Food Sensitivities: Causes, Symptoms, and Management

Food sensitivities have become an increasingly common topic of discussion as more people experience adverse reactions after consuming certain foods. However, food sensitivities, allergies, and intolerances are often confused, even though they each involve distinct mechanisms within the body. In this article, we will explore the differences between food sensitivities, allergies, and intolerances, the causes and symptoms of food sensitivities, and how they can be managed for optimal health.

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What Are Food Sensitivities?

Food sensitivities occur when the digestive system or immune system reacts negatively to a particular food, but the response is not as immediate or severe as an allergic reaction. These reactions can manifest in various ways, causing unpleasant symptoms like stomach upset, joint pain, headaches, or nasal congestion.

Difference Between Food Sensitivity, Food Allergy, Food Intolerance, and MCAS

A food allergy triggers an immune system response, producing antibodies such as immunoglobulin E (IgE). This can cause symptoms ranging from mild discomfort, like a runny nose, to severe, life-threatening allergic reactions known as anaphylaxis.¹ Common food allergies include peanut allergy, tree nuts, cow’s milk, eggs, shellfish, and wheat.

In contrast, food intolerance is the body’s difficulty digesting certain foods without triggering the immune system. For example, lactose intolerance occurs when an individual lacks enough lactase enzyme to break down lactose, the sugar in milk and dairy products. The result is discomfort, including stomach pain, bloating, and diarrhea after consuming dairy.²

Food sensitivity falls somewhere in between and can be more difficult to diagnose. Unlike food allergies, which produce immediate symptoms after consuming the offending food, sensitivities can take a few hours or even days to manifest, making them harder to pinpoint. Sensitivities often cause chronic, low-grade inflammation and lead to symptoms like digestive upset, joint pain, headaches, and fatigue.³

​​Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) is another condition that may involve adverse reactions to certain foods. In MCAS, the body’s mast cells release too many inflammatory chemicals (like histamine) in response to triggers, including food. This can lead to a wide range of symptoms, such as abdominal pain, hives, flushing, headaches, and even severe allergic reactions. Unlike typical food allergies, MCAS can cause sensitivity to multiple foods, and the reactions can vary in severity depending on the individual’s overall immune system and mast cell activity.⁴

Common Symptoms of Food Sensitivities

People with food sensitivities may experience a range of symptoms that are often vague or generalized, such as:

• Abdominal pain or stomach pain
• Digestive system disturbances, including gas, bloating, and diarrhea
• Joint pain
• Fatigue and low energy
• Headaches or migraines
• Skin issues, such as eczema or hives
• Nasal congestion and other respiratory symptoms
• Trouble breathing, though usually not as severe as an allergic reaction.³

Common Triggers for Food Sensitivities

Certain foods and food additives are frequently linked to food sensitivities. These include:

• Gluten (found in wheat, barley, and rye)
• Dairy products like cow’s milk
• Soy
• Eggs
• Dried fruit (due to natural chemicals like sulfites)
• Food additives, including artificial colors, preservatives, and flavorings
• Sugar found in certain foods like high-fructose corn syrup

Some individuals may also be sensitive to naturally occurring chemicals in foods, such as histamine intolerance, which can cause unpleasant symptoms like flushing, headaches, and low blood pressure.⁴

How Food Sensitivities Affect the Immune System and Digestive System

Food sensitivities often involve the immune system, though not in the same way as allergies. Instead of producing IgE antibodies, food sensitivities may cause the immune system to release other types of antibodies or inflammatory chemicals that can affect various parts of the body, including the digestive tract, joints, and skin.⁷

For example, in non-celiac gluten sensitivity, the immune response to gluten is not as severe as in celiac disease but still results in digestive tract irritation, joint pain, and fatigue.⁸

Diagnosing and Managing Food Sensitivities

Elimination Diet: A Key Diagnostic Tool

One of the most effective ways to identify food sensitivities is through an elimination diet, where individuals remove potential trigger foods from their diet for some time, typically 2-4 weeks. After the elimination phase, foods are slowly reintroduced to observe for adverse reactions. This process can help pinpoint specific problem foods that may be causing digestive system issues or other health problems.⁵

Tests and Medical Consultation

While elimination diets are useful, it’s essential to consult a healthcare professional, such as a gastroenterologist or clinical immunology specialist, to rule out other conditions like celiac disease, food poisoning, or irritable bowel syndrome. Tests such as blood tests for immune system markers, breath tests for lactose intolerance, or antibody tests for non-celiac gluten sensitivity can help determine whether the body has an immune reaction or difficulty digesting certain foods.⁶

Long-Term Management

Once food sensitivities are identified, the best action is to avoid foods that trigger symptoms. Careful reading of food labels is essential to avoid food additives or particular foods that could cause symptoms. Additionally, many individuals with gluten sensitivity or lactose intolerance find relief by choosing gluten-free or lactose-free alternatives.

In some cases, individuals may require long-term dietary changes, especially if the sensitivity involves multiple foods. However, by following an appropriate management plan, many people with food sensitivities can significantly reduce their symptoms, slowly reintroduce trigger foods with the help of brain retraining, and improve their quality of life.⁶

Brain Retraining for Food Sensitivities

An emerging area in the management of food sensitivities is brain retraining. Brain retraining focuses on the relationship between the brain, the nervous system, and the immune system. It is based on the idea that, over time, chronic stress, trauma, or illness can cause the brain to develop a heightened sensitivity to certain stimuli, including food, leading to overactive immune and digestive system responses.¹ This process can contribute to developing food sensitivities, even to previously tolerated foods.

How Brain Retraining Works

Brain retraining involves using neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to form new connections and pathways—to calm down the nervous system and rewire the brain’s response to triggers, such as certain foods. Over time, by teaching the brain to respond differently to foods that previously caused adverse reactions, individuals may reduce or even eliminate their food sensitivities. This technique is often used in combination with dietary changes and other treatments.

Techniques in Brain Retraining

Several programs and techniques are designed to retrain the brain and alleviate symptoms associated with chronic illness, including food sensitivities. Some of the core methods include:

• Cognitive reappraisal: This technique involves consciously reinterpreting negative or distressing thoughts about food sensitivities in a more neutral or positive light. By changing how the brain perceives the threat posed by certain foods, cognitive reappraisal can help reduce anxiety and diminish the exaggerated physiological responses to food triggers. Over time, this can shift the brain’s reaction, allowing the individual to experience fewer symptoms.
• Visualization and mindfulness: Techniques such as guided visualization or mindfulness meditation can help calm the brain’s immune response and digestive system when encountering triggering foods.
• Gradual re-exposure: Like the elimination diet, brain retraining may involve slowly reintroducing problem foods while using relaxation techniques to prevent the brain from sending distress signals.
• Somatic practices: Incorporating body-based techniques, like deep breathing or yoga, to downregulate overactive responses and encourage a more balanced immune system and digestive reaction to foods.

Success Stories and Emerging Research

Although research on brain retraining for food sensitivities is still in its early stages, there is growing evidence that this approach can help individuals manage their food sensitivities. Many people report an improved ability to tolerate certain foods and a reduction in severe symptoms after engaging in a brain retraining program.⁸

This method offers hope for those who have struggled with multiple food sensitivities, particularly when traditional medical interventions have not provided relief. Brain retraining empowers individuals to take control of their health by retraining the brain to respond calmly to certain foods, ultimately reducing adverse reactions and promoting healing.

Reclaim Your Health by Addressing Food Sensitivities Effectively

Food sensitivities can significantly impact your quality of life, but with proper diagnosis, management, and dietary adjustments, it is possible to reduce symptoms and improve overall health. Whether through an elimination diet, consulting with a healthcare professional, or avoiding trigger foods, understanding and addressing food sensitivities can pave the way to feeling better and leading a healthier life.

re-origin is a neuroscience-backed brain retraining program designed to help you rewire your brain in order to overcome symptoms of chronic health conditions, including food and chemical sensitivities. Learn more about how you can overcome sensitivities with brain retraining through the re-origin program here.

References

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2. Shuker, M. A., & Shanks, N. (2021). Lactose intolerance: An overview. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, 55(4), 295-301.
3. Fasano, A., & Catassi, C. (2012). Clinical practice. Celiac disease. The New England Journal of Medicine, 367(25), 2419-2426.
4. Comas-Basté, O., et al. (2020). Histamine intolerance: The current state of the art. Allergy, 75(9), 2170-2182.
5. Biesiekierski, J. R. (2017). Non-coeliac gluten sensitivity: Piecing the puzzle together. United European Gastroenterology Journal, 5(4), 546-553.
6. Gibson, P. R., & Shepherd, S. J. (2010). Evidence-based dietary management of functional gastrointestinal symptoms: The FODMAP approach. Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 25(2), 252-258.
7. Baur, C. P., et al. (2021). Food sensitivities: Diagnosis and management. Current Allergy and Asthma Reports, 21(7), 37.
8. Lionetti, E., & Fasano, A. (2019). Non-celiac gluten sensitivity: Does it exist? Current Opinion in Gastroenterology, 35(2), 140-145.