Allergies And Weight Gain

As most people know an allergy is the body’s immune response to a substance that is generally innocuous. In some individuals, the immune system overacts to a substance not generally considered to be harmful causing an allergic response. The nontoxic substance is considered by the body to be a detrimental invader and the body sends off white blood cells to fight it. This, unfortunately, causes more harm than the original substance.

Allergy responses include most often a runny nose, nasal congestion, and wheezing, itching, shortness of breath, fatigue, hives and other skin rashes, coughing and headaches. Almost any kind of substance can in one person or another cause an allergic reaction but some of the most common offenders include: dust, pollen, metal, dust mites, animal hair, insect venom, molds, animal dander, chemicals in soap, washing powder and cleaning supplies, as well as certain common drugs (including aspirin and penicillin), and foods and food additives (sulfur dioxide, benzoic acid, and sulphites). Common food allergies include chocolate, dairy products, eggs, shellfish, wheat and strawberries.

While some of these foods may not cause severe allergic reactions, people can develop intolerances to these foods. An intolerance is when the body cannot break down the specific food ingested because they lack a certain enzyme to do so. An allergy, on the other hand, involves the process whereby the body actually develops antibodies to the offending material. A food intolerance can lead to an allergy especially when undigested food particles enter the bloodstream. This process sometimes referred to as Leaky Gut Syndrome is a condition in which the intestinal lining thins and develops perforations allowing tiny particles to escape into the blood stream. These undigested or partially digested particles then lead to an allergic reaction.

According to some researchers allergy sufferers can also experience increased weight gain and difficulty in losing weight. Researches speculate that when the body cannot rid itself of the offending material as quickly as it would like, it retains water in order to attempt to flush the substance out. The water retention and added toxicity which can be stored in the fat cells also slows down the metabolic rate making weight loss more difficult.

When the body is continuously exposed to the allergy inducing substance it attempts to store the toxin in the fatty tissue. When there is simply too much of the allergen however, the body must store more fat in order to protect the body from the material. And because most people do not get enough fiber in their diets, nor do they drink enough water in the day to allow the kidneys to flush out the offending matter, much of the toxic material must be stored in the body. The creation and retention of fatty tissue designed to store toxic material has been referred to as the build up of ‘toxic waste storage depot sites’.

Food intolerances and allergies can also slow down the metabolic rate. According to some practitioners, food reactions will slow metabolism, create hypoglycemic reactions, decrease energy, contribute to disease and ill health, and increase certain hormone levels that will eventually lead to weight gain. These side effects all contribute to the storage of excess weight.

Allergy testing can be useful for determining specific allergies, however, the skin prick test works less well for testing food intolerances. While you may discover that ragweed or pollen is an irritation for you, this kind of testing will not necessarily help you with your diet. Recording how you feel after eating a particular food will though. If you notice your pulse and heart rate increase about twenty minutes after a suspected food, you may have an intolerance to it. Avoiding foods that cause bloating or other allergic reactions will help your body free itself of what it considers to be toxins. Particular vitamins and herbs such as acidophilus, Calcium and Magnesium, and Kyolic Garlic can also help reduce allergy symptoms and help the body heal. Paying attention to your body’s reactions and steering clear of allergy producing foods will help you feel better and, potentially, lose that extra weight.