Natural food chemicals can cause food intolerance
Chemicals are found everywhere in nature, including in foods. Some are beneficial; for example, the vitamins we need for good health and the flavor and aroma substances that make foods so enjoyable. On the other hand, many plants contain substances, which can present sensitivity reactions:
Monosodium glutamate (MSG, additive numbers 620 and 621) – occurs naturally in camembert cheese, Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, soy sauce and mushrooms. MSG stimulates nerve endings, perhaps accounting for its function as a flavor enhancer when it is added to food.
Vasoactive amines – eg. Tyramine, serotonin and histamine are triggers of migraines in some patients and are present naturally in pineapples, bananas, baked meat, vegetables, red wine, wood-matured white wine, avocados, chocolate, citrus fruits and mature cheese. Amines can act directly on small blood vessels to expand their capacity, perhaps accounting for their effect on flushing, migraines and nasal congestion in some patients.
Salicylates – natural aspirin like compounds present in herbs, spices as well as fruit and vegetables. It can trigger hives (urticarial) by acting directly on skin mast cells. Natural and structurally similar salicylates can also worsen hives in some patients
Monosodium glutamate (MSG, additive numbers 620 and 621) – occurs naturally in camembert cheese, Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, soy sauce and mushrooms. MSG stimulates nerve endings, perhaps accounting for its function as a flavor enhancer when it is added to food.
Vasoactive amines – eg. Tyramine, serotonin and histamine are triggers of migraines in some patients and are present naturally in pineapples, bananas, baked meat, vegetables, red wine, wood-matured white wine, avocados, chocolate, citrus fruits and mature cheese. Amines can act directly on small blood vessels to expand their capacity, perhaps accounting for their effect on flushing, migraines and nasal congestion in some patients.
Salicylates – natural aspirin like compounds present in herbs, spices as well as fruit and vegetables. It can trigger hives (urticarial) by acting directly on skin mast cells. Natural and structurally similar salicylates can also worsen hives in some patients
Food intolerance reaction
Symptoms triggered by food chemical intolerance vary from person to person. The most common reactions are recurrent hives and swellings, headaches, sinus trouble, mouth ulcers, nausea, stomach pains and bowel irritation. Some people feel vaguely unwell, with flu-like aches and pains, or get unusually tired, run-down or moody, often for no apparent reason. Diagnosed with food intolerance
There are no reliable skin or blood tests for diagnosis of food intolerance. Food intolerance are diagnosed by history of the patient, a dietary elimination and challenge process. The best approach is to first consult your doctor to:
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Dealing with food intolerance
People vary in their degree of sensitivity to food chemicals, and whether or not they get symptoms depends on the dose ingested. If you’re not too sensitive (with a high dose threshold) you may only react after a particularly rich meal or after binging on highly preserved/flavoured/coloured foods. Avoiding these may be all you need to do to stay well.
However, if you’re at the other end of the spectrum (with a low dose threshold) you may develop symptoms over several days or weeks from the cumulative effects of small amounts of natural chemicals. Because these are present in many otherwise ‘healthy’ foods in a normal diet, you’ll have to be much more careful with what you eat on a daily basis. |
Elimination Diets
Link for elimination diet hand book
Link for friendly food hand book Before making any major changes to your diet, it’s a good idea to go see your doctor. Food intolerance can be distressing but they don’t cause permanent damage to the body. If you have persistent symptoms it’s a good idea to first make sure some serious disease hasn’t been overlooked. Additionally, it is important to emphasise that elimination diets must only be undertaken for short term only, under strict medical supervision. Prolonged restricted diets can lead to problems with adequate nutrition, especially in children. If you’re having trouble working out which foods are upsetting you, professional help may be needed to investigate the problem more systemically. The first step is to follow a strict elimination diet for 3 or 4 weeks to see if symptoms disappear. You may get a withdrawal effect in the first week or so (with a temporary flare-up of symptoms for a few days) so don’t give up too soon. Once your symptoms have settled and you’re feeling better for at least 7 days in a row, you’re ready to start doing challenges to find out which chemicals in your diet cause reactions. Always consult a specialist or dieticians for advise on how to manage your diet. Don’t be discouraged – food intolerance are not permanent. You may well be able to build up your tolerance level by gradually increasing the amount and variety of ‘low’ and ‘moderate’ foods over several weeks or months, and eventually return to a more normal diet. Even if this is not possible, you’ll learn ways to avoiding severe reactions by looking out for the foods that upset you most. |
References:
a) http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Food_allergy_and_intolerance
b) RPAH Elimination Diet Handbook with food and shopping guide
c) http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/national/resource/food-allergy
d) http://www.allergy.org.au/patients/food-other-adverse-reactions/food-intolerance
a) http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Food_allergy_and_intolerance
b) RPAH Elimination Diet Handbook with food and shopping guide
c) http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/national/resource/food-allergy
d) http://www.allergy.org.au/patients/food-other-adverse-reactions/food-intolerance