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Introduction

I have been testing patients for food allergy reactions since 1993. I have only used US BioTek labs for my testing, as they have the quality I demand. I have been observing trends. In the early 1990s it was not as common to see so many food allergies in the younger population. Today, food allergy reactions are extremely common in your children. Why? I propose, the quality of our foods has deteriorated, in regards to all natural, not loaded with dyes and fillers and overly processed foods.

I have also noticed what I will call a “three year cycle.” A patient comes in for testing, mature adult, adult, or child. The results are taken to heart and the patient faithfully sustains from eating the most reactive foods and food groups. The gut inflammatory reactions diminish. The patient’s skin and other symptoms clear up. (½ to one year.) They slowly re-introduce their once allergy food groups. (Year #2.) As they get used to eating normally again, allergic reactions begin to appear again, this time a little worse. Soon, they are in a full blown allergic reaction state. (Year #3) Now they are discouraged and accpet this new way of life, living daily with those allergic symptoms.

Some of these same patients will go to their Allopathic doctor and get a Steroid prescription. Sometimes it works great, for a while anyhow. Eventually, it will not help anymore. Steroids are an “anti-inflammatory drug.” Their mechanism of action is to suspend the inflammatory reaction, for a while. It does not heal the allergy, it just temporarily suspends the inflammatory process. The inflammatory process is a natural process. It is part of the immune system trying to fight the allergic reaction. What usually occurs with patients on steroids, is when their prescription expires, then their inflammation symptoms come right back, because the underlying problem was never discovered, or dealt with correctly. Eventually the steroid testaments loose their effectiveness, then the patient is told there is nothing more that doctor can do for them. As the patient ages a bit more, their health overall is weaker. The underlying problems were never considered.

Depending on the food allergy test results, patient history, and other findings, I may find it necessary to do additional testing. This additional testing is more comprehensive. They are designed to discover underlying problems. Rarely does a person just acquire a food allergy out of the blue. Almost without fail, there is an underlying problem that weakened the body somehow, that allowed the body to develop the food allergies. Every person is different, so each therapy will be different. Plus, there are so many cross reactions in the body that must be understood to give the patient the best possible chance to heal. Out of the same group of patients I have identified earlier in the ‘three year cycle,” those patients who have allowed me to do additional testing, when needed. to discover underlying problems, are actually heathier three years later, instead of “back in the rut again.”

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Documented Food Allergy Symptoms

• Headaches
• Arthritis
• Joint pain
• Eczema
• Asthma
• Water retention
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Weight gain/loss
• Gi tract problems
• Chronic infections
• Chronic fatigue

In children food reactions may include:

• Recurrent ear infections
• Mood and behavior problems
• Bed wetting

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Food Allergy Story
as told by the Mother

When Stine was just a few hours old in the hospital, she had red spots on her face. The doctor told us that this was normal, and that it would disappear after a few days. We would come to learn that this was the start of a difficult and painful journey, from sickness to health.

Stine was about 1 ½ months old when the rash worsened considerably and her face was covered in a mass of severe sores. Smaller ones were on the rest of her body. Her clothes would become literally glued to her body and opened the sores when taken off. We went to every known specialist in our area (Oslo) to get help. As a mother, educated in natural medicine, I had always been against the use of steroid creams, at least when nothing was done to find the underlying cause. A potent steroid cream and Phenamin (an antihistamine) were the only treatments the doctors had to offer. I managed to resist for five months, but by then her skin was so bad that something had to be done. Of course I had also tried a lot of natural remedies in the meantime.

I got a tip at the health center, that since I was breast feeding Stine, it might be something in my milk that she was allergic to. To cleanse and eliminate I was advised to eat oat porridge cooked with water, three times a day. I did, but unfortunately that did not work!

Stine and I were sent to a children’s hospital for a week of treatment involving a course of steroid cream and allergy remedies. Skin scratch and serum IgE testing were performed. IgG antibodies to 8 foods were tested (wheat, milk, egg, soy, cod, plus a few more). Stine reacted to milk and egg, but nothing else. After a few days of treatment Stine was able to smile at us for the first time. The problems was that her eczema came back immediately when we stopped using the steroid cream, and everyone knew that we had to stop some time. We were desperate!

A month after the visit at the children’s hospital, I was told of a Danish doctor practicing in Oslo who was getting good results treating atopic eczema. He had a blood sample drawn on me (since I was breast feeding), and ordered US BioTek’s 96 General Food Panel, for food-antigen specific IgG and IgE antibodies. We kept Stine away from all the foods that I had elevated antibodies to, which were milk, egg, corn, pineapple, apple, banana, cranberry, cucumber, broccoli, asparagus and almond. In the beginning Stine was much better, but she was not completely well. It seemed like we had not found it all. Yet because she was so much better we also stopped using the steroid cream and allergy medications. At the same time, we started a “building-up” treatment, of her intestine and immune system.

She was now a happy little girl at almost one year, even though she still often kept her parents awake at night, itching and scratching, and some stomach pain.

One year went by with status quo. She was doing OK but she was not completely well.

Further treatment came in early 2005, when Stine was 2 ½ years old. The doctor suggested we do a simple finger stick on Stine for US BioTek’s 96 General Food Panel IgG only test. The specimen collection went very well, as only a few drops of blood were required. The results were a shock, and we realized that still a lot had to be changed. I had to now bake bread without grains, and we already knew her category 4 allergies (IgE reaction) against milk and egg. Good progress and a period free of symptoms followed with elimination of her IgG in addition to her IgE reactive foods from her diet.

Late this past summer (2005) some of Stine’s earlier symptoms began to reappear. Itching, sleepless nights, and small spots on her skin caused us all to worry. New action had to be taken, and this time the doctor suggested we do the full IgG and IgE analysis to foods to be sure. She is after all, a very allergic little girl.

Upon re-testing, the results showed great improvement from the first one. We were definitely on the right track and making good progress with diet compliance. What we have also found out since is that she reacts to foods which are naturally high in histamine, such as tomato (ketchup). It is not an allergic reaction, but it gives her symptoms. So when keeping her away from these types of foods in addition to her IgG and IgE reactive foods, she is completely free of any symptoms!

What the other doctors tell me is that she has grown out of her allergies. I know however that when she is given any of the foods she is allergic to (IgE and IgG reactions), her symptoms come back. With the help of the tests from US BioTek, we have now identified many of her damaging allergenic foods, and that has given us the grace to allow her to heal.

I would like to thank US BioTek on behalf of Stine and myself! Our warmest regards, Linda Rahbek, Norway

Used with permission: Extracted from US BioTek’s newsletter for doctors, Volume 5, Spring 2005.

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Medical Discussion

The above patient testimony is typical. I (Doctor Young), have been using US BioTek exclusively for all the food allergy tests I perform in my office, since 1992. US BioTek is an accurate lab, with re-producible results.

I have witnessed first hand, other testing methods, and have not “personally” observed any that are as accurate. Meaning to me, the results can be re-produced, if the same patient is re-tested again as a control test.

The above story is from 2005. As of about 2009 another food allergy mechanism was discovered. This new mechanism is IgA. US BioTek began offering IgA food allergy testing to doctors in 2010.

Testing for IgE currently requires a full vial of blood be drawn, and this must be done at a lab licensed to draw blood. IgG and IgA are “in-office” tests. Only about 10 drops of blood are needed for each test, via a simple finger stick. For infants or children too small for a finger stick, a heal stick is performed; just like when a sample of blood is drawn from an infant, shortly after birth in the hospital. For those living out of state, a testing kit can be mailed to the patient, under the directions of the ordering doctor. The test can be performed in the home; it is so simple and easy.

Currently, US BioTek gives a $100.00 discount when ordering the IgA test at the same time as the IgG test.

Over years of experience, I have found the following to be true:

(1) IgE is an “immediate” reaction, meaning when you eat the food, within seconds to a few minutes, perhaps up to about 20 minutes, with the maximum up to maybe four hours; if you are allergic to a food via the IgE pathway, you will have a reaction. Most people can tell if they have a IgE food allergy reaction, because whenever they eat a certain food, presto, they get a reaction every time. While I can order the IgE food test; instead I recommend my patients invest in the other two tests.

(2) IgG is a “delayed” reaction, meaning you will not get a reaction until about four days later! Now try and figure out those reactions by yourself. It is impossible!

(3) IgA is in between.

I always now test for both IgG and IgA together. It is a good time to test for both because of the pricing discount. But a much larger reason is: I have several patients, whose IgG tests showed very little food allergy response. But when I add in the IgA test, those same patients can have a very strong IgA reaction. If I had not tested also for the IgA mechanism, the food allergy reactions would have been missed.

In the story of Stine (above), IgA food allergy mechanisms were not yet discovered. It is possible, if that test was available at that time, perhaps Stine would have healed faster.

Please call our clinic, if you are interested in getting tested for food allergies.

I’ve tested many patients from very young, to very old. What amazes me is the reactions of the very young. I have tested many children who were (saying kindly) “monsters” in school and in the home, then become “wonderful” children after the offending foods were recognized and eliminated. Why? When a youngster consumes offending foods, their young and active immune system throws a serious “fight” against those foods. The child feels horrible and no one knows why. With children, it seems to come out in their personality. With adults, with our ability to “censor” our personality, we just plain feel horrible, and again, no one knows why.

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Types of Tests available

US BioTek’s tests are very easy to read. The results are given in a bar graph format, so you can visually see all the results at a glance. They offer:

1) 96 General Food Panel.
2) 95 Vegetarian Panel.
3) Additional 15 Vegetarian Panel when ordered with the 96 General Food Panel.
4) 24 Spice and 24 Herb Panel.
5) 16 Common Inhalant Panel.
6) Candida Antibodies and Candida Antigen Panel.
7) Celiac Antibody Panel.
8) Painkiller Antibody Panel (Acetaminophen, Aspirin and Ibuprofen).
9) Inhalants to: a) Grasses, b) Cats & Dogs, c) Molds. 10) Environmental Pollutants, 11 items
11) Metabolic Profiling *

* Metabolic Profiling”:
Organic Acids are intermediate compounds of virtually all pathways of cellular metabolism. Derived from dietary proteins, carbohydrates and fats, these compounds are involved in energy production and cellular maintenance and repair processes.

By the time your body begins to show signs of illness, changes have already taken place within the cells, and many reactions required for healthy metabolism have become compromised.

Through organic acid testing, a doctor can visualize what is going on at the cellular level, how well the body is functioning, and how well the body is meeting its demands.

Call our office for current lab prices. 360-687-3340. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 9:00 to 5:00 Pacific Time. Tuesdays 1:30 to 5:00.

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Enzymes

Enzymes are responsible for every activity of life. Each and every chemical reaction that takes place within the human body requires enzymes. Our digestive processes are dependent on adequate levels and functioning of digestive enzymes. Raw food has intact enzymes that assist in digestion. Nature intended us to obtain these enzymes from our food sources. Most individuals though, ingest high amounts of cooked food devoid of such enzymes. As our own body’s enzyme function likely diminishes with age, failure of proper digestion can result. This may evolve into a lack of adequate nutrition and the development of a number of chronic medical conditions. A quality line of enzyme products should be utilized on a daily, meal-to-meal basis, for anyone who has indigestion, or any other digestive complaints.

All enzymes need to be plant based. This is very important as plant based enzymes work under nearly all pH environments. Animal based enzymes will only work “after” your stomach lowers its pH to around 3.0. This certainly will not benefit those individuals who already have digestive problems related to improper stomach pH values.

There are two classes of enzymes recognized:

1. Metabolic enzymes – These are responsible for repair, formation and function of each cell within each and every tissue of the body. Over the course of time, these enzymes “wear out” and require replenishment by the body.

2. Digestive enzymes – The main enzymes are the proteases, amylases and lipases, which are involved in the breakdown of ingested proteins, carbohydrates and lipids (fats) respectively. However there are also other enzymes that should be included in a proper enzyme formula. Proper breakdown of these ingested foods is necessary to allow proper absorption of the nutrients to occur.

The current use of metabolic enzymes is limited to specific medical situations such as clot dissolution through intravenous use. Digestive enzymes, though, have been used and are available in supplemental form to assist in numerous digestive disorders.

There is extensive evidence that supports the use of digestive enzymes for a wide range of Gastrointestinal illness including malabsorption, pancreatic insufficiency, celiac disease and lactose intolerance. There are at least two studies that have shown benefit in food allergies with the use of enzymes. Conventional physicians frequently recommend enzymes for all of these aforementioned situations. Heartburn and indigestion also frequently may respond to enzyme nutritional support.

Additional uses:

European literature recognizes additional uses for plant based proteolytic enzymes. These compounds have demonstrated anti-inflammatory, fibrinolytic (blood thinning) and anti-tumor properties in a number of animal experiments. A study in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases showed benefit in individuals with arthritis. 556 people with various forms of arthritis were studied. 283 had good to excellent improvement and 219 showed mild to moderate improvement. The specific enzyme Bromelain, found within “Digestive Support” has been used successfully in Europe as an anti-inflammatory in diverse conditions such as allergic rhinitis and minor trauma including sprains and strains. Quality enzyme formulas thus have a broad range of applicability from improvement in digestion and gastrointestinal disorders, to enhancement of blood flow in individuals with circulatory disorders, to lessening of allergic and arthritis symptoms.

Side Effects:

Individuals with extreme cases of Gastritis, Gastric or Duodenal Ulcers should begin their Enzyme Supplementation with very little (or no) Protease. Then slowly introduce Protease in approximately 4-6 weeks. This is due to the situation that Protease may temporarily have a burning sensation on individuals with these situations.

Drug Interactions:

There is a theoretic concern for the use of Coumadin and protease digestive enzymes, due to the fibrinolytic properties of protease. The concern is: Coumadin is a blood thinner and fibrinolytic properties means to cause blood clotting. The question is whether taking protease would counter the effects of Coumadin. Blood clotting is a normal protective mechanism used by the body to stop people from bleeding when they get a cut. Without the ability of the blood to clot, a person could bleed to death from a small cut. No human studies have addressed this concern of Coumadin verses Protease enzymes.

References:

1. Oelgoetz AW, Oelgoetz PA, Wittenkind J. The treatment of food allergy and indigestion of pancreatic origin with pancreatic enzymes. Am J Dig Dis Nutr 1935;2:422–26.
2. McCann M. Pancreatic enzyme supplement for treatment of multiple food allergies. Ann Allerg 1993;71:269 [abstr #17].
3. Avakian S. Further studies on the absorption of chymotrypsin. Clin Pharmacol Ther 1964;5:712–15.
4. Izaka K, Yamada M, Kawano T, Suyama T. Gastrointestinal absorption and anti-inflammatory effect of bromelain. Jpn J Pharmacol 1972;22:519–34.
5. Deitrick RE. Oral proteolytic enzymes in the treatment of athletic injuries: A double-blind study. Pennsylvania Med J Oct 1965: 35–37.
6. Seligman B. Bromelain: an anti-inflammatory agent. Angiology 1962;13:508–10.
7. Cichoke AJ. The effect of systemic enzyme therapy on cancer cells and the immune system. Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients Nov 1995: 30–32 [review].
8. Wolf M, Ransberger K. Enzyme Therapy. New York: Vantage Press 1972: 135–220 [review].
9. Gullo L. Indication for pancreatic enzyme treatment in non-pancreatic digestive diseases. Digestion 1993;54(suppl 2):43–47.

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Probiotics

A large body of evidence over the past 75 years has demonstrated the preventive health value of eating foods fermented with Lactobacilli or Bifidobacteria. These beneficial bacteria are referred to as Probiotics. Probiotic bacteria are considered “friendly” bacteria. They are an essential component of a healthy gastrointestinal tract as they inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, boost immune function, decrease infection in the digestive tract, and enhance digestion through enzyme production.

There are numerous species of lactobacilli and many strains for each species. The most well known of these, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteris, are normal inhabitants of the human digestive tract. Others, like L. bulgaricus and L. Salivarius are not. These organisms, though, still play an important role in maintaining the proper ratio of “friendly” organisms in the bowel by producing “bacteriocins” chemicals that destroy harmful (unfriendly) bowel organisms.

Acidophilus and bifidobacteria maintain a healthy balance of intestinal flora by producing organic compounds such as lactic acid, hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid. These compounds increase the acidity of the intestine and inhibit the growth of less desirable organisms that fair poorly in this acidic environment. By occupying an ecological niche in the intestine, they further limit the growth of opportunistic organisms.

A number of studies have demonstrated benefit of supplementation with Probiotics. The Annals of Internal Medicine published a study which showed that Lactobacillus ingestion reduced and prevented vaginal yeast infections in women. Lactobacillus has also demonstrated positive benefits in irritable bowel syndrome. The DDS-1 strain developed at the University of Nebraska, has proven to be a superior strain in terms of its compatibility with the human GI tract and its stability. (Therefore, the DDS-1 strain is used in this formula.) In another recent study, increasing levels of bifidobacteria reduced the count of Clostridium, a pathogenic disease causing bowel organism. Lowering of the level of Closridium reduced the amount of large bowel toxic chemicals believed to promote cancer. Also, the incidence of “traveler’s diarrhea,” which is caused by pathogenic bacteria can be reduced by preventive use of probiotics. It is also important to utilize Probiotics after antibiotic use as recolonizing the intestine may reduce post antibiotic infection in the digestive tract by fifty percent.

The choice of Probiotics is very important. It should be manufactured using highly viable, stable strains of organisms that survive passage through the digestive tract and take up residence in the GI tract.

Side Effects:

There are no known side effects with the use of probiotics.

References:

1. De Simone C, Vesely R, Bianchi SB, et al. The role of probiotics in modulation of the immune system in man and in animals. Int J Immunother 1993;9:23–28.
2. Rasic JL. The role of dairy foods containing bifido and acidophilus bacteria in nutrition and health. N Eur Dairy J 1983;4:80–88.
3. Barefoot SF, Klaenhammer TR. Detection and activity of Lactacin B, a Bacteriocin produced by Lactobacillus acidophilus. Appl Environ Microbiol 1983;45:1808–15.
4. Hilton E, Isenberg HD, Alperstein P, et al. Ingestion of yogurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus as prophylaxis for candidal vaginitis. Ann Int Med 1992;116:353–57.
5. Elmer GW, Surawicz CM, McFarland LV. Biotherapeutic agents. JAMA 1996;275(11):870–76.
6. Scarpignato C, Rampal P. Prevention and treatment of traveler’s diarrhea: A clinical pharmacological approach. Chemotherapy 1995;41:48–81.
7. Golledge CL, Riley TV. “Natural” therapy for infectious diseases. Med J Austral 1996;164:94–95 [review].
8. Newcomer AD, Park HS, O’Brian PC, et al. Response of patients with irritable bowel syndrome and lactase deficiency using unfermented acidophilus milk. Am J Clin Nutr 1983;38:257–263.
9. DBagchi and SK Dash, Lactobacillus Acidophilus- Natural Antibiotics and Beyond, Townsend Letter 78-82, 1996.

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