Approaching the edge of the next millennium, we live in times of swift change. Whereas for many thousands of years, things used to evolve in extremely slow fashion, it seems as though these days, man is able to create and withstand accelerated change in many different areas of life. The past century in particular has been an incredible test case: from home-made bread and campfire-roasted meat to prefabricated, microwavable gourmet dinners, from steam engine to space shuttle, from telegraph to satellite communications and the cyber-highway of the internet; even the sky doesn't seem to be the limit anymore. Humans have come a long way since running naked through the jungle. But are our bodies really keeping pace with today's environment? Environmental Impact Until quite recent times, environmental changes used to occur very slowly and human adaptation to new and challenging situations tended to happen naturally and easily. Through genetic mutations the human body adjusted itself imperceptibly, allowing the species to adapt, survive and prosper. However, I must question whether our bodies have not already begun giving in to the multitude of stresses caused by our accelerated lifestyles and pollution-ridden environment? Trained as a conventional physician, I was naturally aware of the effects of common pollutants such as exhaust fumes, chemicals, cigarette smoke and the like on the human body and its immune system; not to mention the devastating consequences of radioactive fall-out and nuclear waste. It is commonly held that these play a significant role in the rise of conditions such as cancer, asthma and cardiovascular disease. One might understand my surprise to find an increasing number of people suffering from food sensitivities. I am not necessarily speaking of the common allergic reactions that tend to occur quite rapidly, such as hives from eating strawberries or anaphylactic shock from ingesting a peanut. I am referring to a group of patients whose lives are plagued by hidden food sensitivities. Hidden Sensitivities The word "hidden" gives a hint of the problem at hand. There seems to be a total unawareness by the public, as well as, scepticism by most health care professionals, as to a possible link between complaints and foods ingested. Whereas common allergic reactions tend to occur within 24 hours, in certain cases, for some unclear reason, the immune system sometimes decides to delay its response and not cause any reactions until 24-48 hours later. Yesterday's apple may cause today's migraine, today's Camembert may cause severe depression or anxiety in 2 days. I am fairly sure that most of us do not even remember what we had to eat 2 days ago. The interesting fact is that one can become sensitive to any food item. The commonly held notion that only nuts, tomatoes, chocolate, red wine, etc. are the culprit foods is absolutely false. In reality, people tend to be sensitive to normal, frequently eaten foods such as bread, dairy, potatoes, meat, fish, and so on. Complicating the issue even more is the fact that many processed food products contain additions which are not required to be listed on the label. For example, most people think that beer only contains barley, hops and brewer's yeast. However, the fact is that brewers are allowed to add a great variety of "secret" products to their beer in order to give it its specific identity and character. These additives may total up to as many as 94 different herbs, etc. Symptoms and Conditions The array of symptoms and conditions that hidden food sensitivities may be responsible for is formidable: itching, hives, eczema, adult acne; gastrointestinal conditions such as gastritis and irritable bowel syndrome; migraine and other types of headaches; dizziness; depression and anxiety; joint and muscle complaints; and chronic fatigue. One of the most interesting finds has been the role of hidden food sensitivities in mystery diseases such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME) and fibromyalgia. Not to mention their relationship with well-documented conditions such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. In many ME and fibromyalgia patients, the vast variety of symptoms seems to be related to the presence of hidden foods that are not tolerated. Many symptoms, including fatigue and joint/muscle pains, have "magically" disappeared after identifying and temporarily eliminating certain foods from the diet. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients tend to respond even more dramatically to dietary adjustment, as do rheumatoid arthritis sufferers. Increased Awareness The obvious question that comes to mind is: Why is there an apparent increase in the number of people suffering from hidden food sensitivities? The most obvious reason is that a small, but growing, number of health care professionals are accepting the existence of hidden food sensitivities and their effects on the human body. Therefore, the number of people being diagnosed is on the increase. Additionally, it is my belief that the accelerated changes in our lifestyles and environment have begun to tragically undermine our immune systems. In the not too distant past, the immune system had ample time to adjust to progressive changes. But since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and even more so now, our bodies are struggling to keep up with the multitude of compounding stresses and environmental strains being heaved upon it. This strain seems to be reaching critical proportions in today's rapidly changing world. Hidden food sensitivities are merely one more manifestation of the body's already overloaded immune system. |
