Food Allergies & Intolerances
Know the difference?
Food allergy is caused when your immune system mistakes a food or food substance as something harmful. In response, it produces antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE) to neutralise the allergen, signalling the release of histamine into your bloodstream.
Food intolerance does not involve an immune response, is generally less serious and often limited to digestive issues.
Symptoms
Food allergies and intolerances are often confused as the symptoms are similar. For some, a reaction to a particular food may be uncomfortable. For others it can be severe (anaphylaxis), even life-threatening.
- Bloating
- Constipation and diarrhoea
- Difficulty breathing
- Stomach cramps/pain
- Indigestion
- Itchy throat and difficulty swallowing
- Skin rashes
- Sneezing or itchy eyes
- Swelling of the face, mouth or throat
Causes
The most common allergenic foods are: eggs, fish, shellfish, milk, soya, gluten, wheat & nuts.
Food intolerance and allergy can also be caused by:
- Coeliac disease
- Food preservatives/additives – colouring, sulphites, nitrates, MSG
- Gut dysbiosis
- Histamine intolerance
- Intestinal permeability (leaky gut)
- IBS – a chronic digestive condition causing cramps, constipation, diarrhoea
- Lack of digestive enzymes – DAO deficiency, lactose intolerance
Food allergies are on the rise worldwide, affecting over 2 million people in the UK, and 11-26 million people in the EU.
Up to 10%
of adults and children have a food hypersensitivity
5-8%
of children in the UK have a food allergy
1 in 100
people in the UK have coeliac disease
No cure? No Problem.
Food allergies can’t be cured, but they can be effectively managed through a combination of testing, nutritional therapy and lifestyle changes.
The best way to prevent an allergic reaction is to identify the food that causes it. Many people regularly eat foods that disagree with them, confusing the symptoms of intolerance or allergy with indigestion or generally feeling unwell.
Nutritional Therapy
Food is your friend.
The majority of your immune system resides in your gut. Poor microbiome health contributes to immune dysfunction which can trigger allergy symptoms.
We assess your diet to identify what foods disagree with you, then design a nutrition plan that removes and replaces foods that are causing an adverse reaction.
This may include anti-inflammatory and antihistamine rich foods to restore healthy gut function, as well as targeted supplementation to boost your immune system.
Functional Testing
Harness the power of science.
Adverse food reactions can lead to distressing symptoms and chronic health conditions, but once offending foods are removed, symptoms usually go away. A variety of tests can help identify problematic foods:
- Coeliac & Gluten Sensitivity Profile – helps differentiate Coeliac disease, gluten sensitivity & wheat allergy
- Food Immune Reactivity Test – tests up to 90 foods and food substances
- Stool Test – analyses immune and digestive markers associated with inflammation, leaky gut and gut microbiome
Lifestyle Coaching
Empowers you to feel your best.
Once you know which foods are problematic for you, modifying your diet and making lifestyle changes helps control unpleasant symptoms and prevents long-term complications.
Changing your diet and habits can be tricky at first but we support you in your transition with:
- recipe ideas and advice on elimination diets
- advice on preparing meals at home and eating out in restaurants
- identifying allergens on labels when food shopping
BOOK A FREE DISCOVERY CALL
To ensure the continued practice of safe and reliable therapy, all consultations are currently being conducted virtually.
Satisfied Patients
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Fraser R
Food Allergy, Stool Test, Skin ConditionI highly recommend Carmen at Nutrition Diets. As a Coeliac I've always had a very sensitive stomach and have battled with gut problems for the majority of my life. Recently I've been having problems with my skin where I've been getting acne like symptoms. I got in touch with Carmen and explained what was happening to me, she was very clear in coming up with a plan and organised some tests for me. Once the results came back for those tests, we had a consultation where she explained what was happening to me and why, it all made sense when she expressed that certain foods were more problematic than others (Fermented foods made my skin worse etc.), she knew exactly what was wrong with me (gut permeability and liver toxicity) and I was put on a protocol to help heal my gut and liver. 3 months later my skin has totally cleared up and I can feel a noticeable change. Carmen is very knowledgeable, she clearly knows what she is talking about and on top of that is passionate about what she does. I would highly recommend getting in touch with her even just for an assessment. I have already recommended her to friends and family who have gut problems.