Tis the season to be snorty. This is the time of the year that many of us are suffering from airborne allergies. Allergies are defined as abnormally high sensitivities to certain substances, such as pollens, foods, or micro-organisms. Food allergies, like environmental allergies, are also caused by a disturbed environment. However, this environment is in the intestine, the internal terrain of the body. The allergic reaction begins long before the manifestation of the symptoms. The body’s initial allergic response to an allergen begins in early childhood with a disturbed intestinal environment which often goes unnoticed, and becomes chronic as it builds up over many years.
Dysbiosis is a state of living with abnormal intestinal flora and abnormally permeable intestinal mucosa membrane. This is one of the major disturbances to the intestinal environment leading to allergy symptoms. The intestinal flora consist of billion of bacteria which form inside the intestines. Everything you eat passes through these bacterial layers, which alter and filter the foods. The buildup of bacteria, yeast and parasites severely impairs the absorptive ability of the intestinal mucosa membrane.
Most often the culprits in creating this environment are chronic antibiotic use, toxins and overproduction of bad bacteria which cause a leaky gut.
What’s a leaky gut?
When the body has a hard time digesting its nutrients (carbohydrates, fats and proteins), large macromolecules are left undigested. Over time the tiny, finger-like projections, which enable the small intestine to absorb nutrients from food, become irritated and inflamed. This causes the intestinal lining to become “leaky”, reducing the body’s first line of defense against foreign invaders. Once the body recognizes the small incompletely digested macromolecules as foreign, it produces antibodies against it. The reaction produces a classic allergy symptom.
The Factors Causing the Leak
Unfortunately, we are exposed to many factors in our society that can compromise the integrity of our gut and lead to such undesirable symptoms and conditions. Some of the most common causes include:
- Overuse of Antibiotics (and the imbalance in gut flora this leads to).
- Overuse of NSAIDS (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, e.g. aspirin, naproxen, etc) as well as Corticosteroid use.
- Exposure to heavy metals and toxins (e.g. Mercury, which can be found in contaminated fish and other sources).
- Long-term alcohol use and consumption of highly processed foods (see why I saved this post for AFTER the Super Bowl).
- Inadequate digestive enzyme production (e.g. the genetic deficiency of the enzyme lactase that causes lactose intolerance).
- Radiation or Chemotherapy.
- Intestinal Infection/Parasites.
Additional Symptoms
- Gas and Abdominal Bloating
- Food Intolerances & Sensitivities
- Joint & Muscle Pain
- Cognitive Deficits/ Fuzzy Thinking
- Mood Swings, Aggressive Behavior
- Anxiety, Nervousness
- Diarrhea or Constipation
- Poor Coordination
- Skin Breakouts/ Rashes
- Fatigue
- Recurrent Vaginal or Bladder Infections
- Shortness of Breath
- Poor Exercise Tolerance
- Asthma
- Unexplained Fevers
If any of these symptoms sound all too familiar to you, it’s worth looking into leaky gut as a possible factor.
Fixing the Plumbing
The good news is that it is entirely possible to heal the gut using nutritional measures and other aids that restore the integrity of the intestinal barrier and limit the immune response and chronic inflammation.
To eliminate common allergens, reduce inflammation and restore proper gut flora (more good bacteria, less bad).
Here’s the plan of attack:
- Start eating a clean diet: eliminate foods you have intolerances for (I’ll discuss specifics of following an elimination diet in an upcoming post), eliminate processed foods (especially sugar) and choose organic whenever possible. Organic is especially critical if you consume meat or dairy; and if you’re not eating organic products, that antibiotic overuse isn’t just coming from a prescription.
- Start a customized program of a good probiotic and digestive enzymes, if needed. Chewing slowly can also aide in digestion because digestive enzymes are located in your saliva. Additional supplementation to repair the gut could include, Glutamine, Methionine, N-acetyl cysteine, Larch, Kiwi Fruit and Zinc. I highly recommend you do this under the care of a progressive M.D. or a Naturopathic Doctor.
- Consider a customized Detox plan. I followed one to eliminate heavy metal toxicities with great results. But again, only do this under the care of a trusted healthcare provider.
- ALCAT, a food sensitivity test, is also an option.
Additional tips:
- Daily nasal irrigation with saline or Netti pot.
- 1 Tsp of local honey daily.
- ALCAT testing – a food sensitivity test (blood test).
- Avoid triggers where possible.
