Many think that fatigue, itchy skin or a runny nose are “normal”. Researchers may distinguish between food sensitivities, food intolerances and food allergies.
Intolerance's are reactions that do not involve the immune system, such as lactose intolerance.
Food allergies involve typical allergic responses of the immune system. However, the terms are somewhat vague and are used interchangeably in this brief introduction to a huge subject.
Researchers find links between pesticides such as dichlorophenols (DCPs) and the increasing prevalence of food allergies.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates food allergies affect up to 15 million people including one in 13 children in the U.S.
Jerschow speculated that increased protection from germs might somehow be lowering the body's tolerance to foods. The 'hygiene hypothesis,' a medical theory originally proposed thirty years ago, suggests the cleaner our environment, the sicker we become, since our immune system has been robbed of the opportunity to meet and fight off invaders. Using data collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), Jerschow compared levels of the chemicals in urine to antibodies to foods in the blood. People can be sensitive to certain foods without having any problems when they eat, so Jerschow's method of measuring food allergies is not perfect, though it serves, roughly, as an accurate proxy.
"Previous research indicated that both environmental pollution and the prevalence of food allergies are increasing in the United States. The results of this study suggest that these two phenomena might be linked," Jerschow wrote.
Meanwhile, the number of children affected by allergies continues to grow.
Rising Trend
Eight types of foods account for 90 percent of all food-allergy reactions: cow's milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, and macadamia nuts), fish, shellfish, soybeans, and wheat.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction to food can range from mild to sudden and severe, and commonly include one or more of the following:
- Hives
- Tingling in the mouth
- Swelling in the tongue and throat
- Difficulty breathing
- Abdominal cramps
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Eczema or rash
- Coughing or wheezing
- Loss of consciousness
- Dizziness
Pesticides & Parkinson Disease
Analyzing the studies, the researchers found that PD was associated with farming. In the studies where PD diagnosis was self-reported, the association with pesticides was highly significant. In high-quality case-control studies, PD risk was increased by exposure to any-type of pesticides, herbicides, and solvents; in fact, the increase in risk ranged between 33 percent and 80 percent.
Specifically, exposure to paraquat or maneb/mancozeb was associated with about a two-fold increase in risk. No association was observed with fungicides, rodenticides, organochlorines, and organophosphates. Regarding specific chemicals, the researchers observed no link between PD and exposure to dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) or tomaneb. Parkinson's disease was associated with the proxy conditions of exposure to organic pollutants investigated; the increase in risk ranged between 30 percent and 34 percent. Finally, the risk associated with rural living was found to be significant, causing a 1.5-fold increase in risk of Parkinson's disease.
The researchers concluded their results support the hypothesis that exposure to pesticides or solvents is a risk factor for PD. "Further prospective and high-quality case-control studies are required to substantiate a cause-effect relationship," the authors wrote, indicating that future studies should focus on specific chemical agents.
Having suffered with many food sensitivities myself, I found that food allergies are an intriguing if annoying way to force oneself to clean up one’s diet and lifestyle, and to tune in to oneself better to figure out what foods and eating habits are best.
Also, it may be our body’s way of keeping us from living on junk foods that aren’t healthful anyway. So don’t despair if you suffer from food allergies. Simplify, substitute, take life slowly and gently, and begin a corrective program based on nutritional balancing science and you can overcome food allergies.
References:
Jerschow E, McGinn AP, de Vos G, et al. Dichlorophenol-containing pesticides and allergies: results from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2006. Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. 2012.
Pezzoli G, Cereda E. Exposure to pesticides or solvents and risk of Parkinson disease. Neurology. 2013.
Lawrence Wilson MD

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