How Food Sensitivity Begins
The digestive tract contains up to two pounds of live, living bacteria. Most of these bacteria reside within the large intestine. Some of these bacteria are protective and health enhancing. Others, however, are toxin producing. Any disturbance of these gut bacteria can trigger symptoms of food sensitivity.
Martin Healy
Clinic Founder and DirectorFitzwilliam Foodtest
Our Immune System Lives in Our Gut
Upwards of 70% of our immune system resides within this gut environment. Having a diverse array of healthy gut bacteria is crucial as they help regulate the optimal functioning of the immune system.
New research is highlighting how a disturbance of the gut bacteria can trigger allergy and food sensitivity. The disruption of gut bacteria can cause the immune system to over-react against items such as housedust, pollen, and different foods.
What Causes This Gut Disturbance?
We are constantly being warned about the danger posed by antibiotics to the gut bacteria. Most worrying are repeat courses of antibiotics. Repeat courses could mean that you are not treating the root cause! You need to query “what is feeding these recurring infections”?
Your diet is critical to your gut health. Prebiotic foods such as garlic, onions, lentils, leeks, asparagus, bananas etc, are some of the essential foods that feed the good gut bacteria.
However, these foods can trigger a lot of gas and bloating for some people. Food intolerance is a significant and underestimated problem.
For people suffering with coeliac disease, gluten will negatively impact their gut health. Gluten intolerance is a separate issue. Many people who suffer with recurring urinary tract infections and skin issues have a candida yeast (thrush) issue. Candida Albicans is a yeast infection and it is often rooted in the gut bacteria. All of these factors contribute to gut disturbance.
Treating the Root Cause
Increasingly, people are wishing to search for and treat the root cause rather than opting for a short-term, quick fix, just treat the symptoms solution.
Food is Medicine
Increasingly, the scientific publications are highlighting the link between diet, our gut bacteria and our good health.
A recent study by Melanie Rutkowski PhD and published in Forbes Magazine found that disruption of the gut bacteria in mice resulted in widespread inflammation throughout the body. She said that “in this inflamed environment, tumour cells were much more able to spread”.
Gut health has a role in cancer treatment. In his book “Eat to Beat Disease”, Dr. William Li talks about immunotherapy (using the immune system to kill cancer). Dr Li said that for some people, feeding their gut bacteria a specific diet can help the immunotherapy to work spectacularly better. Improved gut health can be used as a potent medicine and this is hugely exciting.
Using improved gut health to treat disease is a very new and innovative approach. No force on earth can stop an idea whose time has come.
Food IgG Antibody Test
Contact us for more information about getting tested for food sensitivity. You can book a clinic appointment or buy a test online
