Naturopathic approaches to treating food sensitivities
As a Naturopathic Doctor, one of most common conditions that I treat in practice is food sensitivities.
When we talk about food, most people are familiar with food allergies. Allergies refer to immediate immune reactions, which are often severe and life threatening. Ingesting even small amounts of the offending foods can trigger symptoms such as skin rashes, swelling on the lips, tongue, or throat, difficulty breathing. A common food allergy is a peanut allergy. Food sensitivities on the other hand are delayed reactions, which can occur within a few hours and include more subtle symptoms such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, eczema, headaches, fatigue, joint pain, and even weight gain. Individuals can often eat a small amounts of the food without any trouble.
I first saw Eric in practice when was experiencing a lot of gas, bloating, distension, and bowel urgency and diarrhea that would often send him running to a washroom without any idea of what might have caused these symptoms. Eric was a Project Manager, and found his symptoms often disruptive to his work and social life. He rated his symptoms as 8-9/10, with 10 being the most intense. He often found it difficult to enjoy take-out food, go out with friends or coworkers for dinner, or commit to social events for fear of experiencing extreme discomfort and needing easy access to a washroom in case of the urgent need to go.
A closer look at Eric’s diet diary showed that his diet was pretty consistent from day to day and high in a number of common food sensitivities such as dairy, wheat, and eggs. After having Eric complete the IgG food sensitivity test, we found out that he was sensitive to a number of foods- some of which he had already suspected. We went through a 4 week trial of eliminating these specific foods from his diet, while replacing them with healthier alternatives. When he returned for his follow-up, he reported experiencing significantly less bloating, gas, and distension and rated his symptoms 3/10.
We then worked on rebalancing the gut microbiome by adding probiotics and supplements such as L-glutamine to his treatment plan for gut repair. Eric found that he was able to eat without experiencing urgent bowel movements or episodes of diarrhea.
Within three months Eric reported having increased energy and had even joined a gym, being able to get back on track. He found that he was able to eat the foods that he was initially sensitive to, in moderation. He even reported being able to have more of a social life without fearing his symptoms returning and was grateful for the guidance and help in identifying the root cause of his symptoms.
As the holiday season approaches us, we are tempted to indulge in delicious food- often high in salt, sugar and trans fats, and any plan to eat healthy often goes out the window. This is often the best time to have a food sensitivity test completed, as individuals are not restrictive in the foods they eat, allowing for the blood test to readily pick up specific foods they may be sensitive.
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Dr. Gayamali Karunaratna, ND
Thanks for checking out this success story, I hope you enjoyed it. For more information, please head over to the Naturopathic Medicine section of our website. Learn more about me and my practice philosophy over on our Brightpath Team page.
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