Shocking facts about food allergies

When the subject of a food allergy is brought up, most people think that it’s something you’re born with and all you need to do is stay away from the offending food.

Well, it’s not quite as simple as that.

Let’s look at food allergies, why they’re on the rise and discuss ways you can help combat them.

The magnificent seven

Currently the seven most common allergenic foods in the US are:

• Wheat 
• Corn
• Soy
• Eggs
• Dairy
• Meat 
• Sugar

These are also foods that are very abundant in our food supply.

Now, you might wonder why these foods seem to be causing more problems than they ever did before. 

It’s because our food supply has transformed dramatically…and our bodies are seeing these molecular changes in our foods as a danger and reacting with an allergic response.

Here are some ways our foods have changed over the years and why they are causing problems:

1- Wheat

There are over 30,000 different varieties of wheat, but in the United States we only grow one for human consumption. 

Over the last several decades, we’ve been hybridizing that one species of wheat to increase its gluten content…and now our wheat contains nearly double the gluten than it did just 50 years ago.  (Gluten is a mixture of sticky proteins and it gives bread its light fluffy texture.)

Our health problems associated with wheat have risen because we were not biologically designed to handle that much gluten…so our bodies are instead reacting as if the gluten is a foreign substance.

What makes this even more difficult is that gluten is not only in wheat-based products like bread, pasta and crackers, but it’s also used as a thickener in LOADS of processed foods.

2- Corn

There are also many varieties of corn, and the corn grown here in the US is vastly different from the native corn in places like Mexico and South America.

Corn has also been hybridized to death, and now add the fact that it’s being genetically modified and used in countless products (without requiring GMO ingredients to be spelled out on the label).

GMO crops can create varieties of proteins that are foreign to your body…and that can spell trouble because your immune system will be put on alert and likely react in some fashion down the road.

3- Soy

Soy has been used for centuries in Asian countries as a protein source, and these cultures have typically fermented it to make it more digestible. 

Well, we’ve taken a wide left turn in the US because it’s not always fermented so it can cause digestive World War III down below.

Plus it too is being genetically modified.  So time will tell what the Franken-proteins created by the GMO process will do to our immune systems and our health.

4- Eggs

Gone are the days when chickens were allowed to roam and graze freely from fresh green pastures.

Now they’re injected with hormones and antibiotics which make their way into your body when you eat their eggs.

Plus chickens are subjected to horribly inhumane, filthy conditions—miles of them are stacked on top of each other, with their wings and beaks clipped and their claws pulled out so they won’t hurt each other.  The wastes are abundant and the chickens are stressed to the max.

These conditions most assuredly have an effect on the quality and nutritional integrity of their eggs (and meat too).

5- Dairy

The cows that supply our dairy products have also been subjected to filthy, inhumane conditions, and they too are injected with antibiotics and hormones which become a part of us with every bite of conventional dairy products.

The main components of milk are lactalbumin, casein, lactose and cream.  The lactalbumin in human milk is vastly different from cow’s milk, and both are different from goat’s milk.

That’s why babies may start having reactions to cow’s milk once they’re weaned, and other people who react to cow’s milk may find they can tolerate goat’s milk.

And like gluten, dairy products are used in countless processed foods, so avoiding them is not easy.

6- Meat

The drug injections and inhumane treatment of animals also carries through to the meat they produce for our consumption. 

If you are eating conventionally produced meat, you are most assuredly getting a regular dose of antibiotics and hormones, as well as eating the muscles from an animal that is stressed, sickly and living in a filthy environment.

7- Sugar

In addition to the obvious dangers of sugar (weight gain, insulin resistance, inflammation, cancer) sugar is murder on your friendly gut flora and hampers your immune functioning.

Just one teaspoon of sugar can depress your immune system functioning for up to 5 hours!

Our bodies have the capability to successfully cope with about 2 teaspoons of sugar a day. 

Considering that the average can of soda alone contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar, it’s easy to see that many of us are assaulting our bodies day in and day out.

How to combat the common allergens

Here are three smart strategies that can make a big difference in combatting food allergies.

1) Go organic

Many people have noticed that when they eat organic meat, eggs and dairy, they don’t have the allergic reactions they had with conventionally produced products. 

That’s because animals raised for organic products are not subjected to the same horrible conditions and are not injected with drugs.

Plus organic products by their very nature do not contain GMO ingredients, so you are avoiding that food allergy concern as well.

To help control the cost, seek out farmers’ markets and CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) programs.

2) Have a diet of real foods

It’s easy to avoid hidden allergens in processed foods when you stick to real foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy and eggs.

Plus it’s also crucial to have efficient digestion in order to absorb the vital nutrients from your foods, properly eliminate wastes and maintain a healthy gut environment (where 70 percent of your immune system resides).

I can help you achieve both of those goals (and love every bite of what you're eating) with the Great Taste No Pain system or if you’ve got known gluten issues, Great Taste No Gluten.

Both Great Taste No Pain and Great Taste No Gluten show you what foods to eat (and what foods to pair together) to help encourage more smooth digestion and nutrient absorption. 

Plus they're loaded with delicious ideas featuring nourishing real foods that you'll absolutely LOVE--there are no bland or boring dishes in these recipe collections!

3) Supplement with a high quality probiotic

Research has shown that probiotic supplements can significantly reduce allergic reactions to foods.

In one study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers from Finland studied 27 babies with allergies to cow's milk. For one month, cow's milk was removed from their diets and 13 of them were given the probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus.

After one month, all of the babies were given cow's milk again. Those who had the L. rhamnosus showed significantly fewer reactions to the milk than the babies who received no probiotics.

Another study on mice at Seoul National University showed significantly fewer reactions to egg white in mice that were given the probiotic strains Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus casei.

The good new is Super Shield multi-strain probiotic formula includes potent strains of Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus casei.

Those and Super Shield's 10 other superstar strains will help counteract the effects of food allergies, as well as help to support your immune system and encourage more regular BMs too.

Food allergies are all around us and they are increasing—and much of that is out of our control.

But when you become more discerning about what you are putting on your plate and nutritionally support your body, you can help lessen your chances of improper immune reactions to food!

To your health,

Sherry Brescia