adverse food reactions

food sensitivities & Intolerances

Have you ever wondered why, how suddenly so many people have food allergies or intolerances and back in our :) day a peanut butter sandwich was a staple item in our lunch box? This is because our diet has been replaced with a highly processed, high-sugar, high (bad) fat, low-fiber diet which in turn has altered our gut balance.
Let's clear up the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance as they are quite different. A food allergy is an adverse immune reaction to the ingestion of a particular food. It is an inflammatory response involving the production of antibodies. Remember Will Smith in the movie 'Hitch'? A food intolerance, on the other hand, has nothing to do with the immune system. A particular food upsets the gut resulting in pains, bloating and IBS.
*the low FODMAP diet is designed for food intolerances not food allergies

Food Intolerance effects 33% of the population

You would of heard the term 'You are what you eat' well, a more accurate term would be 'You are what you digest and absorb' Your gut really is the key to sustaining optimal health. It needs and deserves a lot of TLC. The digestive system turns the food we eat into fuel. When it is sluggish, your body will not absorb the nutrients it needs for optimal health. When your gut is functioning well, it boosts your energy and immune system and prevents all sorts of diseases.

What on earth is leaky gut?
This is more common than you think. When there are gaps in the gut lining, food fragments can escape into the bloodstream, leading the body to react with an immune response. This is usually caused by food allergies and known as 'leaky gut syndrome'. It usually rears it's head with symptoms like bloating, gas, cravings and food sensitivities.

How can the low FODMAP diet help?
This is where we identify the offending foods, eliminate them, heal the gut and then challenge by reintroducing the offending food. As time passes adverse food reactions can change so it is recommended to continually assess, challenge and check for new or altered reactions. Strict adherence to a program of gastrointestinal repair frequently results in a diminished sensitivity to previously problematic foods.
As this is a complex diet working along side a trained low FODMAP diet coach is recommended.

75% of IBS sufferers find relief in the Low FODMAP diet

Fructose malabsorption

Fructose is a sugar that is found in many foods such as fresh fruits and honey, high fructose corn syrup and many processed foods. It is also a component of plain table sugar, and some vegetables.

What is Fructose Malabsorption?

Some people cannot completely absorb fructose in their small intestine-the beginning of the digestive tract. The undigested fructose is then carried to the large intestine where our normal bacteria rapidly devour it. In the process, the bacteria produce gases which cause the intestine to swell. This is experienced by the person as bloating, cramping, gas and distention. Diarrhea may also occur due to the undigested particles of fructose.

wheat intolerance

Wheat intolerance differs from coeliac disease. Coeliac disease is a lifelong intolerance to gliaden, part of the gluten proteins that are a large part of the grain of wheat, rye, barley and oats. It causes damage to the small intestine and many other symptoms and tends to run in families. Strict adherence to a gluten-free diet brings complete resolution of symptoms.

Wheat intolerance sufferers find foods such as bread and pasta hard to digest. Symptoms may include joint pains, headaches and bloating that occurs when undigested wheat produces gases in the intestine and makes the abdomen swell. As with many other food intolerances, they may be able to reintroduce wheat back into the diet after a period of elimination.

*Please note that the Low FODMAP diet is not a Gluten Free Diet.

Lactose intolerance

Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest and absorb lactose (the sugar in milk) that results in gastrointestinal symptoms when milk or food products containing milk are consumed.

What causes lactose intolerance?

Lactose is a large sugar molecule that is made up of two smaller sugars, glucose and galactose. In order for lactose to be absorbed from the intestine and into the body, it must first be split into two sugars, glucose and galactose. They are then absorbed by the cells lining the small intestine. The enzyme that splits lactose into glucose and galactose is called lactase. Lactose intolerance is caused by reduced or absent activity of lactase that prevents the splitting of lactose.

irritable bowel syndrome

IBS causes abdominal pain, bloating and alternating constipation and diarrhoea. Factors such as emotional stress, infection and some foods can aggravate it.

Around one in five Australians suffer from IBS at some time. It seems that people with IBS have sensitive bowels that are easily ‘upset’. Anxiety or stress, can affect the nerves of the bowel in susceptible people. More women than men are prone to IBS, and symptoms tend to first occur in early adulthood.

Irritable bowel syndrome doesn’t cause lasting damage and doesn’t contribute to the development of serious bowel conditions, such as cancer or colitis.

*If you suspect you have irritable bowel syndrome, it is important to seek medical advice to make sure your symptoms aren’t caused by any other illness, such as diverticulitis, inflammatory bowel disease or polyps. Coeliac disease may produce many of the same symptoms as IBS.