Food intolerances on the rise
More and more have you noticed how people are avoiding certain foods because of intolerances? We should be able to digest these foods In moderation without significant reactions, so what is going on? Well there are various factors at play including things like our genetic constitution, gut health, leaky gut, liver efficiency and digestive function.
However, the processing and refining of foods is a big factor as it means the harder and more troublesome foods are to digest as well as that they often contain these culprits in higher amounts. For example about 85% of bread
available is made by removing the germ and bran of the wheat grain and by only leaving the endosperm. This makes the gluten proteins much harder to digest because the bran and germ help the break down of these proteins when present. This is the reason why whole foods are so important. Wheat grains that are harvested today are also four times larger than they used to be and this means they are more difficult and complex to digest.
FOODS THAT CONTAIN THE BELOW ARE NOT BAD! I repeat… FOODS THAT CONTAIN THE BELOW ARE NOT BAD! We need to stop demonising certain foods. The issue is not the food-it is what we are doing to the food, how we are e
ating it and what is happening inside our bodies due to certain imbalances.
Using naturopathic nutrition my solution to food intolerances is not to simply avoid eating these foods forever. For a certain period of time this may be necessary depending on the individual and we can work together to find the best alternatives for you in the meantime but my aim is to help support the terrain, your bodies internal environment so that it is better able to deal with these foods in moderation.
Some of most common types of food intolerances:
1. Dairy: (lactose intolerance-less than 40% of people in the world retain the ability to digest lactose after childhood. Casein is a much bigger problem. It is the main protein found in dairy and it can cause inflammation and immune reactions in people)
2. Gluten: (It is the general name given to proteins found in wheat, barley, rye and triticale)
3. Histamine (amines): It is a chemical that plays an important role in the immune, digestive and nervous systems. It helps protect the body from infection by creating an immediate inflammatory response to allergens.
4. Caffeine
5. FODMAPs: These are poorly absorbed in the small intestine and travel to the large intestine, where they are used as fuel for the gut bacteria there. The bacteria break down or ferment the FODMAPs.
6. Sulphites: They are chemicals that are primarily used as preservatives in foods, drinks and some medications. They can also be found naturally in some foods and aged cheeses. They are added to foods like dried fruit to delay browning and wine to prevent spoilage caused by bacteria.
7. Salicylates:These are natural chemicals that are produced by plants as a defence against environmental stressors like insects and disease. Salicylates have anti-inflammatory properties.