Food Allergies and Anxiety

Food allergies and sensitivities have a significant impact on your mental health. There are two main types — IgE (immediate) and IgG (delayed onset).

IgE allergies are the type of food allergies that get the most attention because they cause immediate hives, cramps, nausea, swelling, bloating, inflammation, wheezing, and anaphylaxis.

IgG allergies may appear several days later and for that reason, these are harder to spot. More than 50% of the population suffers from IgG food allergies, and most people may never know they have them. They will almost always be misdiagnosed.

Delayed food reactions may exhibit over 100 different symptoms and 150 different medical conditions such as:

• anxiety,
• ADHD,
• autism,
• chronic fatigue,
• depression,
• IBS,
• migraines,
• dermatitis,
• eczema,
• psoriasis,
• lethargy,
• weight gain or loss,
• PMS, and more.

Testing

IgE allergies are tested via the skin, as small amounts of suspected allergens are placed on the forearm, so that your medical practitioner can determine if a rejection (raised bump or a reaction) has occurred.

A blood spot test can also establish if your immune system is reacting to particular substances. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies will be formed in that instance.

IgG allergies may require an ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test to analyze the levels of IgG antibodies created. It clearly identifies common foods that may be causing health problems, so that you can avoid them. The downfall of this test is that you can develop antibodies only to things you have recently had, so if you have stayed away from some foods, they will not show up in your profile whether you are allergic to them or not.

In addition, blood “with high levels of antibodies against modified food antigens showed very high levels of antibodies against myelin basic protein, oxidized low density lipoprotein, AGE-human serum albumin and AGE-hemoglobin.”

The same Nutrition and Metabolism study also concluded that antibodies (by reacting with AGEs and tissue proteins) “may cause perturbation in degenerative and autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, inflammation, autoimmunity, neurodegeneration and neuroautoimmunity.”

HMAT and Breath Tests

Hair Mineral Analysis Tests (HMAT) can be great for nutritional deficiencies and toxins analyses, but they don’t confidently detect IgG food allergies (sensitivities or food intolerances) because hair is easily affected by environmental toxins, bleach, dyes, shampoos and other hair products. That said, they are much more inexpensive and may provide great value for those who combine them with their elimination diet conclusions.

Related: Elimination Diet Guidelines: What to Do and How to Do It

A hydrogen breath test can be good in determining whether a lactose intolerance or fructose malabsorption is present. Sugar breakdown enzyme deficiencies often lead to these issues. Hydrogen breath tests may detect lactose or fructose intolerance, but it does not detect IgG food allergies.

References:

1. https://www.integrativepsychiatry.net/is-there-a-connection-between-food-allergies-and-mental-health
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2685801/
3. https://www.imupro.com.au/blog/different-test-methods-for-food-intolerance/

Related: Why We Can Develop Anxiety Due to Allergies and Sensitivities Acquired Later in Life