ALLERGY
What is Allergy?
What Diseases and Symptoms can be caused by Allergies?
What causes Allergies?
When does an Allergy occur?
Why does food allergy occur?
Allergy Testing
The Allergy Freedom Programme
Where is this treatment available?
Why does food allergy occur?
Food allergy occurs because of a failure of the body to adapt to the change in diet since the Stone Age. To put it another way, we are giving our bodies the wrong foods so they don't work properly, like putting diesel fuel in a petrol engine. The essence of the Stone Age man's diet was variety. He would eat everything that he could catch or find that was edible. All non-poisonous plant matter was eaten, from the roots at the bottom to the buds at the top, taking in stems, leaves, fruits, berries and nuts on the way up.
Equally, all animals were eaten, starting from humble worms, insects and slugs to fish, frogs, snakes, birds and mammals. Variety was an unavoidable part of the Stone Age man's diet since without refrigeration or the ability to transport food across the globe any fruit or vegetable (e.g. apples) would be available only for part of the year. The rest of the year Stone Age man would have to do without apples whether he liked it or not.
Since the Stone Age there have been three major changes in diet:
- Almost 10,000 years ago stone age man ceased being Nomadic and settled down in one place to cultivate wheat and more intensively to rear cattle, and produce milk, dairy products, beef and eggs. This process radically changed his food intake.
- Several hundred years ago, as sailing ships became larger and faster, significant quantities of highly allergic foods such as citrus fruits, tea, coffee, cocoa and sugar were imported. Also, instead of eating foods just in season they could be eaten all the year round.
- Since World War II, petrochemical additives (called E numbers) have been added in larger and larger amounts to food until the present time, and it is now increasingly difficult to have a diet free of colours, flavours, preservatives, antioxidants, emulsifiers and stabilisers. A larger number of people with food allergies cannot accept the modern diet, which is repetitive and lacking in variety.
The modern diet usually gives high daily levels of milk and milk products, wheat and wheat products, egg, citrus fruits, tea, coffee, cocoa, sugar and additives. These particular foods are the commonest cause of food allergy. The body cannot cope with an excessive amount or excessive repetition of any one food and may give symptoms as previously listed. See also Food Intolerance.
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