Allergies disorders

DISORDERS

(Their description, characteristics or symptoms,

causes, and complementary or alternative treatments)

Disorder: ALLERGIES

Description: An allergy is an adverse immune system reaction to a substance that is not normally harmful. The immune system is a highly complex defense mechanism that helps us to combat infection by identifying "foreign invaders" and mobilizing the body’s white blood cells to fight them. In an allergic response, the immune system wrongly identifies a substance as an invader, and the white blood cells overreact and do more damage to the body than the invader. The substances that provoke allergic responses are called allergens.

Allergies fall into two categories, those caused by environmental factors and those caused by food. The most common environmental allergies are the pollens of various plants such as weeds and grass, house dust, mites, molds and tobacco smoke. The foods most commonly found to cause allergies include wheat, corn, milk and other dairy products, egg whites, tomatoes, soy, shellfish, peanuts, chocolate; as well as food dyes and additives.

Symptoms: Nasal congestion, coughing, sneezing, wheezing, itching, hives and other skin rashes are common responses. Food allergies can manifest themselves in many ways, not all of them obvious. The following symptoms are the most common manifestations of food allergies: Acne, especially pimples on the chin or around the mouth; arthritis; asthma; chest and shoulder pains; colitis; depression; fatigue; food cravings, headaches; insomnia; intestinal problems; muscle disorders; obesity; sinus problems; ulcers; unexplained dramatic weight gain or loss.

Incidence: It is estimated that 35 million Americans are afflicted with allergies.

Causes: One of the primary causes of allergies is an impaired immune system, which substantially increases the risk of allergic reactions. Researchers have found a number of factors that negatively impact the immune system. These include increased toxic burden due to pollution in all its forms, disturbance of infant immune systems through repeated vaccination and immunization; and damage to healthy intestinal flora due to over-reliance on antibiotics and steroids (especially birth control pills). Heredity is also a factor. Other causes of food allergies include nutritional deficiencies, a repetitive and monotonous diet, chemicals in the food chain due to pesticides and preservatives, and chronic intestinal yeast overgrowth (candidiasis).

Treatments: Proper diet and nutrition, combined with other alternative approaches, can relieve and reverse allergies.

Nutrients:

Supplement Dosage Comments

Vitamin C with bioflavonoids	5000-20,000 mg. daily, in divided doses.	Protects the body from allergens and moderates the inflammatory response.
Bee pollen	Start with a few granules at a time and work up to 2 tsp. daily.	Strengthens the immune system. Caution: Bee pollen may cause an allergic reaction in some individuals. Discontinue use if a rash, wheezing, discomfort, or other symptoms occur.
Calcium and Magnesium	1500-2000 mg. daily 750 mg. daily	Needed to help reduce stress. Use calcium chelate form. Needed to balance with calcium.
Multienzyme complex or pancreatin	As directed on label. Take with meals	For improved digestion. Caution: If you have a history of ulcers, do not use a formula containing HCl.
Vitamin B complex	100 mg. daily	Needed for proper digestion and nerve function.
Acidophilus	As directed on label. Take on an empty stomach for easier access into the small intestine.	Helps to maintain healthy intestinal flora. Use a nondairy formula.
Coenzyme Q10	100 mg. daily	Improves cellular oxygenation and immune function.
Multivitamin and mineral complex	As directed on label	All nutrients are needed in balance.
Glucosamine sulfate	As directed on label	Important for regulating the mucous secretions of respiratory system.
L-cysteine and L-tyrosine	500 mg. each daily, on empty stomach. Take with water or juice, not milk.	Promotes healing from respiratory disorders. Helpful for stress and allergic disorders.

Herbs:

	Goldenseal root aids absorption of nutrients. Caution: Do not take goldenseal on a daily basis for more than one week at a time and do not use it during pregnancy. If you have a history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or glaucoma, use it only under a doctor’s supervision.
	Other herbs that can be beneficial for allergies include burdock, dandelion, and echinacea.

Recommendations:

	A "rotation diet" is one of the most effective measures one can take to both prevent and deal with the problems of food allergies. Since food allergies often develop slowly, if you consume the same foods daily, your body eventually develops an intolerance to them. To avoid this, on a rotation diet no type of food should be ingested more often than every four days. You might have the same food more than once in a day, but then you wouldn’t have it again until four days later. For example, if you eat beans on Monday, you wouldn’t eat beans again on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. If you eat salmon on Friday, you wouldn’t eat fish again until Tuesday. Rotating foods in this way will not only make you feel better, it will also help to stabilize your weight.
	The first step in discovering hidden food allergies is to develop a written list of suspect foods. Start by recording everything you consume for a four week period. Then compile a list of all the foods you ate four times a week or more. This is your list of suspect foods.
	Once you have your list of suspect foods, omit these foods from your diet for a period of thirty days to give your body a rest from them. Then reintroduce the suspect foods, one at a time. Add only one new food a day. As you add foods back to your diet, keep a diary of any symptoms or reactions you experience to them. If you have a reaction to any of the reintroduced foods, omit that food from your diet for another two months, then try a small amount of it again. If you have a reaction after the second reintroduction, eliminate that food from your diet permanently.
	Sulfites are common food additives used as sanitary agents and preservatives to prevent discoloration of foods. They are commonly used in restaurant salad bars and are also present in many frozen foods, dried fruits, and certain fresh fruits and vegetables. Many people are allergic to sulfites. Reactions in sensitive individuals vary, and may include breathing difficulties, anaphylactic shock, severe headaches, abdominal pain, stuffy and/or runny nose, flushing of the face and a "hot flash" feeling, diarrhea, irritability, and/or feelings of anger. These symptoms tend to occur quickly, usually within twenty to thirty minutes after consuming sulfites. If you have ever suffered a reaction after ingesting a food you believe contained sulfites, you should be aware of foods that contains sulfites. Sulfiting agents appear in food ingredient lists in a variety of way, including "sodium sulfite," sodium bisulfite," sodium metabisulfite," potassium bisulfite," "potassium metbisulfite," and "sulfur dioxide." Any ingredient ending in "-sulfite" should be assumed to be a sulfiting agent.
	Avoid the following foods until it is determined you are not allergic to them: bananas, beef, caffeine, chocolate, citrus fruits, corn, dairy products, eggs, oats, oysters, peanuts, processed and refined foods, salmon, strawberries, tomatoes, wheat and white rice.
	Avoid food products that contain artificial color, especially FD &C Yellow No. 5 dye. Many people are allergic to food colorings. Other food additives to avoid include vanillin, benzyldehyde, eucalyptol, monosodium glutamate (MSG), BHT-BHA, benzoates, and annatto. Read labels carefully.
	Take only hypoallergenic supplements.
	Keep rooms free from dust and use a dehumidifier.
	Do not smoke, and avoid secondhand smoke.

Considerations:

	IgE is an antibody formed by the body as part of an allergic response to a food substance. If IgE is present in your lung tissue, it frequently causes symptoms such as shortness of breath or asthma. If present in the skin, it can cause hives. If IgE is present in the wall of the intestinal tact, it can result in severe pain, gas or bloating. IgE can be present anywhere in the body, causing severe problems. Even healthy natural foods can have an adverse effect if you are allergic to them.
	Wheat is highly allergenic, and is not recommended as a source of fiber for allergy-prone individuals.
	Cerebral allergies cause swelling of the lining of the brain. Recurrent headaches or schizophrenic, violent, or aggressive reactions, can be an indicator of cerebral allergy. Foods such as corn, wheat, rice, milk, chocolate, and certain food additives are the most common offenders.
	Research is being conducted on the ability of coenzyme Q10 to counter histamine for asthma and allergy sufferers.

Vitamin For Life Recommended Regimen and cost:

Product No 59618-	Description	Comments	Cost
970-12	Vitamin C 1000 mg. w/Rose Hips Tabs.	Take 1 tablet 3 times daily	$5.75/60
091-12	Citrus bioflavanoid 1000 mg. Tabs.	Take 1 tablet 3 times daily with vitamin C	$5.95/60
896-15	Bee pollen 500 mg. chewable tabs.	As directed on label. Caution: dis-continue use if allergic reactions occur.	$3.95/100
499-15 232-15	Calcium 600 with D And Magnesium 200 mg. Caps.	Take 3 tablets daily in divided doses. Take with calcium	$5.75/120 $4.95/100
890-15	B-Complex 100 mg. Tabs.	Take 1 tab. Daily	$8.95/100
888-15	Acidophilus with pectin hardshell	As directed on label.	$6.95/100
949-11	Coenzyme Q10 100 mg. Caps.	As directed on label.	$19.95/30
968-15	Multivitamin with Minerals Spectrum	As directed on label.	$6.95/100
702-127	Glucosamine 400 mg. Tablets	As directed on label	$10.36/60

Sources:

Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 2^nd Edition

By James F. Balch, M.D. & Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C.

Prevention’s Healing with Vitamins, by the Editors of

Prevention Magazine Health Books

Alternative Medicine, The Definitive Guide

Compiled by Burton Goldberg

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