Need help Understanding Allergies...

[jaidymama]

Ok, so I understand that there are allergies, but I'm still not all that clear on the why, what and who... Mostly I am content just knowing that my son has these allergies (I mean, I don't like it, but I'm not obsessing about how we could have prevented it or something)... Where I'm at right now is I need better information so I can explain to my family (parents etc.) just how/why things are the way they are with ds... I think the way I have explained things so far has led them to believe that there are things we have done in feeding our ds that have led to these allergies... for instance, last winter ds would only eat eggs, noodles and ?? apples and chicken. Believe me, we tried everything to get him to eat, and after a while I just figured I would stick with what was working.


SO MY QUESTION: I'm wondering if the leaky gut is hereditary or if it's the specific allergen that is passed along from parent to child. And how does that relate to the fact that if you don't fix the gut, then you could develop more allergies (potentially)??? Or is it that your gut is leaky then allergies develop... is this a 'which came first question??' I guess it doesn't matter which came first, but I"m just curious about the progression of events, and better being able to explain to my mom what's going on.

PS. I've been breastfeeding now for 24mo+

Thanks!!!

[Yo Becca]

[Panserbjorne]

Generally the leaky gut comes first. IT's the gut leaking that allows the food to pass into the bloodstream so that you develop antibodies (because food doesn't belong in the bloodstream.) If your gut is leaking (which it is supposed to until about the age of two) then any food you eat frequently can become an allergen. The more chances you give it to slip through the intestinal wall, the more likely it is to do so. This is why elimination diets aren't generally a good thing by themselves. If you are allergic to apples-it means your gut is leaking and the protein inthe apples in slipping through. Eliminating the apples will stop you from reacting to them. But now you are eating peaches instead of apples. It's only a matter of time before the peach proteins leak through if you aren't taking steps to heal the lining. Make sense?

So if the foods you eat most frequently are the ones you are likely to react to you need to look at what you are getting in your diet. IF you are buying prepared foods (rice in a box, bread, pasta sauces, crackers etc.) you can bet that you are getting dairy, soy and gluten in those products. You can look at your diet and say that you don't eat a ton of any one thing, but traces of it are found in everything you eat over the course of your days. You are likely and unknowingly getting alot of dairy in your diet, or soy or gluten. That is why there are common allergens. We are sensitized to the foods that are really hard to avoid. It isn't just Murphy's Law. It's overexposure. Top ones on America are wheat, soy, eggs, dairy, citrus, chocolate, peanuts and tree nuts. It varies from country to country.

The causes of a leaky gut are almost too voluminous to list. Antibiotics, birth control pills, yeast overgrowth, vaccines, aspirin, pesticides, drugs, environmental toxins, heavy metals etc. It's not easy to fix, but it can be done.

And just so you know-you didn't cause this. It isn't your fault. You do what you can with the knowledge you have at the time. I fed my dd homemade mac and cheese because she would eat it. Found out later that she has celiac disease. I had no idea I was basically poisoning her. I have guilt about it, so I know what you're saying, but there's a big difference from doing it because you are trying to nourish your kid and doing it because it's the easy thing to do.

I hope that this was in some way helpful! Check out www.enzymestuff.com for a great definition of Leaky Gut Syndrome.

[jaidymama]

Thank you Becca for bumping my post.

And thank you Firefaery for being a great source of information. Are there any books that further explain things about allergies?

TIA!

Heidi

[Panserbjorne]

I LOVE Enzymes for Autism and Other Neurological Conditions. It is an easy read that is the most informative source I have found so far. IT is by Karen DeFelice. There are others, but this is by far the best...don't be daunted by the title, it's totally relevant. Children With Starving Brains is also good.