food intolerance: Evidence
The primary purpose of this section is to give you an idea of the amount and type of research that has been conducted into the links between food, its constituents, and illness.
Below, I have listed fifty articles, chosen at random. The book
Change Your Diet and Change Your Life contains
many more
references - you can view these from the
Change Your Diet and Change Your Life selling page.
- The role of hidden food allergy/intolerance in chronic disease
Gaby A R
Altern Med Rev 3:2, 1998
Found that the evidence suggests that identification and avoidance of allergenic foods can relieve a number of common and difficult-to-treat medical problems.
- Allergy elimination diet as the most effective gallbladder diet
Breneman J C
Ann Allergy 26:83, 1968
Sixty nine patients with gallstones or post-cholecystectomy syndrome were placed on an elimination diet. Upon testing foods it was found that all the patients were relieved of their symptoms with improvement usually occurring in 3-5 days. Egg was the most frequent offender (93%), pork (64%) and onion (52%).
- Foods, and food and drug combinations, responsible for head and neck pain
Seltzer S
Cephalalgia 2:2, 1982
The literature has been reviewed to uncover the existence of head and neck pain syndromes caused by foods. At least twenty five syndromes have been described. these include those induced by additives, alcohol, chocolate, coffee and tea, Tyramine containing foods, vitamins and minerals.
- Food allergy or enterometabolic disorder?
Hunter J O
Lancet 338:8765 Aug 1991
The author argues that there are many well established illnesses involving food intolerance including milk intolerance due to a lack of the enzyme lactase, and problems with wheat due to an intolerance of gluten. The problems caused by these types of intolerance are usually resolved by avoiding the foods concerned. problems may also be caused by an imbalance in the intestinal bacteria in the gut and, again, these will not show up as an allergy but nonetheless can cause debilitating problems for the patient.
- Colitis caused by food allergy in infants
Hill S M et al J
Archives of Disease in Childhood 65:1 Jan 1990
The authors identify food allergy as one major cause of colitis in children which may become a life long problem leading to more serious conditions or resolve spontaneously.
- Food allergy and intolerance
Lanfranchi R G et al
J of Chiropractic 27:1 Jan 1990
Symptoms arising as a result of food intolerance can be triggered by a lack of a necessary enzyme (lactase in the case of milk), decrease in immune functioning, nutritional problems, emotional stress, environmental pollutants and others. The author describes some food ingredients that have been thought to commonly cause reactions including Monosodium Glutamate and Tartrazine.
- Milk, eggs and peanuts: Food allergies in children
Anderson J A
Am Family Physician 56:5 Oct 1997
Reviews the extent and possible severity of food allergies in children. Identifies milk, eggs and peanuts as the foods most likely to cause allergic reactions.
- Natural foodborne intoxicants
Morgan M R A et al
Lancet 336:8729, 1990
Whilst concern is usually over artificial additives, natural toxicants can cause many problems. Fresh fruit and vegetables contain over 500,000 different natural compounds that produce flavour, texture, appearance and nutrient content. An important consideration in assessing the risk to an individual from any component of food is the quantity of the food consumed and how often it is eaten.
- Caffeine restriction as initial treatment for breast pain
Russell L C
Nurse Pracat 14:2, 1989
138 patients with symptoms of fibrocystic breast disease including breast pain were advised to abstain or reduce their caffeine intake. After one year, 81.9% had reduced their caffeine intake substantially and 61% of these reported a decrease or absence of breast pain.
- Zinc and diet for tinnitus
DeBartolo H M Jr
American Journal of Otology 10:3, 1989
Over a period of twelve years they identified that some individuals are sensitive to salicylates and have improved or relieved tinnitus with a salicylate free diet.
- Psychobiological effects of carbohydrates
Spring B et al
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 50 Supplement, 1989
In an experimental study, seven women were tested with high carbohydrate/low protein and high protein/low carbohydrate diets. It was found that the high carbohydrate diet significantly increased fatigue which could not be attributed to hypoglycaemia as plasma glucose remained elevated.
- Migraine: A biochemical headache?
Crook M
Biochemical Soc Trans 9:4, 1981
It was found that blood serotonin may provoke migraine. In the diet, serotonin is derived from tryptophan therefore a low tryptophan diet may be beneficial.
- Foods and additives are common causes of the attention deficit hyperactive disorder
Boris M et al
Ann Allergy 72:5, 1994
This study found that dietary factors may play a significant role in the condition of the majority of children with ADHD. Of the children tested, 73% responded favourably to and elimination diet. The children reacted to various foods, dyes and preservatives.
- Salicylates in foods Swain A et al
J of the American Dietetic Ass. Vol 85, Aug 1985
Brief literature review of links between salicylates and hyperactivity, asthma and urticaria. Full analysis of salicylate content of various foods.
- Do dietary lectins cause disease?
Fred D L J
British Medical Journal 1999
Explores the role that dietary lectins play in the development and course of various conditions including coeliac disease, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes.
- Psoriasis and diet
Douglas J M
Calif Med 133:5, 1980
Reported that patients taking part in this study improved after eliminating certain foods. The foods varied from individual to individual but included citrus fruits, nuts, corn and milk. Others noticed improvement when eating a diet low in acidic foods such as coffee, tomatoes, soda and pineapple.
- Biogenic amines in foods: histamine and food processing
Bodmer S et al
Inflamm Research 48, 199
Biogenic amines, such as histamine, occur in many different foods. At high concentrations they can cause problems for people who are sensitive and lead to food intolerance.
- Additives and chronic urticaria
Juhlin L
Ann Allergy 59:5, 1987
This review article concludes that, in patients with chronic urticaria, adverse reactions to food additives are worth exploring using elimination diets and double-blind testing.
- Diet and atopic dermatitis
Hanifin J M et al
Western J of Med 151:6, 1989
Atopic dermatitis, a skin disease marked by severe itching, can be caused by allergies to certain foods with reactions occurring up to four days after the allergen has been consumed. Most common culprits were eggs, milk, peanuts, seafood, wheat and soya. It is possible that 10 to 20% of children and 10% of adults have eczema that is aggravated by food.
- Additive allergy: gastroenteritis due to yellow dye #6
Gross P A et al
Ann of Internal Med 111:1, 1989
Case study of an individual who was hospitalised four times over two years with severe abdominal cramps. Using an elimination diet several foods were identified as causing the problem - the common factor between them all was the colour Sunset yellow. The authors advise that, when analysing foods which may cause allergies, all the additives in processed foods and drugs should be considered.
- Masked food allergy as a factor in the development and persistence of obesity
Randolph T G
Abstract J Lab Clinical Med 32: 1947
- Inflammatory bowel disease and food intolerance
Hodgson H J F
Journal Coll Physicians 20:1, 1986
- Hereditary fructose intolerance in the vomiting infant
Edstrom C S
Pediatrics 85:4, 1990
- Effect of caffeine intake on psychotic in-patients
Zaslove M O et al
British J of Psyc 159, 1991
- A diet free from additives in the management of allergic disease
Freedman B J
Clin Allergy 7, 1977
- May emotional reactions be precipitated by allergens?
Mandell M
Connecticut Med 32, 1968
- Restless legs, anxiety and caffeinism
Lutz E G
J Clinical Psychiatry 1978
- Food allergy due to sensitivity to kiwi
Joral A et al
Allergy 47, 1992
- Food additives from the legume family: A potential allergy risk
Yman L et al
Allergy, 1988
- Foods and respiratory allergy
Novembre E et al
J Allergy Clin Immunol 81, 1988
- Allergy to apple, carrot and potato in children with birch pollen allergy
Dreborg S et al
Allergy 38, 1983
- Immunological and respiratory findings in spice-factory workers
Zuskin E et al
Environ Research 47, 1988
- Alcohol, amines and alkaloids: a possible biochemical basis for alcohol addiction
Davis V E et al
Science 167, 1970
- Relapsed schizophrenics: more rapid improvement on a milk and cereal free diet
Dohan F C et al
Br J of Psychiatry 115, 1969
- Neuropharmacological evaluation of movement disorders that are adverse reactions to specific foods.
Gerrard J W et al
Allerg Immunol (Paris) 30:1, 1998
- Sulfites in foods: Uses, analytical methods, residues, fate, exposure assessment, metabolism, toxicity, and hypersensitivity.
Taylor S L et al
Adv. Food Res. 30, 1986
- Gluten, milk proteins and autism: Dietary intervention affects on behaviour and peptide secretion
Reichelt K L et al
J Applied Nutrition 42:1, 1990
- Nutritional influences on aggressive behaviour
Werbach M R
J Orthomolecular Med 7:1, 1995
- Coeliac disease
Conleth F
BMJ Clinical rev 319, 1999
- Peanuts: allergic and other untoward reactions
Fries J M
Ann Allergy 59, 1987
- Adverse reactions to foods and their relationships to skin diseases in children
Lemanske R F et al
Adv Pediatr 35, 1988
- Milk protein-free diet for non seasonal asthma and migraine in lactase deficient patients
Ratner D et al
Is J Medical Science 19, 1983
- Multiple sclerosis and possible relationship to cocoa: A hypothesis
Mass A G
Ann Allergy 59, 1987
- Modification of rheumatic symptoms by diet and drugs
Merry P et al
Proc Nutrition Soc 48, 1989
- Salicylates, oligoantigenic diets and behaviour
Swain A et al
Lancet 2, 1985
- Cancer risk of heterocyclic amines in cooked foods: an analysis and implications for research
Layton D W et al
Carcinogenesis 16:1, 1995
- Anxiety and depression associated with caffeinism among psychiatric patients
Greden J F
American J Psychiatry 135, 1978
- Gastrointestinal allergy to food: a review
Ahmed T et al
J Diarrhoel Dis Res 15:4, 1997
- Adverse reactions to food and food allergy in young children in Iceland and Sweden
Sigurdsson J S et al
Scand J prim Health Care 17:1, 1999
- Toxicological data needed for safety evaluation and regulation on inherent plant toxins
Speijers G J
Nat Toxs 3:4, 1995
