WEBVTT 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:34.390 Oh. It is 4 a .m. My name is Neogentrics. This 00:00:34.390 --> 00:00:36.149 is Food for Thought. Thoughts if it were you. 00:00:36.350 --> 00:00:38.689 I'm going to continue where I left off with the 00:00:38.689 --> 00:00:43.469 health -themed study since it was requested of 00:00:43.469 --> 00:00:46.649 me. So the thought that came up this time was, 00:00:46.929 --> 00:00:50.170 what do we do about food intolerances and allergies? 00:00:50.469 --> 00:00:53.070 Now, the reason I decided to go ahead and cover 00:00:53.070 --> 00:00:55.390 this topic is because someone asked me this, 00:00:55.450 --> 00:00:57.490 and plus I have a roommate who is gluten -free. 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:01.479 I'm sorry. He's allergic to gluten and can already 00:01:01.479 --> 00:01:03.780 eat gluten -free stuff. He's not made of gluten 00:01:03.780 --> 00:01:06.700 -free anything. I have to clarify that because 00:01:06.700 --> 00:01:09.079 lately I've been saying stuff that have, for 00:01:09.079 --> 00:01:13.359 whatever reason, don't make any sense logically 00:01:13.359 --> 00:01:16.939 or when people repeat it. So, moving on with 00:01:16.939 --> 00:01:19.519 this. Food intolerances and allergies seem to 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:22.799 have been increasing lately. You know, but let 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:25.239 me ask you this. Is that really the case? Or 00:01:25.239 --> 00:01:27.299 are we just more aware of all the problems that's 00:01:27.299 --> 00:01:29.519 going on now? with our food, okay? You know, 00:01:29.560 --> 00:01:33.019 or how about this one? Our food intolerance is 00:01:33.019 --> 00:01:35.640 just a fashionable way to draw attention to ourselves 00:01:35.640 --> 00:01:38.040 and, you know, make life more difficult for others. 00:01:38.099 --> 00:01:40.260 You need to consider this. Now, some people are 00:01:40.260 --> 00:01:42.579 actually allergic, but then there's those others 00:01:42.579 --> 00:01:45.120 who just say it, you know? And what exactly is 00:01:45.120 --> 00:01:47.159 the distinction between an intolerance and an 00:01:47.159 --> 00:01:49.739 allergy? Let's consider that question too, okay? 00:01:50.659 --> 00:01:52.620 That is the whole point of this channel, you 00:01:52.620 --> 00:01:54.560 know, is to ask these questions. Try to come 00:01:54.560 --> 00:01:57.739 up with a solution and figure it out. Defining 00:01:57.739 --> 00:02:01.719 allergies and intolerances, while the terms can 00:02:01.719 --> 00:02:03.480 be considered interchangeable, let me go ahead 00:02:03.480 --> 00:02:05.560 and give you the definition on all of these. 00:02:06.260 --> 00:02:08.219 Allergies and intolerances are not the same, 00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:12.099 first off. A food intolerance is more a delayed 00:02:12.099 --> 00:02:14.439 reaction to food or substances found in food. 00:02:14.539 --> 00:02:16.819 It is generally more or less severe and immediate. 00:02:17.680 --> 00:02:22.379 and an immediate food allergy. Symptoms are often 00:02:22.379 --> 00:02:24.580 limited to digestive issues, although they can 00:02:24.580 --> 00:02:28.159 also cause skin problems and headaches. I know 00:02:28.159 --> 00:02:30.199 because I have a few food intolerances, but I 00:02:30.199 --> 00:02:34.330 do have a few food allergies as well. A food 00:02:34.330 --> 00:02:36.129 allergy is a reaction from your immune system 00:02:36.129 --> 00:02:38.449 that occurs soon after you have eaten or come 00:02:38.449 --> 00:02:41.129 in contact with certain food. It can happen immediately 00:02:41.129 --> 00:02:43.849 or after a short time, but is generally not long 00:02:43.849 --> 00:02:46.289 delayed. The reaction can also be triggered by 00:02:46.289 --> 00:02:48.370 very small amounts of food. In some cases, simply 00:02:48.370 --> 00:02:52.770 breathing in dust from the allergen can cause 00:02:52.770 --> 00:02:55.009 a reaction. And this has happened a couple of 00:02:55.009 --> 00:02:57.110 times, especially from people who are allergic 00:02:57.110 --> 00:03:01.449 to peanuts or something like milk. Symptoms can 00:03:01.449 --> 00:03:05.500 include... Oh, let me see here. Skin rash, swelling, 00:03:05.699 --> 00:03:07.979 including in the mouth and throat, which is very 00:03:07.979 --> 00:03:10.199 uncomfortable, which can block the airway and 00:03:10.199 --> 00:03:13.520 nausea. An extreme allergic reaction known as 00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:16.719 anaphylactic shock can occur in some sufferers 00:03:16.719 --> 00:03:19.379 of food allergies. It affects all body systems 00:03:19.379 --> 00:03:22.280 and can also be life -threatening. So there's 00:03:22.280 --> 00:03:24.659 that. I'm going to take a short break now that 00:03:24.659 --> 00:03:26.139 I've defined those, and we'll be right back. 00:03:59.270 --> 00:04:02.169 So, and we're back. Keeping with the definitions 00:04:02.169 --> 00:04:04.909 I gave you in the last segment, in other words, 00:04:04.969 --> 00:04:07.550 allergies are reactions linked to your immune 00:04:07.550 --> 00:04:10.409 system. And like the reaction that you get when 00:04:10.409 --> 00:04:13.430 you are stung by a bee or a wasp or a touch of 00:04:13.430 --> 00:04:16.509 a metal, they are rapid. They often result in 00:04:16.509 --> 00:04:19.350 swelling, which can, if in the mouth or throat, 00:04:19.389 --> 00:04:22.029 potentially be fatal. Allergies can usually be 00:04:22.029 --> 00:04:25.990 treated with antihistamines taken orally. through 00:04:25.990 --> 00:04:28.529 shots in certain parts of your body, including 00:04:28.529 --> 00:04:31.290 your behind, but these can also include vomiting 00:04:31.290 --> 00:04:33.769 and skin conditions as well. Serious allergies 00:04:33.769 --> 00:04:38.370 include anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock, however, 00:04:38.470 --> 00:04:40.529 require rapid treatment with adrenaline to prevent 00:04:40.529 --> 00:04:44.750 potentially fatal consequences. Most people who 00:04:44.750 --> 00:04:46.829 are severely allergic to something, including 00:04:46.829 --> 00:04:49.189 food, are aware of their allergy and carry an 00:04:49.189 --> 00:04:51.670 adrenaline pen, sometimes known as an EpiPen, 00:04:51.769 --> 00:04:54.189 even after treatment. They should still seek 00:04:54.189 --> 00:04:56.750 a medical advice. advice as soon as possible 00:04:56.750 --> 00:04:58.589 after having the allergic reaction regardless 00:04:58.589 --> 00:05:00.910 though okay food allergies on the other hand 00:05:00.910 --> 00:05:04.610 are not potentially fatal um i'm sorry food intolerances 00:05:04.610 --> 00:05:07.009 and people with the intolerances can sometimes 00:05:07.009 --> 00:05:09.230 be unaffected by consuming a small amount of 00:05:09.230 --> 00:05:12.129 the problem food but key thing here is a small 00:05:12.129 --> 00:05:16.629 amount okay Intolerances can, however, be extremely 00:05:16.629 --> 00:05:19.709 uncomfortable, can make people feel quite unwell 00:05:19.709 --> 00:05:22.389 over a long period of time if undiagnosed, but 00:05:22.389 --> 00:05:25.089 huge quantities can still make the person sick 00:05:25.089 --> 00:05:27.170 or cause them to have a major level allergic 00:05:27.170 --> 00:05:32.259 reaction. So, keep this in mind. Causes and triggers 00:05:32.259 --> 00:05:35.060 of all allergies and intolerances are a little 00:05:35.060 --> 00:05:38.899 unclear, but some of them are pretty well known. 00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:41.339 The precise cause of an allergy is still unclear, 00:05:41.480 --> 00:05:44.339 but like I said, in some of the studies, they've 00:05:44.339 --> 00:05:46.500 shown that the problem is underexposed, that 00:05:46.500 --> 00:05:48.519 people are more likely to be allergic to things 00:05:48.519 --> 00:05:51.079 that are new to their immune system. Allergies 00:05:51.079 --> 00:05:53.740 can also, however, be triggered by rapid overexposure 00:05:53.740 --> 00:05:55.199 to the allergen in a sense that they're part 00:05:55.199 --> 00:05:58.209 of the body. Going back to the example before 00:05:58.209 --> 00:06:00.050 that I mentioned, like being stung in the face 00:06:00.050 --> 00:06:02.970 or head by a wasp can make you very allergic 00:06:02.970 --> 00:06:06.209 to wasp stings. However, there's often no obvious 00:06:06.209 --> 00:06:12.050 trigger point, and people can often only become 00:06:12.050 --> 00:06:14.149 aware that they are severely allergic when they 00:06:14.149 --> 00:06:17.189 first react to it. So if you're not sure, still 00:06:17.189 --> 00:06:20.430 have someone on standby in case you do have a 00:06:20.430 --> 00:06:23.689 reaction. But besides that, perhaps the most 00:06:23.689 --> 00:06:29.649 well -known allergy is peanuts. This is anecdotal, 00:06:29.689 --> 00:06:33.689 at least on the increase. It is, however, how 00:06:33.689 --> 00:06:35.709 do I put it, more likely that peanuts and other 00:06:35.709 --> 00:06:37.490 nuts are simply becoming more common because 00:06:37.490 --> 00:06:40.089 they are included in a wide range of processed 00:06:40.089 --> 00:06:43.269 foods. So people are therefore more likely to 00:06:43.269 --> 00:06:45.750 be exposed to them than in the past and become 00:06:45.750 --> 00:06:48.519 more aware that they are allergic. I'm going 00:06:48.519 --> 00:06:50.660 to cover a few intolerances here after this short 00:06:50.660 --> 00:07:29.579 break. There are several clear potential causes 00:07:29.579 --> 00:07:32.139 of food intolerances. Okay, we're going to go 00:07:32.139 --> 00:07:34.819 ahead and cover that for a second here. Sufferers 00:07:34.819 --> 00:07:36.779 may lack the enzyme needed to actually digest 00:07:36.779 --> 00:07:39.660 the food. You know, for example, lactose intolerance 00:07:39.660 --> 00:07:42.180 is often caused by not having a gene for the 00:07:42.180 --> 00:07:46.079 enzyme to actually digest it in your body. Sensitivity 00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:48.100 to food additives. Some people are more sensitive 00:07:48.100 --> 00:07:50.639 to certain chemicals than others. This can cause 00:07:50.639 --> 00:07:53.199 problems when they are added to the food. Examples 00:07:53.199 --> 00:07:56.680 include food coloring, sulfites. which are used 00:07:56.680 --> 00:08:00.420 for drying food. People with coliac disease are 00:08:00.420 --> 00:08:04.199 unable to digest gluten properly, and they are 00:08:04.199 --> 00:08:06.379 therefore intolerant of it, my roommate being 00:08:06.379 --> 00:08:08.500 one of them. There may also be a psychological 00:08:08.500 --> 00:08:10.560 factor involving a food intolerance. For example, 00:08:10.579 --> 00:08:12.560 some people are simply unable to swallow certain 00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:16.370 foods without any obvious physical cause. For 00:08:16.370 --> 00:08:20.350 me, if I ever deal with raw chicken for whatever 00:08:20.350 --> 00:08:22.829 reason and it causes salmonella poisoning, even 00:08:22.829 --> 00:08:25.149 if it doesn't last that long, for a while, I 00:08:25.149 --> 00:08:29.449 will not be able to eat chicken. Anyway, identifying 00:08:29.449 --> 00:08:33.429 and managing food allergies. That's the next 00:08:33.429 --> 00:08:35.909 topic I'm going to cover. Food allergies are 00:08:35.909 --> 00:08:38.750 severe enough that identifying their existence 00:08:38.750 --> 00:08:43.149 is often not very hard. However, identifying 00:08:43.149 --> 00:08:47.269 the trigger can be more difficult, at least because 00:08:47.269 --> 00:08:50.309 you cannot risk anaphylactic shock to do so, 00:08:50.389 --> 00:08:52.629 so there's no point in testing to see if someone's 00:08:52.629 --> 00:08:54.909 allergic. You know, like, here, eat this to see 00:08:54.909 --> 00:08:56.190 if you're allergic, and if not, we'll give you 00:08:56.190 --> 00:08:58.750 a shot. That's not nice. Don't do that. The key 00:08:58.750 --> 00:09:01.190 to treating allergies is often avoidance. So 00:09:01.190 --> 00:09:03.149 it's important to identify the allergen as early 00:09:03.149 --> 00:09:06.110 as possible if something does happen, but it 00:09:06.110 --> 00:09:07.649 doesn't mean take your friend out and test them 00:09:07.649 --> 00:09:10.570 on every single thing you can find. When it comes 00:09:10.570 --> 00:09:12.250 to identifying allergens, there are two main 00:09:12.250 --> 00:09:14.309 tests for allergens. First off, a scratch test, 00:09:14.509 --> 00:09:16.509 where the skin is exposed to a small amount of 00:09:16.509 --> 00:09:18.250 the potential allergen to test for a reaction. 00:09:18.889 --> 00:09:20.909 And the other one is a blood test, which can 00:09:20.909 --> 00:09:25.090 be used if a skin test isn't appropriate. There 00:09:25.090 --> 00:09:27.490 are those who have experienced a severe allergic 00:09:27.490 --> 00:09:34.850 reaction should therefore discuss this with a 00:09:34.850 --> 00:09:37.450 doctor to have a test for potential allergens 00:09:37.450 --> 00:09:40.980 as soon as possible. The test does not identify 00:09:40.980 --> 00:09:43.019 the allergen, but also gives an idea of the intensity 00:09:43.019 --> 00:09:45.399 of the reaction when the reaction is very severe. 00:09:45.659 --> 00:09:47.360 You may need to do a little more than simply 00:09:47.360 --> 00:09:52.799 avoiding the food at all. For example, it may 00:09:52.799 --> 00:09:54.779 be necessary to ask schools or workplaces to 00:09:54.779 --> 00:09:57.259 ensure that they are not free of whatever it 00:09:57.259 --> 00:09:59.220 is for the safety of the particular individual 00:09:59.220 --> 00:10:02.379 so you can make sure they have all they need, 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:39.799 especially when they're flying. Next in the list 00:10:39.799 --> 00:10:41.960 of identifying and managing food intolerances 00:10:41.960 --> 00:10:45.120 and figuring out what they are, identifying the 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:47.720 food intolerance may be less critical than allergies, 00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:50.519 but it is also just as hard. There is unlikely 00:10:50.519 --> 00:10:52.620 to be an immune reaction involved, and therefore 00:10:52.620 --> 00:10:55.960 there are few, if any, definitive tests for this. 00:10:56.080 --> 00:10:58.940 I mean, there are too many ways to trigger, identify 00:10:58.940 --> 00:11:00.980 the triggers, but, you know, and one of them 00:11:00.980 --> 00:11:02.879 is using food diaries and removing and replacing 00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:05.960 certain foods. The most usual approach is likely 00:11:05.960 --> 00:11:08.960 to involve both, okay? So when using a food diary 00:11:08.960 --> 00:11:12.799 to identify the potential triggers, first off, 00:11:12.820 --> 00:11:14.600 let me go ahead and add a warning before I go 00:11:14.600 --> 00:11:18.960 any further. This is best done under the supervision 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:21.379 of a trained dietitian or a nutritionist who 00:11:21.379 --> 00:11:23.159 is more likely to be able to identify the likely 00:11:23.159 --> 00:11:26.279 trigger. However, as a first step, you can always 00:11:26.279 --> 00:11:30.570 do this yourself. First things first, over a 00:11:30.570 --> 00:11:32.370 period of several weeks or a month, keep a diary 00:11:32.370 --> 00:11:34.750 that sets out everything you eat right down to 00:11:34.750 --> 00:11:37.590 a biscuit and a cup of tea or coffee and the 00:11:37.590 --> 00:11:41.190 precise time. Also, keep a note of any symptoms 00:11:41.190 --> 00:11:43.909 that you have, including minor ones, and the 00:11:43.909 --> 00:11:46.210 time at which they occurred. Try to spot any 00:11:46.210 --> 00:11:48.269 patterns that are emerging. Are there certain 00:11:48.269 --> 00:11:50.710 foods, combinations of foods, and even ingredients 00:11:50.710 --> 00:11:56.450 that seem to cause you particular problems? Also, 00:11:56.690 --> 00:12:00.690 one other warning. Triggers are not always obvious, 00:12:00.830 --> 00:12:03.909 and it helps to be aware of the ingredients of 00:12:03.909 --> 00:12:06.090 what you eat. It's easier to do this when you 00:12:06.090 --> 00:12:08.269 cook your own food rather than eating ready -made 00:12:08.269 --> 00:12:11.830 meals or eating out a lot. If you spot a potential 00:12:11.830 --> 00:12:14.090 trigger, try cutting it out in your diet for 00:12:14.090 --> 00:12:16.110 a few days and see what happens. You may find 00:12:16.110 --> 00:12:18.629 that you have more than one trigger. For example, 00:12:18.730 --> 00:12:21.549 some people are both lactose and gluten intolerant, 00:12:21.570 --> 00:12:25.779 and that's actually a thing. When a food intolerance 00:12:25.779 --> 00:12:28.299 is very severe, nutritionists sometimes cutting 00:12:28.299 --> 00:12:31.419 a wide range of potential triggers out of your 00:12:31.419 --> 00:12:34.120 diet all at once. This is designed to allow the 00:12:34.120 --> 00:12:38.240 symptoms time to settle before you add back in 00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:40.340 potential triggers one at a time to see which 00:12:40.340 --> 00:12:44.179 ones have an effect. Warning though, this is 00:12:44.179 --> 00:12:45.559 not something you should try at home without 00:12:45.559 --> 00:12:48.799 the supervision of a qualified healthcare professional. 00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:51.000 I know I keep repeating this, but it's very vital. 00:12:51.159 --> 00:12:53.419 Because it can lead to problems such as becoming 00:12:53.419 --> 00:12:59.799 malnutritious. malnourished if you do it for 00:12:59.799 --> 00:13:02.220 too long. It can also mean that underlying conditions 00:13:02.220 --> 00:13:05.879 are not diagnosed. Bottom line is this. The best 00:13:05.879 --> 00:13:07.700 advice if you think you may be suffering from 00:13:07.700 --> 00:13:10.220 a food intolerance or an allergy is to talk to 00:13:10.220 --> 00:13:12.139 your doctor and ask for a referral to a special 00:13:12.139 --> 00:13:16.620 clinic. You can take my tips into consideration, 00:13:16.940 --> 00:13:19.059 but that's the best advice I can actually give 00:13:19.059 --> 00:13:23.220 you. Best place to help your, you know, these 00:13:23.220 --> 00:13:25.759 doctors are best place to help you identify the 00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:28.679 trigger or any underlying conditions safely so 00:13:28.679 --> 00:13:31.799 you don't kill yourself in the process. Okay? 00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:35.340 That's all I can say on that. Thank you for listening 00:13:35.340 --> 00:13:36.519 and have a great rest of your day.