There are a number of different ways that our body can react to foods, food additives, toxins, molds, and environmental exposures. But the terminology used by consumers to identify them can be a bit difficult to wrap your head around. What is an allergy? What is a sensitivity? Are all allergies the same? This article will help explain the difference between the two responses and looks specifically at foods and food additives.
The difference between allergy and sensitivity
A food allergy happens when the body’s immune system sees a particular food as harmful and reacts with a variety of symptoms. These can include hives, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, breathing difficulties, and/or swelling around the mouth.
These types of allergies run the gamut from mild or moderate. Or it can escalate to the most severe reaction of anaphylaxis which can be potentially life threatening and requiring immediate medical attention. This type of allergy is an IgE (Immunoglobulin E) response; and is something an Allergist can test for. Often it starts with a skin prick or scratch test.
The other reaction to certain foods is food sensitivity. Instead of a skin prick or scratch test, it is often identified by
- Drawing blood and then exposing the blood to various proteins to see which ones cause a reaction, or
- Going on a full elimination diet, removing the suspected foods from the diet for a period, of time and then gently re-introducing them in a challenge to see if there is a response. An elimination diet is best for top level foods such as wheat, eggs, dairy, soy, etc rather than embedded ingredients such as calcium propionate, sodium benzoate, or BHA.
Food sensitivities can be overwhelming to the system. However, these are not the same as food allergies although, unfortunately, the term allergy is used interchangeably between the two.
An example of this would be someone who is allergic to fish or seafood. They may have a severe physical response to it and should not ever eat them or be exposed to them. Someone who has a food sensitivity to fish or seafood may be able, with appropriate nutritional support, to eventually include it in their diet again.
Food sensitivities are on the rise
Food sensitivities and food allergies are on the rise, why is this? There are different thoughts, but one is the health of our gut microbiota. A recent study done in Sweden entitled, “Low diversity of the gut microbiota in infants with atopic eczema” appears to show that higher diversity in infant gut microflora lowers the chance of allergies, including eczema.
This is of interest for a number of reasons.
- It appears to support the Hygiene Hypothesis. This is the idea that if our environment is too clean it doesn't provide the diversity we need and also encourages the body to attack “harmless antigens.”
- It provides further information about the role of certain beneficial bacteria. Examples included proteobacteria protecting against allergies while Bacteroides appear to be useful against inflammation.
- It shows, yet again, the connection between the gut and health.
- It highlights, to me, the dangers of the over-use of antibiotics. I have written briefly about antibiotics in our food supply here.
The more antibiotics that appear in our food system, the higher the toll they take on our bodies. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, author of Gut and Psychology Syndrome and creator of the GAPS Diet, tells us that when she looks at dysfunction in the gut she traces it back over at least three generations. The less healthy flora the parents have to pass on, the fewer strains will be available to inoculate the baby. Dr. Campbell-McBride has found the effect of reduced intestinal flora to be cumulative over the generations.
What does all of this mean? 
In addition to cleaning up our irresponsible use of antibiotics in the food supply, it also means that we need to do what we can to ensure a strong, healthy eco-system in our gut - creating a rich supply of diverse prebiotic and probiotic colonies.
Adding fermented foods to the diet such as kombucha or kefir is a good start. Other fermented foods could include yogurt and live culture sauerkraut. Eating a diet high in fiber, especially soluble fibers which are fermented by the bacteria in the gut will help.
Should you need to take antibiotics it is vitally important that you take them as prescribed and finish the dose to avoid creating resistant bacteria. You will also need to re-inoculate your system by taking probiotics (antibiotics wipe out both good and bad bacteria).
In summary
While the study from Sweden highlights the benefits of a richly diverse gut colony in infants for protecting them against allergies, I feel that supporting the gut at any time is beneficial. I also believe probiotic support can go a long way toward helping to regain or maintain healthy gut function. Having a healthy gut can also be beneficial when dealing with seasonal allergies.
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Abrahamsson, Thomas R. et al. "Low Diversity Of The Gut Microbiota In Infants With Atopic Eczema". Journal Of Allergy And Clinical Immunology, vol 129, no. 2, 2012, pp. 434-440.e2. Elsevier BV, doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2011.10.025.
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