ALLERGY: A SENSITIVE TOPIC

Allergy is considered the most common immunologic disease. Some medical texts refer to it as a side effect of immunity. So do this mean that since allergies is a disease it’s not your fault and just the price we have to pay to have immunity? The president of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology says, “While we can explain the molecular mechanism of this disease, we do not yet know why it happens in the first place, or how to stop it.”

It is usually assumed that when we get sick the body has somehow made a mistake and needs to be fixed. If we continue to maintain this reasoning then allergy as well as most diseases will remain a mystery. I believe that allergies, because of it’s metaphoric presentation, more than any other condition challenges this reasoning and requires us to change our view of health and disease. If we assume that the cell does not make a mistake but rather always responds appropriately and innately to its environment then if the environment is less than optimal the response of the cell will be less than optimal. This places us in the middle of this health/disease mystery because we are ultimately responsible for providing the environment. Of course the allergic tendency phenomenon is genetically passed on from parent to child so if you want to blame someone blame your parents. And they can blame their parents and so on, at least it stays in the family.

From this perspective of responsibility we can talk about allergies and give some solid action steps to over coming it’s uncomfortable expression.

An allergic reaction is when the immune system has perceived an otherwise harmless particle as a potentially dangerous invading agent and responds to it. This agent, usually a protein, is called an antigen. It is here that most scientists try proving with evidence that the immune system has made a mistake and that we need this new-patented synthetic drug to save us from the weaknesses of the body. Rather than viewing this situation from the perspective of the cell and asking what did we do to upset the balance of things. Most of these “harmless” particles may actually be potentially dangerous if we examine closer what they really are. The most common food allergies are to milk and grains. The protein in milk is casein and the protein in grain is gluten, two of the hardest proteins for humans to digest. Many of these proteins do not completely digest, passing through the GI tract and into the blood stream causing legitimate concern for the immune system. Gluten intolerance is associated with a family history of alcoholism, arthritis, Down’s syndrome and mental disorders such as schizophrenia and dementia. Maybe the immune system is trying to tell you today what is destined to happen in the future if you don’t change your ways. I f someone has a decreased HCL production from an electrolyte deficiency, over reactive nervous system or form taking antacids for heart burn, the possibility of having undigested proteins greatly increase. Please ask for my article “The Burning Truth” for more information on this pathway.

To make these proteins more digestible traditional cultures would soak or sprout their grains and culture their dairy products before eating them. Something we do not do in our culture. The pasteurization process of milk in this country destroys enzymes necessary for digestion, kills friendly bacteria and leaves the protein less available and more toxic.

Most allergies are the result of feeding babies such foods like cow’s milk, meat and cereals before 10-12 months that set up immunologic responses and antigen memory patterns for many years. The infant’s digestive system lacks the enzymes to handle these stressful foods and should have mother’s milk alone until at least 8 months.

When we turn our attention to inhalant type allergies we have to bring the liver into the discussion. The liver is responsible for reforming the amino acids that have been broken down from dietary proteins. This process of making amino acids usable has been called “humanizing”. It personalizes the molecule so the body will accept it. Without this humanizing process the body will see the molecule as an antigen and attack it. When the colon becomes toxic from undigested proteins, the blood supply from this area is also toxic and eventually reaches the liver. With the liver burdened in this way, hypersensitive responses start to develop. If this response is in the nose it shows up as hay fever, in the bronchioles as asthma, in local skin tissue as hives and if systemically, possibly death.

 It is interesting to notice the parallels of the body’s wisdom and the way people also react. We also attack that which we do not accept, especially when it is trying to invade our space with malice. It seems the only way to explain the allergic reaction in some cases is to assume that the immune system has an unfavorable memory associated with a foreign particle. This reaction could be the only way the body has to bring a piece of awareness to your attention but in the moment it happens too fast for our frontal cortex to be aware of.   

There are 4000 edible plant species, only 150 are cultivated largely and only three provide 60% of the world’s food. Exclusive use of a few foods can lead to food addictions and allergies due to the constant depletion of certain enzymes. By eating more variety and changing your eating habits you will expand your awareness around foods. Breaking eating patterns may bring you insights to better see what these allergic type reactions really mean to you.

Anytime the body is operating less than optimal it has a greater chance to be hypersensitive to additional stress. Just like you are when having a bad day. The answer is not strict avoidance of the antigen, unless the reaction is life threatening of course but rather to correct the underlying stress patterns, which create that constant state of allergic tension. Someone with severe allergies will be allergic to everything on a bad day. Many of the “allergic reactions” are really the body displaying a metabolic imbalance that is triggered by the antigen exposure.

You can examine the list of the most common foods that are blamed for causing allergies and in most cases clearly find what is unhealthy about that food and why the immune system did indeed respond properly. We already looked at milk and gluten–containing grains such as wheat, corn, oats, rye and barley, which covers the majority, but how about someone with a chronic yeast infection, probably brought on from chronically eating processed grain and sugar products? They would likely show reactions to heavily yeasted foods like vinegar, barley malt, soy sauce, alcoholic beverages and aged cheeses. Is this a real allergy or just a proper body response to an underlying health issue?

Many times when someone says they are allergic to citrus it is actually their liver reacting to the stimulating detoxification effects to this food group. A person with a healthy liver would not have this reaction. The liver continually heals through the use of these foods but with a stressed liver the reaction may feel like an unhealthy response but again that is just the person’s improper interpretation of the body’s intelligence. Someone “allergic” to nuts probably has a prostaglandin imbalance and is merely reacting to the rancid oils commonly present in this food group. When the body’s prostaglandin’s are already out of balance they stay in a constant state of inflammation and allergies is a major complaint. Ask for my article “The Skinny On Fats” for more on this condition.
In conclusion we can pick out any food and show that after commercial processing takes place they are usually not fit for consumption. And we really think it’s the innate wisdom of the body that is doing something wrong?  Come to our Chemistry class and find out everything you need to know so that you will be afraid to eat badly.

To find out more information please call for a Network Spinal Analysis, Metabolic Analysis, class schedule, and attend some of our workshops.