Depression, Food Allergies and Food Sensitivities: The Secret Connection.

The Difference Between a Food Allergy & Food Sensitivity

Food allergies involve an immune system response that occurs after eating a triggering food. Even the smallest, minute amount of the allergy-causing food can set off symptoms. These often dramatic physical reactions usually occur within seconds and minutes. A food allergy is easy to diagnose because the body's response is obvious and rather severe.

Food sensitivities, also known as hypersensitivities or intolerances, affect a greater number of people than allergies. Food sensitivities are difficult to diagnose because the time between consumption and response may be delayed (up to two days!) and the symptoms are typically less dramatic. Sensitivities to a food can also be dependent on the amount of the food and how often it is eaten. Small amounts of the food may be tolerated if eaten infrequently with no symptoms being experience. But when larger quantities are eaten or with more regular consumption there may be noticeable symptoms.

Symptoms of Food Allergies and Sensitivities

The most well known symptoms of a food allergy are tingling in the mouth, hives, itching or eczema; swelling of the lips, face, tongue and throat; wheezing, nasal congestion or trouble breathing, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting; and dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting. In some people, a food allergy can also trigger anaphylaxis -a severe allergic reaction which causes life-threatening symptoms. A rapid increase in ones heart rate, a severe drop in blood pressure, a loss of consciousness, or difficulty breathing can be experienced.

Most people are aware if certain foods trigger these more severe types of symptoms, as they are usually experienced within minutes and can be quite severe. Unfortunately the involvement of food allergies and sensitivities are however often overlooked in more common health complaints.

Food allergies and sensitivities can lead to a range of symptoms and health conditions including problems with the stomach, immune system, mind and behavior, skin, and ear, nose and throat (see Table 1).

Table 1: Symptoms of a food allergy or intolerance are diverse and include:

o Inflammatory bowel disease
o Irritable bowel syndrome
o Bloating
o Diarrhea or Chronic constipation
o Autoimmune conditions
o Asthma
o Mouth ulcers
o Ear aches
o Postnasal drip
o ADHD & Autism
o Fatigue
o Migraine & tension headaches
o Depression & anxiety
o Schizophrenia
o Acne
o Eczema
o Psoriasis
o Bladder infections
o Enuresis (bed wetting)

Is a Food Allergy or Food Sensitivity Causing Your Depression?

It may surprise you to learn that health conditions potentially caused by a food allergy or sensitivity include inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, lupus, asthma, psoriasis, autism, migraines, and depression. This too often is overlooked as a cause of many of these common conditions.

If you experience some of the symptoms or health conditions described above (see Table 1) and you are trying to figure out whether your depression is related to food allergies or sensitivities, look again at yours and your family's health history. If you experienced eczema, asthma, chronic ear ache, colic, allergy to cow's milk, or bed wetting as a child, it makes it even more likely that the depression that you are struggling with right now is related to food allergies or sensitivities. Take a look at your family's health history. If you have a number of blood relatives that suffer from any of the health concerns and symptoms related to adverse food reactions, or they have actually been diagnosed with food allergies or sensitivities, it provides you with even more evidence.

Foods Most Commonly Associated with Allergies & Sensitivities

The most common foods that cause allergy and sensitivities are eggs, cow's milk, wheat, corn, and peanuts. There are a lot of other foods that can affect you too (see Table 2.) You are probably familiar, at least to some extent, with type of foods that contain dairy products, wheat, eggs, corn, chocolate, and some of the other foods listed in Table 2. Many people have never heard of salicylates or amines (see Table 3 and 4.)

Salicylates and amines are chemicals that can be present in foods, and these chemicals frequently cause adverse reactions to foods. It can be hard to recognize if you have a reaction to these chemicals, mostly because they are contained in such diverse types of foods. For example, salicylates are present in high amounts in berries, tomatoes, oranges, peppermint, zucchinis, and spices. If you reacted to each of these foods and wasn't aware that each of these foods contained salicylates, you would probably think that your food sensitivities were completely random.

Table 2: Foods Most Commonly Associated with Allergies

* Dairy products
* Wheat
* Eggs
* Corn
* Chocolate
* Tea
* Coffee
* Sugar
* Yeast
* Soy
* Citrus fruits
* Pork
* Rye
* Beef
* Tomato
* Peanuts
* Barley
* Nuts
* Seafood
* Foods containing salicylates
* Foods containing amines

Table 3: Foods Containing High Quantities of Histamine and other Amines

* Fermented cheeses (e.g. Camembert, Brie, Gruyere, Cheddar, Roquefort, Parmesan)
* Brewer's yeast
* Shellfish
* Fin fish (many)
* Canned fish
* Tomato
* Spinach
* Red wine (especially Chianti)
* Beer
* Unpasteurized milk (cow, goat, or human milk)
* Chicken
* Dry pork sausage
* Beef sausage
* Ham
* Chocolate
* Fermented soy products
* All fermented vegetables, such as sauerkraut

Table 4: Foods Containing High Quantities of Salicylates

Fruit
All dried Fruits, Apple - all varieties except delicious apples, Apricot, Avocado, Blackberry, Blackcurrant, Blueberry, Boysenberry, Cherries, Cranberry, Currant, Date, Grape, Grapefruit, Guava, Kiwi fruit, Loganberry, Lychee, Mandarin, Melons, Mulberry, Nectarine, Orange, Peach, Pineapple, Plum, Prune, Raisin, Raspberry, Rock melon, Strawberry, Sultana, Tangelo, Tangerine, Watermelon
Vegetables
Alfalfa sprouts, Artichoke, Aubergine with peel, Broad bean, Broccoli, Canned Black Olive, Canned Green Olives, Capsicum, Champignon, Chicory, Chili Peppers, Courgette, Cucumber, Cucumber, Eggplant, Endive, Fresh Spinach, Gherkin, Hot pepper, Okra, Radish, Sweet Potato, Tomato, Tomato Products, Water Chestnut, Watercress, Zucchini
Nuts
Brazil Nuts, Macadamia Nuts, Pine Nuts, Pistachio, Almond, Peanuts with skins on, Water Chestnuts
Sweets
Chewing Gum, Fruit Flavors, Honey, Honey Flavors, Jam (except pear,) Liquorices, Mint Flavored Sweets, Peppermints
Seasonings, Condiments, Sauces, and Toppings
All Spice, Bay leaf, Caraway, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Coriander, Ginger, Mixed Herbs, Mustard, Pimiento, Aniseed, Basil, Black Pepper, Cayenne, Celery Powder, Chilli Flakes, Chilli Powder, Cider Vinegar, Commercial Gravies & Sauces, Cumin, Curry, Dill, Fenugreek, Fish, Meat, Tomato Pastes, Garam Masala, Ginger, Honey, Jam/Jelly (all commercial varieties - you can make your own from acceptable ingredients,) Liquorices, Mace, Marmite, Mint, Mustard, Nutmeg, Oregano, Paprika, Peppermint, Rosemary, Sage, Tabasco, Tarragon, Thyme, Turmeric, Vegemite and other Yeast Extracts****, White pepper, White Vinegar, Wine Vinegar, Worcester Sauce
Oils
Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Sesame Oil, Walnut Oil

How to Diagnose & Treat a Food Allergy or Sensitivity

Treating a food allergy or sensitivity can often resolve depression, but how do you first diagnose it? To be honest diagnosing a food allergy or sensitivity isn't always easy. There are many causes of these bad reactions to food involving not only the immune system, but the digestive system.

Below I have provided a description of a free test that you can use as a screening tool for diagnosing adverse reactions to foods. It's called the "Food Allergy Pulse Test".

Food Allergy Pulse Test

* Take your pulse before eating the food or meal you are testing
* Eat the meal
* Five minutes after eating take your pulse
* Twenty-five minutes after eating take your pulse
* If your pulse has increased twelve or more beats per minute it suggests an adverse reaction to the food or foods being tested.

In my latest book, "Breaking Free: Exposing
the biochemical causes of depression" I discuss all of the 7 different causes of food allergies and sensitivities, and how to diagnose and treat each specific imbalance. Don't underestimate the power of this approach. Once you diagnose which foods you react badly too, you can eliminate these from your diet, treat the underlying cause of the adverse food reaction, and then get ready to break free from depression.