January 16, 2023 · 2 min · 382 words · Donald Milla
Food allergies: These are correlated with the immune system and elicit the most serious and immediate reaction, including rashes, itching, hives, anaphylaxis (difficulty breathing), and swelling. This type of food allergy is irreversible.
Food intolerances: These intolerances are usually the result of enzyme deficiencies. Intolerances don’t directly involve the immune system and normal happen when your digestive system is simply irritated by certain foods or cannot digest them.
Food sensitivities: The reason behind sensitivities can be more difficult to pinpoint. Some people can even eat tiny amounts of these foods and not always have symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they are a lot less severe than allergies but can be just as debilitating and include migraines, brain fog, inflammation, digestive problems, and bloating.
“All disease begins in the gut.” I cannot mention this famous quote from Hippocrates enough. When your microbiome is weakened, it can lead to increased inflammation and a cascade of other health problems including food intolerances and sensitivities. For example, when your gut is compromised, like in leaky gut syndrome, foods end up passing through the gut lining into the bloodstream. This can cause the immune system to react and trigger inflammation throughout the body. When this happens, the immune system can end up reacting to any food that passes through—even healthy ones.
Silent autoimmunity: When there are positive antibody labs but no noticeable symptoms.
Autoimmune reactivity: When there are positive antibody labs and symptoms.
Autoimmune disease: When there’s enough body destruction to be diagnosed with a specific condition.
The autoimmune condition celiac disease, for example, is the end stage1 of gluten sensitivity. Only 10 percent of people with celiac disease have obvious digestive symptoms but battle with other seemingly unrelated symptoms such as acne or other inflammatory skin problems. This leaves only 5 percent2 of true celiacs to be diagnosed with around 20 percent of people struggling through gluten intolerance.
And since 80 percent4 of your immune system is found in your gut, it only makes sense that by healing your gut you could reverse sensitivities. Now, that doesn’t mean that every person and every single food sensitivity will be able to be completely eliminated forever—but you don’t have to think of it as a life sentence!
Ready to try an elimination diet? Check out Will Cole’s class.
