Until very recent times, environmental changes used to happen very gradually and human adaptation to new and challenging situations tended to occur naturally and easily. Through genetic mutations the human body adjusted itself imperceptibly, allowing the species to adapt, survive and flourish.

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However, I must question whether our bodies haven’t already begun giving into the large number of stresses brought on by our accelerated lifestyles and pollution-ridden atmosphere? Trained as a traditional physician, I was obviously aware of the ramifications of common pollutants like exhaust fumes, chemicals, cigarette smoke and so on within the human body and its immune system; not to mention the catastrophic effects of radioactive fall-out and nuclear waste.

It’s usually held that these play a substantial role in the increase of conditions like cancer, asthma and cardiovascular disease. One might know my surprise to discover a growing number of people suffering from food sensitivities. I’m not necessarily speaking of the typical allergic reactions that typically occur quite rapidly, like hives from eating strawberries or anaphylactic shock from ingesting a peanut.

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I’m referring to a group of individuals whose lives are plagued with hidden food sensitivities. The term”hidden” gives a hint of the issue at hand. There appears to be a whole unawareness by the general public, in addition to, scepticism by most healthcare professionals, as to a potential connection between complaints and foods ingested. Whereas common allergic reactions often occur within one day, in certain situations, for some unclear reason, the immune system sometimes decides to postpone its response, not cause any reactions until 24-48 hours afterwards.

Yesterday’s apple may lead to today’s migraine, now’s Camembert can cause severe depression or anxiety in two days. I’m fairly sure that the majority of us don’t even recall what we had to eat two days ago. The interesting fact is that you may become sensitive to any food item. The commonly held belief that only berries, nuts, chocolate, red wine, etc. will be the culprit foods is totally false. In fact, people have a tendency to be sensitive to normal, often eaten foods like bread, dairy, potatoes, meat, fish, etc.

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Complicating the matter even more is how a number of processed food products contain additions that aren’t required to be recorded on the label. For instance, most individuals feel that beer just contains barley, barley and brewer’s yeast. However, the simple fact is that brewers are permitted to add a terrific assortment of “key” products to their beer so as to give it its particular identity and character. The collection of symptoms and ailments that hidden food sensitivities might be liable for is powerful: itching, hives, eczema, adult acne; gastrointestinal conditions such as gastritis and irritable bowel syndrome; migraine and other types of headaches; nausea; depression and anxiety; muscle and joint complaints; and chronic fatigue.

Among the most intriguing finds has been the use of hidden food sensitivities in puzzle diseases like chronic fatigue syndrome (ME) and fibromyalgia. Not to mention their connection with well-documented conditions like Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. In many ME and fibromyalgia patients, the huge assortment of symptoms appears to be related to the existence of hidden foods which aren’t tolerated.

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Many symptoms, including fatigue and joint/muscle pains, have “magically” disappeared after identifying and temporarily removing certain foods from the diet. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis patients often react even more radically to dietary modification, as do rheumatoid arthritis sufferers. The obvious question that springs to mind is: Why is there an apparent gain in the amount of individuals suffering from hidden food sensitivities? The most obvious explanation is that a small, but increasing, number of medical care professionals are accepting the presence of hidden food sensitivities and their effects on the human body.

Therefore, the amount of individuals being diagnosed is on the rise. Additionally, it’s my view that the accelerated changes in our lifestyles and environment have started to undermine our immune systems. In the not too distant past, the immune system had ample time to adapt to progressive changes. But since the start of the Industrial Revolution and much more so today, our bodies are fighting to keep up with the multitude of compounding pressures and environmental strains being heaved upon it. This strain appears to be reaching critical proportions in today’s fast changing world. Hidden food sensitivities are only one more manifestation of the body’s already overloaded immune system.