resources on food intolerance (but not food allergy)?
July 19, 2022 7:32 AM Subscribe
I'm looking for books, articles, blogs or anything (including woo) that can shed light on food intolerance (but not about food allergies)
My body seems to be trying to say something (along the lines of thou shall not eat happily), and has increased the foods I can't eat without an upset stomach. My whole life it was onions (no dining out for me), and now suddenly I can't eat anything with peanuts (and there go the snacks too :-().
I'd like to understand why this happens to try to reverse it. Problem is I'm finding tons of information on food allergies (I get it. it's life threatening) but nothing on the cause of food intolerance (besides suspicious looking companies offering food intolerance blood tests).
Love to hear about any resources (or even clues) about it!
TIA <3
My body seems to be trying to say something (along the lines of thou shall not eat happily), and has increased the foods I can't eat without an upset stomach. My whole life it was onions (no dining out for me), and now suddenly I can't eat anything with peanuts (and there go the snacks too :-().
I'd like to understand why this happens to try to reverse it. Problem is I'm finding tons of information on food allergies (I get it. it's life threatening) but nothing on the cause of food intolerance (besides suspicious looking companies offering food intolerance blood tests).
Love to hear about any resources (or even clues) about it!
TIA <3
Well part of the problem here is that "intolerance" "sensitivity" and "allergy" are all used to talk about the same thing because the common meaning of allergy has expanded over time. Most of the articles talking about solutions for non-deadly food allergies are actually talking about sensitivity/tolerance.
One area I would look into is "gut microbiome" as my periodic intolerance is definitely related to microbiome because different probiotics let me eat different things without having problems. This was especially noticeable when I was on antibiotics for an illness.
posted by JZig at 8:16 AM on July 19, 2022 [2 favorites]
One area I would look into is "gut microbiome" as my periodic intolerance is definitely related to microbiome because different probiotics let me eat different things without having problems. This was especially noticeable when I was on antibiotics for an illness.
posted by JZig at 8:16 AM on July 19, 2022 [2 favorites]
Look into books on the elimination diet protocol. It will guide you through a systematic approach to eliminating common triggers, gut healing through the elimination period, and slowly adding them back in to assess your intolerances. I'm blanking right now on the book I read, but mine was geared towards autoimmune thyroid disease but there are other more generic ones. I'm currently in a second elimination period while i try to fine tune which tree nut i react to (hopefully not all!) but i can't tell you how much better i feel, and my major health concern that prompted it seems to be resolved. Maybe it's woo; i don't know, but i'll take a placebo effect!
posted by BlueBear at 9:02 AM on July 19, 2022
posted by BlueBear at 9:02 AM on July 19, 2022
If you have other weird symptoms, maybe look into mast cell activation syndrome or histamine intolerance to see if anything rings a bell. This can be a weird MCAS thing, but that's just one possibility.
posted by J. Wilson at 9:08 AM on July 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by J. Wilson at 9:08 AM on July 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
I'm on an elimination diet at the moment to figure out what foods I'm sensitive to that are causing me problems. My nutritionist gave me part of this handout to explain part of what I should do with the exception that I can add a food back and keep it in my diet because she has me eliminating most foods. Here's their page about digestive health. I'm not a doctor and I'm not implying this is the right thing for you, just information to consider.
Here's an article from The Guardian on Gut Microbiomes that I found interesting and not down too many rabbit holes.
posted by Bunglegirl at 9:56 AM on July 19, 2022
Here's an article from The Guardian on Gut Microbiomes that I found interesting and not down too many rabbit holes.
posted by Bunglegirl at 9:56 AM on July 19, 2022
Look at Monash University's FODMAP app, and see if your intolerances line up with one or more of the substances they detail. I second looking at MCAS and histamine intolerance as well.
posted by jocelmeow at 10:29 AM on July 19, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by jocelmeow at 10:29 AM on July 19, 2022 [3 favorites]
On peanuts in particular, I also developed an intolerance well into adulthood (around age 35-36). I can eat exactly one (1) Reese's cup but any more peanut butter than that and I get a stomachache. Which is not so bad all things considered, as it's this and shellfish for my allergies but that's it.
Also interesting is that my mother developed a peanut intolerance at the same time I did...not when she was 35-36 but literally the years I was 35-36 and she was 60-61. So for some time I have been looking for information on additives, new peanut varieties that farmers might be using, different storage methods, whatever might be the cause—because the time coincidence in calendar year would suggest environmental factors... I suppose this is all to say that I am also reading with interest the links provided here.
posted by migrantology at 10:36 AM on July 19, 2022
Also interesting is that my mother developed a peanut intolerance at the same time I did...not when she was 35-36 but literally the years I was 35-36 and she was 60-61. So for some time I have been looking for information on additives, new peanut varieties that farmers might be using, different storage methods, whatever might be the cause—because the time coincidence in calendar year would suggest environmental factors... I suppose this is all to say that I am also reading with interest the links provided here.
posted by migrantology at 10:36 AM on July 19, 2022
This is a personal anecdote, but I've been told by my TCM doctors to avoid colas, or at least not subsist on Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi. Either the caffeine or caramel coloring or something gives me nosebleeds. I switch to at least half clear diet soda (7up, Sprite, Mtn Dew diet version) and my nosebleed problem has gone away. Coincidence? Process of elimination? No idea.
posted by kschang at 12:01 PM on July 19, 2022
posted by kschang at 12:01 PM on July 19, 2022
Do you have any chronic medical conditions that may seem unrelated at first glance, but could be after all?
My personal example: I got diagnosed with asthma at age 27. By age 30, I'd start wheezing whenever I had even a tiny glass of wine.
It turns out? I have a potentially life threatening intolerance to sulfites, and I'm to avoid them for the rest of my life. Sulfite Intolernace is quite rare....unless you have asthma. I never would have made the connection; my doc did. Now I wear a Medic-Alert bracelet with that, along with other allergy and intolerance info, on it. There goes my high school dreams of becoming a Sommelier. (No, really. I thought it was the coolest shit growing up.)
(I don't miss wine at all; turns out, I don't like it. But having to eliminate most French Fries from my diet makes me verklempt.)
posted by spinifex23 at 12:33 PM on July 19, 2022
My personal example: I got diagnosed with asthma at age 27. By age 30, I'd start wheezing whenever I had even a tiny glass of wine.
It turns out? I have a potentially life threatening intolerance to sulfites, and I'm to avoid them for the rest of my life. Sulfite Intolernace is quite rare....unless you have asthma. I never would have made the connection; my doc did. Now I wear a Medic-Alert bracelet with that, along with other allergy and intolerance info, on it. There goes my high school dreams of becoming a Sommelier. (No, really. I thought it was the coolest shit growing up.)
(I don't miss wine at all; turns out, I don't like it. But having to eliminate most French Fries from my diet makes me verklempt.)
posted by spinifex23 at 12:33 PM on July 19, 2022
Food intolerances have so many causes, and there's so little we know! I found the FODMAP stuff fascinating when I was struggling with my own digestive issues. And since you know you have an intolerance to onions (which are high in fructans, one of the FODMAP categories), it might be worth some reading.
For me, it turned out I was struggling with Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), triggered by 3 rounds of antibiotics in a 4-month period that wreaked havoc on my gut microbiome. I had spent a few months after those antibiotics feeling the same as you - there were more and more things I couldn't eat, and my body was trying to tell me something.
There's a lot of "woo" out there around SIBO, but the Cleveland Clinic has a good synopsis. I worked with a functional medicine doctor and nutritionist who led me through an elimination diet for a couple of months, then gradually added foods back in. I felt so much better within a couple of weeks.
As I was reintroducing foods, peanuts were tough. My nutritionist said that a lot of people have trouble with peanuts because they're high in fiber (since they're legumes, not actually nuts) and people tend to eat too many at once, which puts a heavy burden on your digestive system. Like migrantology, I can handle just a small schmear of peanut butter or a few crushed peanuts on a Thai dish, but not much more than that.
So... that's not a very clear answer. But I can recommend keeping detailed notes of what you eat when, and how it correlates with certain symptoms.
Good luck! This stuff is tricky and frustrating but solving the puzzle can be very empowering.
posted by writermcwriterson at 2:28 PM on July 19, 2022
For me, it turned out I was struggling with Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), triggered by 3 rounds of antibiotics in a 4-month period that wreaked havoc on my gut microbiome. I had spent a few months after those antibiotics feeling the same as you - there were more and more things I couldn't eat, and my body was trying to tell me something.
There's a lot of "woo" out there around SIBO, but the Cleveland Clinic has a good synopsis. I worked with a functional medicine doctor and nutritionist who led me through an elimination diet for a couple of months, then gradually added foods back in. I felt so much better within a couple of weeks.
As I was reintroducing foods, peanuts were tough. My nutritionist said that a lot of people have trouble with peanuts because they're high in fiber (since they're legumes, not actually nuts) and people tend to eat too many at once, which puts a heavy burden on your digestive system. Like migrantology, I can handle just a small schmear of peanut butter or a few crushed peanuts on a Thai dish, but not much more than that.
So... that's not a very clear answer. But I can recommend keeping detailed notes of what you eat when, and how it correlates with certain symptoms.
Good luck! This stuff is tricky and frustrating but solving the puzzle can be very empowering.
posted by writermcwriterson at 2:28 PM on July 19, 2022
There’s quite a few studies linking autoimmune disease and food intolerance or sensitivity.
posted by rdnnyc at 5:22 AM on July 20, 2022
posted by rdnnyc at 5:22 AM on July 20, 2022
Oof. This is such a loaded topic and there is So Much misinformation out there. One thing I didn't see mentioned is genetics. My personal cross to bear is that I cannot digest bell peppers, and neither can my mom or her sister. I've heard that it's an inability to digest its unique protein, or possibly a solanine sensitivity. I'm also allergic to latex, which is apparently related.
As I've gotten older, I've developed a sensitivity to onion and garlic as well, which is possibly cause by a fructan or sulfer sensitivity, or maybe something else entirely. It kicked into high gear after a did a 'master cleanse' in my 20s (you basically drink only lemonade made with grade B maple syrup for a week. Pro tip: never do this) which gave me a horrendous candida flush. I've since resoved that, yet the sensitivity has remained.
In short, it's complicated and there's so many factors that could be at play that it's nearly impossible to know or predict what you will react to or become reactive to until you react to it, which can manifest in such a variety of ways that you may not realize that it's related, and sometimes you can't reverse it once it happens (especially if it's genetic) .
That said, I have had several friends get tested through Rocky Mountain Health who have praised the accuracy of the results. One friend discovered she was sensitive to sesame, of all things, and cutting out tahini and sesame oil has been life changing for her. I've also done it, and am awaiting my results.
I do have some friends who successfully reversed sensitivities, or at least dialed them way down. Once you know your list of things to avoid, eliminate them and all related foods for at least 3 months. (so not just onions but all aliums, not just potatoes but all night shades, etc). Then slowly add them back one at a time and see if you can tolerate them. Sometimes just giving your body a break does the trick. It may not last forever, so you may have to repeat that process from time to time.
Best of luck. Food issues suck. I'm sorry :(
posted by ananci at 11:43 AM on July 20, 2022
As I've gotten older, I've developed a sensitivity to onion and garlic as well, which is possibly cause by a fructan or sulfer sensitivity, or maybe something else entirely. It kicked into high gear after a did a 'master cleanse' in my 20s (you basically drink only lemonade made with grade B maple syrup for a week. Pro tip: never do this) which gave me a horrendous candida flush. I've since resoved that, yet the sensitivity has remained.
In short, it's complicated and there's so many factors that could be at play that it's nearly impossible to know or predict what you will react to or become reactive to until you react to it, which can manifest in such a variety of ways that you may not realize that it's related, and sometimes you can't reverse it once it happens (especially if it's genetic) .
That said, I have had several friends get tested through Rocky Mountain Health who have praised the accuracy of the results. One friend discovered she was sensitive to sesame, of all things, and cutting out tahini and sesame oil has been life changing for her. I've also done it, and am awaiting my results.
I do have some friends who successfully reversed sensitivities, or at least dialed them way down. Once you know your list of things to avoid, eliminate them and all related foods for at least 3 months. (so not just onions but all aliums, not just potatoes but all night shades, etc). Then slowly add them back one at a time and see if you can tolerate them. Sometimes just giving your body a break does the trick. It may not last forever, so you may have to repeat that process from time to time.
Best of luck. Food issues suck. I'm sorry :(
posted by ananci at 11:43 AM on July 20, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by lafemma at 8:00 AM on July 19, 2022