Read 52 times since Monday, August 01, 2011
When people start talking about inflammatory diseases the symptoms of bloating, gut pain and changes in bowel habit come to mind. However, although inflammatory diseases include problems with the gut they also include diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, nephritis, multiple sclerosis, and skin disorders such as psoriasis. The symptoms linked with inflammatory diseases are wide and varied and include bloating, lethargy, swelling, joint pains, rashes and weight gain.
Inflammatory diseases develop because of an inappropriate response to factors that the body has been exposed to. In many cases, this manifests itself as an autoimmune disease, which means that the immune system becomes confused and starts to attack the person's own body. All in all this can cause considerable damage to the tissues of the body, and can lead to a variety of problems, depending on where the inflammation is located. Some people experience inflammation in response to certain foods or environmental factors. The type of symptoms experienced will depend on which organs are affected. For example inflammation of the large intestine (colitis) may cause cramps and diarrhoea.
Researchers in the US have recently shown that subtle delayed reactions to the foods that we eat can have a direct effect on levels of inflammation within the body. They have shown that antibodies that are raised to the foods that we eat, such as food-specific IgG antibodies, can also act directly against organs in the body causing symptoms of inflammation. The authors suggest that measurement of specific antibodies to foods and the removal of those antibody-positive foods from the diet could reduce some of the symptoms of inflammatory diseases.
Sensitivities to foods are very common with up to 45% of the population suffering. As with inflammatory diseases, food sensitivity is also associated with many different chronic symptoms including headaches, intestinal and skin symptoms. You will know if you suffer from a full-blown allergy to a food, strong immediate reactions to foods such as nuts and shellfish are typical of classical allergy reactions. However, other effects of food reactions are more subtle and less well understood. Currently the best accepted method for confirming food sensitivities is by elimination diet. This involves eating a restricted diet for several weeks. If there is no improvement during this time, it is assumed that the food type that has been restricted is not causing the symptoms, and the process is repeated with another food type. This method is very laborious, and it is virtually impossible to test all the combinations of food types that may be causing the problems.
A targeted elimination diet, based on the measurement of food-specific IgG levels using the laboratory testing and nutritional support service recommended by Allergy UK, gives people a 'route map' to improve their health. Many people with chronic conditions would rather have a dietary solution to ease their symptoms than have to take medication. Now, it emerges that there is a simple dietary solution that offers real hope. Dr. Gillian Hart is a Scientific Director for YorkTest Laboratories who specialise in food intolerance testing which can help those suffering from food intolerance symptoms to identify problematic foods. For more information visit YorkTest.com or call 0800 074 6185.
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