Functional Nutrition

Nutrition Therapies are cost effective, non-invasive interventions to address underlying dysfunctions in the body’s systems to alleviate symptoms and stop disease progression. This is applied in treating weight gain and also for patients seeking evaluation and management for conditions that may not be associated with a weight problem. Consider scheduling a consultation if you have, or suspect you may have, symptoms related to the following conditions:

Food Intolerance
IBS - Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Celiac disease
SIBO - Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth
Candida Overgrowth
Migraine Headaches
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
Fibromyalgia
Mood Disorders

Appointments

Food Allergy & Sensitivity

Can food intolerance be preventing you from reaching your health goals?

IgG Food Sensitivity Test

Identifies trigger foods that may cause sensitivity and intolerance
Simple blood test takes 5 minutes
Results in 7-10 days
Quickly identifies cause of hidden inflammation
Removing trigger foods can boost immunity, increase energy, and contribute to weight loss

Sample Report

What’s the difference between Food Allergy & Sensitivity?

Food Sensitivities are delayed reactions to specific foods typically triggered by IgG antibodies.

This is a different response than the immediate reaction produced by an IgE allergic reaction. Here’s how:

IgE Mediated (immediate) Food Allergy

When we speak of food allergies, most people think in terms of IgE reactions. Once thought to be the only “true” food allergies, the body generates an IgE immune response when an antibody mistakes the food as a harmful alien, perhaps believing it to be a virus or bacteria, and attacks it. IgE reactions are rapid reactions that occur within minutes of consumption and can cause dangerous and life-threatening symptoms often requiring medical intervention (ie: anaphylactic shock from peanut allergy). The rapidity of the reaction to the ingested food usually makes for quick identification of the allergen by observation followed by confirmation through IgE allergy testing by a health practitioner qualified to prescribe medical intervention for the allergy diagnosis.

IgG Mediated (delayed) Food Allergy

A food intolerance or sensitivity generates a delayed IgG immune response, which is due to the presence of certain trigger foods. The IgG antibody is responsible for the less severe symptoms associated with food allergy and symptoms may take from an hour to several days to appear. This makes it almost impossible to discover which foods are causing the problem without testing.

In an IgG reaction the IgG antibodies attach themselves to the allergen and create an antibody-allergen complex. These complexes are normally removed by special cells called macrophages. However, if they are present in large numbers and the allergen is still being consumed, the macrophages can’t keep up. The allergen-antibody complexes accumulate and are deposited in body tissues. Once in tissue, these complexes release inflammation causing chemicals that may contribute to symptoms of disease.

IgG food sensitivity testing can be a great tool. While ELISA Analysis for specific IgG antibodies have not yet been evaluated by the FDA, providers have been doing them through qualified, reputable laboratories for a number of years. Results have been used to help guide people in a way that makes sense to systematically remove or rotate out certain food(s) to help figure out the root cause of some of their chronic or recurring discomfort. Very often, removing a food which is producing an IgG inflammatory response will eliminate or reduce those inflammatory symptoms contributing to chronic health conditions.

Who should have IgG Food Sensitivity Testing?

Do you experience food cravings and have unexplained weight gain or inability to lose weight?
Do you have digestive disturbances such as gas, belching, or bloating after meals?
Do you suffer from headaches (including migraine), joint pain, arthritis or skin rashes?
Do you suffer from asthma, wheezing, or dry cough?
Do you feel lethargic, sleepy, low in energy or notice poor attention or hyperactivity?
Do you feel chronic or intermittent “puffiness?”

Food Sensitivity Reactions, Inflammation and Weight Control

Food allergies, also referred to as food sensitivities or food reactions, can result in any of the symptoms above and more. Ironically, the foods that you crave are also the foods that you are likely to be sensitive or allergic to. Some people feel that they are addicted to their problem foods, but it is not the food itself but the endorphins—the body’s opium-like pain killers which are triggered by the problem foods—that they are addicted to. Because of the cravings associated with food allergies there is a tendency to overeat and weight gain is likely to be a problem.

Food allergies, inflammation and weight problems are intimately related. Eating foods you are allergic or sensitive to causes inflammation which makes your adrenal glands secrete hormones which destabilize your insulin and blood sugar levels. The high level of insulin causes your body to hold on to and deposit fat rather than allowing you to burn it for energy. Thus, food allergies can lead to weight gain, and a high amount of body fat can promote inflammation and exacerbate problems with allergies. Fat and inflammation are a vicious cycle.

Excess body fat contributes to inflammation, although we may not be aware that we are experiencing silent inflammation. As we gain weight, our fat cells become larger and filled with more fat. The cells may leak as they are stretched more and more. Then immune cells called macrophages come in to clean up the mess. The macrophages release inflammatory chemicals in the fatty tissues as they are cleaning up. This inflammatory response may be the mechanism behind many of the negative effects of overweight on health.

When your body counteracts inflammation by producing anti-inflammatory chemicals, some of them interfere with the function of the hormone leptin. In optimally healthy people, leptin is responsible for helping to maintain weight at it’s comfortable level. Some people do not gain weight no matter what they eat. If they overeat, their well-functioning leptin control system boosts their metabolism and decreases their appetite to restore them to their best weight. When leptin is made ineffective by inflammation, the dysfunction is called leptin resistance, meaning that even though you have normal or high levels of leptin, your leptin does not work to suppress appetite and speed metabolism, so it is a struggle to achieve or maintain a healthy weight.

Dr. Mark Hyman, MD is a family physician dedicated to identifying and addressing the root causes of chronic illness through a groundbreaking whole-systems medicine approach called Functional Medicine. He is also an eight-time New York Times bestselling author, and international leader in his field. According to Dr. Hyman: “The big debate in medicine is which comes first: inflammation or obesity. I have always believed that we become inflamed first, and gain weight second—which makes us even more inflamed, perpetuating the cycle. Now incredible new research bears this out.”

The following is Dr. Hyman’s discussion on two studies linking inflammation and weight gain, as he explains their implications for treating obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and more. Both studies were done in Europe, “where researchers are generally more open-minded”.

“The first study, published in December, 2007, looked at two groups of children. The first group was overweight and the second was normal weight. The researchers measured three key factors connected to inflammation.

First, they looked at high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker that shows the general level of inflammation in the body. Then they looked for plaque or thickening in the carotid arteries (the main arteries that supply the brain) with an ultrasound. Third, they looked at blood tests for IgG, or delayed food allergies.

What they found was startling.

The overweight kids had a three-fold higher level of CRP and a two and a half fold higher level of IgG antibodies to foods. This is astounding, since in most medical studies a difference of 20 to 30 percent is considered significant. And in this case, the differences were 300 and 250 percent, respectively.

The overweight children also had much thicker carotid arteries, which are a sign of early atherosclerosis and an indicator of heart disease. The study suggests that these food allergies are a CAUSE of the inflammation and obesity, not a consequence.

The authors of the study explain that damage to the gut can lead to a leaky gut, allowing food particles to be exposed to the gut’s immune system. This then triggers a system-wide immune response, leading to inflammation all over the body and producing obesity by increasing insulin resistance.

We already know that inflammation from any cause—bacteria, food, a high-sugar, high-fat diet—will produce insulin resistance, leading to higher insulin levels. And since insulin is a fat storage hormone, you store more fat—mostly around the belly.

The authors of the study go on to say that we should consider elimination of IgG food allergens as a way of treating obesity and preventing heart disease. That means you don’t limit calories, just foods that cause allergies that in turn cause inflammation. This study draws a remarkable link that has received little attention by conventional medicine.”

Assay System

The Assay, known as the Enzyme-Linked Immunoabsorbent Assay (ELISA), is designed to detect circulating food specific immunoglobulin class G or A IgG or IgA) antibodies in serum. The procedure involves adding serum (blood) to food proteins bound in the system’s wells.

Are you ready to discuss change?

Are you ready to take control of inflammation in your body and adopt a diet for health and longevity?

References:

Braly, James, MD; IgG ELISA Delayed Food Allergy Testing; drbralyallergyrelief.com

Galland, Leo, MD, The Fat Resistance Diet, (New York: Broadway Books, 2005)

Hyman, Mark, MD: Are Your Food Allergies Making You Fat?; May 24, 2013; drhyman.com

Kresser, Chris; How Inflammation Makes you Fat and Diabetic (and vice versa); chriskesser.com

Merson, Sarah; Summer 2005; Institute for Optimum Nutrition (UK)

Orecchio, S; Differences Between IgE and IgG Testing for Allergies and Sensitivities, April 7, 2012; thewholejourney.com

Russel, Lauren, ND and Alvardo-Paz, Leah, ND; IgG Allergy Teasting; Townsend Newsletter

Yu, Maggie, MD and Jones, Carrie, MD; Food Intolerance Vs. Food Allergy; Sherwoodfamilymedicine.com