Individuals require a nutritious, well-balanced diet to ensure their bodies receive the energy needed to carry out life-sustaining functions. Occasionally, however, certain foods do not jive with body chemistry and could precipitate untoward reactions. Some such occurrences are labeled as food sensitivity.

Food Sensitivity Overview

Medical professionals stress that food sensitivity, which is also sometimes referred to as food intolerance, occurs when the body is unable to properly digest a specific food or substance contained inside said offering.

Such sensitivity typically occurs at some point along the digestive tract. Researchers and healthcare providers attribute said happenings to events including:

• Adverse reactions to food additives
• Intolerance to comprising chemicals like caffeine or sodium
• Lacking the enzymes necessary to properly complete the digestion process
• Sensitivity to the natural ingredients found in certain foods like sugar

Unlike food allergies, intolerance is not usually connected to an abnormal immune system reaction.

Foods Often Associated With Food Sensitivity

Food intolerance encompasses numerous different edibles and food groupings such as:

Eggs

Eggs contain numerous proteins. That said, these nutrients prove challenging for some people to digest.

Shellfish

Many people enjoy dining on shelled sea foods like lobster, crab, clams, mussels, shrimp, and oysters. Like eggs, these offerings contain proteins the bodies of sensitive individuals are unable to process.

Gluten

Gluten insensitivity is another common food intolerance. This substance is a special protein found inside products like:

• Wheat
• Grain
• Barley
• Rye

Intolerance to gluten occurs most frequently in persons with an ailment called celiac disease. That said, individuals can have gluten insensitivity without having said malady.

Soy

Soy wreaks havoc on a solid percentage of digestive systems. Moreover, soy-based products are found as an ingredient in numerous foods, which requires those sensitive to said substance display extra vigilance and read food ingredient labels thoroughly.

Dairy Products

Dairy products, such as cheese, milk, and yogurt cause intolerance on two notable fronts.

First, said offerings contain appreciable concentrations of a protein called casein, which carries the reputation for being difficult to digest and has also been known to precipitate inflammation throughout the digestive tract.

Furthermore, dairy items are rife with lactose. To adequately digest this sugar-like substance, individuals require appreciable quantities of a chemical known as lactase. Unfortunately, lactose intolerant individuals do not possess enough lactase to adequately complete this process, which may precipitate a host of unpleasant symptoms.

Corn

Corn is difficult for many to digest. However, complicating matters is that corn byproducts are often ingredients in other food items. Therefore, certain insensitive subjects might not even realize they are consuming corn-based products without carefully reading food ingredients labels.

Meat

Livestock animals, especially cows, sheep, and pig are often fed corn and soy products. Traces of these substances can be found in publicly sold meat people readily consume. Additionally, said creatures might be administered hormones and antibiotics, which also possess the ability to adversely impact the human digestive tract.

Coffee

Researchers maintain that the ever-popular beverage contains chemicals called salicylates, which have been linked to stomach irritation.

Symptoms Of Food Insensitivity

Food sensitivity is typical not a life-threatening condition. That said, the issue is capable of producing untoward physical manifestations like:

• Gas
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal cramping
• Bloating
• Constipation
• Nausea

In more severe instances, a stricken subject might experience respiratory issues like wheezing or coughing or skin problems such as rashes.

Food Sensitivity Testing

Should a healthcare provider suspect a patient might possess some type of food intolerance, said medical professional might suggest they undergo food sensitivity testing.

The Process

There are certain notable food intolerance testing methods.

Skin Tests

Medical professionals slightly pricks the skin of one’s forearm or backside. Then, said healthcare providers place tiny concentrations of suspected substances under the broken skin. If the recipient’s skin develops a bump or any other type of unusual reaction, it is safe to assume they hold an intolerance to said product.

Blood Tests

Physicians extract a small quantity of a patient’s blood and submit said sample to a laboratory for further testing. Those testing blood investigate to see if said products produces specific antibodies when exposed to certain suspected foods.

Miscellaneous Measures

Doctors might also recommend patients eliminate common intolerance-producing edibles from their diets. Should this effort precipitate a reduction or cessation of symptoms, the afflicted individual will know which foods they carry sensitivities for.

Contact Us

Citizens of Hoover and neighboring Alabama regions experiencing symptoms of food sensitivity are urged to contact us. The experienced, skilled team of healthcare providers employed at Vital Force Regenerative Medicine performs food sensitivity testing.

For further information about the process or to schedule a consultation, please call 205-352-9141.