Allergies

In a Type III delayed hypersensitivity reaction, IgG forms an immune complex with the allergen/antigen (Ag), which activates the complement pathway. Although macrophages pick up the IgG-Ag complexes immediately, if there are a lot of antigens present, the macrophages may saturate their capacity to remove the immune complexes, causing the excess to be deposited in tissue. Depending on which tissues are involved, deposition of these IgG-Antigen complexes may result in the following health concerns:  Vascular deposition (Headaches, hypertension or inflammation of blood vessels); Respiratory tissue deposition (Asthma, rhinitis, and recurrent infections); Skin deposition (Dermatologic conditions like Eczema); Joint deposition (stiffness and arthritis-like pain); Weight gain (Due to the body’s tendency to retain more fluid to retain the immune complexes)

• Leaky Gut Syndrome – An overload of antibody-allergen complexes can cause inflammation in the lining of the gut, and this inflammation causes the gut to “leak”. The leaky gut then allows more antibody-allergen complexes and toxins to escape into tissues, which provokes more food allergies and thus increased inflammation. Therefore, anyone with leaky gut should be tested for food allergies and anyone with significant food allergies may need to be treated for leaky gut.

• Delayed Sensitivity Testing – IgG testing via blood spot obtained through a finger prick is just as accurate as IgG testing via serum, and has the advantage of requiring only a small amount of blood. Either form of testing could be used to check against 96-150 different foods, herbs, and spices. These include different food groups like dairy, fish, seafood, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, fruits, meats, and others. False Negatives may occur if the allergen was not consumed anytime in the 3 weeks prior to testing. False positives may occur as a result of cross-reactivity with other foods or proteins.

Therapeutic Strategy

• Avoidance of concerned foods for 6 weeks to 6 months depending on the degree of sensitivity. Reintroduction of foods one by one and rotation diet.
• Treatment of leaky gut by giving the right supplementation to decrease inflammation, regenerate the mucosal lining, optimize absorption, and restore physiological intestinal flora

In conclusion, an IgG food based nutritional program will be the basis for a healthy diet, individualized weight loss, and reduction of oxidative stress and inflammation which are the base for chronic diseases and cancer.

Ahmad Nasri (MD Dom.Rep.), HD is a Medical Doctor and General Surgeon trained in the Dominican Republic. He is also a certified Homeopathic Doctor and Biofeedback Therapist trained in Ontario, Canada. Mr. Nasri is an experienced professional and a renowned speaker in several national and international health conferences. He has a vast knowledge in mainly Integrative cancer therapy, Chelation therapy, Women’s health, and Anti aging. He is the author of several articles in different Canadian health magazines and is the Director of Nasri Integrative Medicine Health Centers in Barrie (705) 735-2354, Woodbridge and Scarborough (905) 266-0959. www.nasri-integrativemed.com.