Do you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome? As many as one in five Americans suffer from IBS, making it one of the most common diagnoses doctors deal with. Unfortunately conventional medicine has little to offer as there is no medicine that cures this disease. Many are left to rely on anti-diarrhea meds, while experimenting with their diet to determine which foods aggravate their condition. The lucky ones figure out that specific food and food chemical sensitivities worsen their irritable bowel syndrome. Once they determine their food triggers, they can build a diet around safe foods to greatly reduce symptoms.
Food Allergies-More Well Known
Food sensitivities are not the same as food allergies. A classic true food allergy only affects about 2% of the population. Food allergy reactions are usually easily identified. Symptoms often come on quickly and can range from a tingling in the mouth to hives, swelling, difficulty breathing and even death. Some common foods associated with true allergies include peanuts, eggs, milk, and shellfish. People who have food allergies are usually only allergic to one or two foods and just one molecule can lead to symptoms. Tests a doctor may use to make an official diagnosis include a skin prick test or a RAST blood test. These tests will not uncover food sensitivities as they occur through a different pathway in the body.
Food Sensitivities- A Problem for More
Many more people actually suffer from food sensitivities than food allergies. It is estimated that 15-20% of the population has developed sensitivities to food and food chemical additives-such as MSG, nitrates, sweeteners, and food colorings. It can be difficult to determine the foods you are sensitive to for the following reasons: