Food Sensitivity

I've been having increasingly worse gastrointestinal problems. Is it possible to suddenly develop an intolerance for specific foods?

[margypops]

I wouldnt have thought so ...but seems to be happening a lot ..I am reading about all kinds of unusual health problems

[CalGal]

Yes, it can and does happen. An example is the 'sudden' development of gluten intolerance - either a sensitivity (allergy) or out-right celiac disease - in adults. No one knows exactly why it happens, but autoimmunity can suddenly 'turn on' and make a person quite uncomfortable. Some of the bigger food problems seem to occur to gluten (wheat, rye and barley), dairy (the protein portion - casein - not the milk sugar - lactose), eggs and soy.

If you're having GI issues either check with a functional medicine doc and ask for some testing, or try some elimination diets to see if you can pinpoint the cause.

[TPSfan]

Thanks - that really helps.

I've done some experimentation with my diet, and the only thing I've been able to pinpoint with any level of precision is sensitivity to garlic. Could garlic potentially be the culprit?

Its hard to know for sure because I'm finding it very hard to eliminate garlic from my diet. I'll think I'm eating garlic free, but then I'll take a closer look at the ingredients on a product that I'm using and I'll notice it there. Or, I'll see "and other spices" listed, which presumably could include garlic.

Are there any fixes to the issue besides eliminating the item from my diet?

[FurballsMom]

You can have food intolerances without actually testing positive for an allergy.  Your body will tell you by your symptoms.  The way to figure this out is a food elimination/food challenge diet.  The first thing to do is to keep a food diary.  Don't just write down that you ate lasagna last night for dinner, write down what was in the lasagna to the best of your knowledge.  Your best bet would actually be to make the foods yourself from scratch so that you know what you're actually eating.  Convenience foods in packages and cans all have a whole host of scientific words, many of which are preservatives.  These preservatives drive my whole system crazy, not just the digestive tract.  They upset the nervous system, too.

It's good that you're a label reader.  Many aren't doing that, or at least not until they have to.

One other big food item that wreaks havoc on most people with digestive issues, whether it's actual Celiac or a different reason for gluten intolerance, is corn.  Gluten Free Society is a website run by a Celiac and gluten intolerance doctor and he explains that all grains are bad for Celiacs, but for now concentrate on avoiding the big culprits because not everyone with gluten intolerance has actual Celiac, and there is a difference between sensitivity (allergy) and intolerance (the body still doesn't like it and still reacts to gluten but it doesn't test positive for allergy in an allergist's office).  I learned that one from the website I mentioned.  Corn is a big bad guy, every bit as bad as wheat, barley and rye.  And, many who don't have gluten intolerance but have these various digestive issues that this forum discusses, simply can't handle corn.  So, include corn with the big ones to eliminate from the diet, along with the wheat, rye and barley.  And, I totally agree about the eggs and the soy.  Those are considered to be amongst the top allergen foods.   Definitely stay away from dairy.  Daiya company has a cheese substitute that is rice based and NOT soy based.  This is one of the better alternatives out there.  Watch out because the majority of vegan cheese alternatives are soy based.  Whether you're allergic or intolerant to soy doesn't matter.  Soy simply isn't good for you anyway.  A brand called Vegannaise has a soy free commercial mayonnaise you can try.  It is a good one.  It's a bit on the pricey side, but if you don't use a lot of mayonnaise, then this isn't too expensive.  It is also egg free, so it's a safer mayonnaise for people with allergies.  It does use safflower oil, but it is a high grade form very similar to extra virgin, so unless you're allergic to safflower oil, Vegannaise is a good substitute when trying to go soy free.  BUT, read the labels.  Only specific blends are soy free.

YES, garlic can be your culprit!  You can have an intolerance or a sensitivity to anything in the human diet.  I personally can't handle onions.  Yet, I know someone else who is the opposite of me and can tolerate COOKED onions in a limited amount but she can't tolerate garlic at all.  Do remember that if garlic bothers you, its close cousin, onion, can bother you, too.  They are in the allium family of plants.

Another thing that quite possibly could help is going on a Candida diet.  Live Strong has information on a Candida diet.  There is a bit of conflicting information out there about what is alright to eat and what is not alright to eat during stage one of the diet.  The idea behind killing the overgrowth of Candida is to help heal Leaky Gut, which is attributed to a whole host of health issues, not just digestive issues.  And, gut issues are attributed to neurological issues.  Well, in natural medicine it is, because the gut is likened to your "second brain".  Conventional medicine compartmentalizes everything, so this often gets lost in translation.  Have some friends and family be on the Candida diet with you.  It's difficult to stick with it, because when the yeast starts to die off, you get mad cravings for all the foods that feed the yeast.