- by Dr. Eric Herman, D.C. BioVeda Health & Wellness Center of Bethlehem

What causes allergies and chemical sensitivities?
Over the last decade, important breakthroughs have occurred in the identification and treatment of allergies. Dr. Robert Gardner, Ph.D. professor of nutrition at Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah), discovered that specific key chemical agents cause allergic reactions including hayfever. These naturally occurring chemical agents called “phenolic” (aromatic) compounds, are regularly found throughout our environment in thousands of items including most foods, pollen and chemicals.

What is the relationship between allergies and asthma?
Many forms of asthma are caused by allergic reactions from both airborne phenolic compounds and those found in foods. Asthmatic individuals can be helped in the same way as others suffering from allergies. Airborne phenolic compounds are often found in pollen, tobacco smoke, house dust, air pollution, kapok, wool, feathers, animal hair or dander, building materials, furniture stuffing, cottonseed, and chemical odors. Some examples of foods that are most likely to be factors associated with asthma are those eaten daily such as wheat, eggs, chocolate, corn, peanut butter, citrus fruits, potatoes and tomatoes. We have helped many people suffering from asthma by first testing for those phenolics and other agents that can cause or contribute to asthma. We then screen and treat allergies, if indicated, utilizing our clinics’ painless techniques. This treatment also helps strengthen the immune system.

Do I have to restrict my diet to avoid allergies?
Not usually. Since phenolics are found in so many foods and other materials, it would be virtually impossible through dietary restrictions to avoid the phenolics causing the reactions. For instance, one of the phenolics, gallic acid, occurs in about 70% of the foods we eat! Restricting a persons diet or giving injections of whole food extracts in an attempt to avoid this compound seems impractical in light of these discoveries.

However, there is a small, select group of people that are critically sensitive to some foods and should still avoid those items. These people require special therapeutic programs and instructions.

Why should I have allergies and feel tired even if I eat only “good foods”?
The fact that a person eats only “good foods” or even “health foods” may have little to do with whether or not they suffer from allergies. Phenolic compounds occur in “good” foods as well as those items commonly thought of as “junk” foods.
The solution is to strengthen the body’s immune system by neutralizing and desensitizing phenolic compounds within the foods, NOT by avoiding the foods themselves!

What are some of the symptoms of allergies?
Allergies affect people in differing degrees. In fact, many people suffer the effects of allergies but often don’t recognize that their problems are related to an allergy! In the course of treating allergies, the patient is often quickly benefitted by being relieved of symptoms (such as fatigue) that was not originally associated with the allergy. For example, Dr. Abram Ber, M.D. has found that sensitivity to gallic acid contributes to chronic lower back pain, nasal congestion and fatigue.
Furthermore, many other problems such as depression, bedwetting, hayfever, headaches, stomach and intestinal disorders and skin problems have been helped by phenolic neutralization.
Remember, the body is a very complex system. Relief from a stressful condition (such as an allergy) can very easily relieve stress in other parts of the body. In severe cases, it is like removing a crushing pressure from the body which has been held in a “vice-grip” for years!

Are there ways I can tell if I or someone in my family, especially my child. has an allergy?
Many of the symptoms of allergies in children are similar to allergies in adults. Doris J. Rapp, M.D. has reported that some children with allergies show black, blue or red circles under the eyes (called allergic shiners) which appear after a person gets near or eats something to which they are allergic. Another clue is bags under the eyes. Some children have puffiness directly below the eyes and others also have little bags below the outer edge of each eye. Deep creases or wrinkles under the eyes are typical of persons with an allergy. [9] Allergies to foods and chemicals are also linked to learning disabilities, hyperactivity and behavioral problems in children (and adults).

How can allergies be treated painlessly?
Physicians using the homeopathic phenolic neutralization and desensitization techniques utilize advances in technology to help hundreds of people overcome their allergy problems. The use of painless, non-injection methods of diagnosing and treating allergies is the most effective method we have personally witnessed.

These methods have been especially welcomed by parents with children who have suffered from a fear of needles and the discomfort of skin reactions, nausea and other unpleasant reactions caused by conventional provocative allergy testing.

Symptoms of Phenol Sensitivity
Some typical symptoms indicating your child may have a phenol problem are [not all of these need be present]: dark circles under the eyes, red face/ears, diarrhea, hyperactivity, aggression, headache, head banging or other self-injury, inappropriate laughter, difficulty falling asleep at night, and night waking for several hours. The typical adult symptom of phenol intolerance is chronic fatigue syndrome, which is the opposite symptom that most children have, altho some children do present as always tired/lethargic, instead of hyper with sleep and other issues.

List of High Phenol Foods
Here is a short list of high phenol foods from Karen Seroussi’s book. They are food dyes, tomatoes, apples, peanuts, bananas, oranges, cocoa, red grapes, colored fruits, and milk.

Here is the Feingold list of highly phenolic/high salicylate foods: toiletries, cleaning supplies, art supplies — that has any of the following ingredients: Synthetic/artificial colors and flavors [for example, FD&C colors, vanillin], BHA, BHT, TBHQ, [all the preceding are made from or related to petroleum], Natural Flavoring (may contain salicylate), Natural Coloring (may contain salicylate), Aspirin and products containing aspirin or salicylic acid, Salicylates, Almonds, Apples, Apricots, Berries (all), Cherries, Chili powder, Cider & cider vinegar (apples), Cloves, Coffee, Cucumbers & pickles, Currants, Grapes & raisins, Nectarines, Oranges, Paprika, Peaches, Peppers (bell & chili), Plums, Prunes, Tangerines, Tea, Tomatoes, Wine & wine vinegar (grapes), Oil of wintergreen (methyl salicylate). Other items to consider are perfumes and fragrances, nitrites and nitrates, monosodium glutamate [MSG], Hydrolized Vegetable Protein [may contain MSG], sulfites/sulfiting agents, benzoates, and corn syrup [made from hydrogen sulfide + corn starch and many other added chemicals].

Advanced Treatment
Allergies are an error! The body is reacting inappropriately to a completely harmless substance, food or stimuli. STRESSORS are substances, foods or stimuli that place STRESS upon your nervous system.

Many of these STRESSORS can cause symptoms of allergies and sensitivities!

Your body can be retrained to accept these STRESSORS by no longer perceiving them as a threat. We do not treat and chase the symptoms, rather we get to the core of the problem…the nervous system’s inappropriate response to these STRESSORS. “We treat the person, not the condition”  Learn more:  Contact a BioVeda Health & Wellness Center near you!

What causes headaches?

- by Dr. Jean Gibson, BioVeda of Fayetteville, AR

Headaches can be caused by several different things.  Some of these causes are sinus problems, eye problems, vascular irregularities, allergies, chemical sensitivities or hypoglycemia. The most common cause of headaches is cervico-genic in origin – meaning it originates in the cervical spine (your neck). Spinal subluxation can irritate spinal nerves causing your headaches.

Muscular tension in your neck caused by stress, chronic postural strain (such as sleeping on too many pillows or spending too much time looking down at your cell phone), or traumatic injury to your neck as in a whiplash can also cause headaches.

There are several things that can be done to help your headaches without drugs. First, you need a thorough examination and x-rays from a Doctor of Chiropractic. The doctor will then develop a specific treatment plan based on the findings from your examination and x-rays

The  adjustment for the spinal regions that are subluxated can be completed either using a hands on technique or a precision instrument. The adjustment restores normal motion to your cervical spine, decreases muscle spasms and decrease inflammation in your joints and muscles.

We can assess your nervous system for negative reactions to foods, airborne particulates, chemicals, or other substances and then use Neurological Stress Reduction Therapy (NSRT).

Acupuncture can also be used to relieve your headache by helping your body produce endorphins – natural pain relievers – and by balancing energy flow.

Three Things that Could be Making Your Allergies Worse

- by Dr. Andrew Moore, BioVeda of Alamo Heights, TX

Hormones: When European researchers studied 571 women between the ages of 28 and 58, they found that more than one in every 10 tested positive on a standard measure of breathing difficulty before or during the first days of their periods. For many women, allergies and asthma get more severe right before their periods, other research has shown. Taking the Pill may help, or you may want to tweak your allergy/asthma medication around your menstrual cycle to get good control.

Stress: It can make everything worse – even allergies: an Ohio State University College of Medicine study found that in people with seasonal allergies, even moderate stress caused a more sever reaction to an allergy skin test; in the study, subjects who were asked to make a short speech had red raised bumps that were 75 percent larger than they’d been during the “low stress” portion of the study. Stress appears to increase levels of cytokines, chemicals that play a role in the body’s allergic response

Alcohol: In a 2008 study of over 5,800 Danish women, those who had more than two drinks  a day were almost twice as likely as nondrinkers to report having nasal symptoms. No one’s quite sure why, but alcohol is a vasodilator, and it may be that if you have allergies, the swelling of your blood vessels makes your nose run even more. If you notice symptoms cranking up after the cocktail hour, skip the aperitif and go right to the appetizer.

Dr. Augustine on The Power of Biological Light in Healing – Mercola

- by Dr. James Augustine, BioVeda of Cerritos, CA

A Russian scientist, Pjotr Garjajev, has managed to intercept communication from a DNA molecule in the form of ultraviolet photons — in other words, light. This won’t come as a surprise to anyone who is familiar with the biophoton work of Fritz-Albert Popp.

It is well known that if you use UV light to destroy 99 percent of a cell, including its DNA, you can almost entirely repair the damage in a single day just by illuminating the cell with the same wavelength at a much weaker intensity.

This phenomenon is known as photorepair.

Following the work of Popp, scientists around the globe have begun to consider that your body’s communication system might be a complex network of resonance and frequency.

Read more…

A recent report from Children’s Hospital Boston indicates that food allergies in children are becoming more common and more severe.  In fact, the number of food allergy cases at this hospital doubled in 2006. In addition, the number of kids with food allergies went up 18 percent from 1997 to 2007, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 3 million children younger than 18 had a food or digestive allergy in 2007, the CDC said.  There are many theories as to why more and more children are becoming allergic.  This rise in allergies could be due to our Western diet, making us more susceptible to developing allergies and other illnesses. CNN further explores this possibility in their article “Why are food allergies on the rise?“:

The children in the African village live in a community that produces its own food. The study authors say this is closer to how humans ate 10,000 years ago. Their diet is mostly vegetarian. By contrast, the local diet of European children contains more sugar, animal fat and calorie-dense foods. The study authors posit that these factors result in less biodiversity in the organisms found inside the gut of European children.

The decrease in richness of gut bacteria in Westerners may have something to do with the rise in allergies in industrialized countries, said Dr. Paolo Lionetti of the department of pediatrics at Meyer Children Hospital at the University of Florence. Sanitation measures and vaccines in the West may have controlled infectious disease, but they decreased exposure to a variety of bacteria may have opened the door to these other ailments.

“In a place where you can die [from] infectious diseases, but you don’t get allergy, obesity, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune disease, the flora is different,” Lionetti said.

This study only looked at a small number of children, but the findings support the widespread notion of the “hygiene hypothesis” — the idea that cases of allergies are increasing in number and severity because children grow up in environments that are simply too clean.

“That our immune system is skewed away from fighting infections, and toward fight things that it’s not supposed to be fighting, like things in the environment or foods — that’s one thing that people think may be in play,” Rudders said.

Another reason presented for this rapid increase in food allergies and food sensitivities in children is the idea of delayed introduction of high allergen foods. A study published in the Journal of American Academy of Pediatrics, “Age at First Introduction of Cow Milk Products and Other Food Products in Relation to Infant Atopic Manifestations in the First 2 Years of Life: The KOALA Birth Cohort Study” has found that delaying the introduction of certain common allergen foods, particularly cow’s milk, is not favorable and does not prevent the development of allergic response such as eczema, wheezing or atopic dermatitis. They studied data from 2558 infants in the Netherlands to come to this conclusion, through questionnaires administered at 34 weeks of gestation and 3, 7, 12, and 24 months postpartum. They then measured allergic sensitivity at age 2, through blood sampling. They determined that delaying introduction of common allergens may actually increase the risk of eczema at age 2 and beyond.

Another study involving Jewish children in the United Kingdom and Israel has found that the Israeli children who were exposed to peanuts frequently during infancy were 10 times LESS likely to develop a peanut allergy than their UK counterparts.

“The most obvious difference in the diet of infants in both populations occurs in the introduction of peanut. Israeli infants are introduced to peanut during early weaning and continue to eat peanut more frequently and in higher amounts than UK infants, who avoid peanut, as per Department of Health recommendations.  The observed differences in Peanut Allergies between the UK and Israel are unlikely to be explained by genetic differences. Our findings raise the question of whether early and frequent ingestion of high-dose peanut protein during infancy might prevent the development of Peanut Allergies through tolerance induction. Paradoxically, past recommendations in the United States and current recommendations in the UK and Australia might be promoting the development of Peanut Allergies and could explain the continued increase in the prevalence of Peanut Allergies observed in these countries.”

Whatever the reason for the increase, it’s time to look at alternative methods of addressing these allergies in children.  BioVeda Health & Wellness Centers offer a variety of holistic therapies that can help reduce or eliminate symptoms related to food allergies.  Contact a BioVeda Health & Wellness Center to learn more!

- by Dr. Eric Herman, BioVeda Health and Wellness Center of Bethlehem, PA

The word “allergy” did not even exist a century ago, and yet, respiratory allergies today are the 5th leading chronic disease in the U.S. and are the 3rd most common chronic disease among children under 18 years old. [1] It has been estimated that one in seven Americans had a respiratory allergy in 1950, but one in four have one now.

Homeopathy is highly effective in the treatment of allergies and fully capable of stimulating the organism to heal to the point of complete relief from all allergy symptoms.

Many of us have suffered from allergies at one time in our life, and usually the best treatment offered was symptomatic relief through avoidance of the allergen or through medication. Homeopathy, on the other hand, addresses the cause of the sensitivity to allergens at the deepest possible level; avoiding the allergen (the substance responsible for the allergic response) or resorting to suppression of symptoms through ongoing symptomatic treatment becomes unnecessary once this sensitivity has been eliminated.

An Allergist is the medical specialist that commonly uses small doses of an allergen in order to desensitize a person to that allergen. This concept of using small doses of what might cause a problem in order to help prevent or heal the person is an ancient observation of healers/physicians all over the world, and it is the basis for a type of natural medicine called homeopathy.

It is therefore not surprising that one of the three physicians who founded the American Acade­my of Allergy was a San Francisco homeopathic physician, Dr. Grant L. Selfridge. [2] Another small and forgotten footnote in medical history involves a homeopathic physician from Scotland, C.H. Blackley, who in 1871 was the first physician to identify pollen as the cause of hay fever. [3]

The truth is that allergies can be permanently overcome. The body is incredibly made and has all the mechanisms built within that allow us to attain and maintain great health. Our innate healing abilities are so powerful that we naturally overcome the majority of problems we encounter in life.

“Think about this for a minute – what if headaches didn’t come and go, they just came and stayed? Or, imagine if you still had every cut, scrape and injury you had ever gotten – you would be a mess. Obviously, you naturally recover from many conditions because your body has internal healing capabilities”.

Symptoms are often mistaken as the cause of the problem, when really they are caused by the problem. Treating a symptom instead of a root cause is like turning off a fire alarm instead of putting out the fire. Take headaches for example. Say you choose to use aspirin or ibuprofen to control the symptoms. Time and time again, you must take these pills (why do you think you get so many aspirin in a bottle?). In most cases, the underlying cause of the headache is not changing and therefore the headaches keep coming back! Wouldn’t you rather target the underlying cause and stop the headaches from returning at all?

Do you think that taking various over-the-counter drug products for symptoms is the best way to deal with allergies? Why use temporary solutions over and over again? Your immune system needs to be normalized and strengthened so you do not have to live with allergy symptoms.

Do you know about the possible side effects of antihistamines and decongestants, the primary ingredients in many over-the-counter allergy medications? Many allergy products can cause nervousness, insomnia, dry mouth, negative reactions to other substances, stomach upset and over-sensitivity to sunlight. Additionally, many of these products will cause a rebound effect, a worsening of symptoms when the drug is discontinued. Homeopathy helps your body naturally overcome allergy symptoms with no side effects, while you stay fresh and alert.

Homeopathy is the purest form of natural medicine I have found. With over 200 years of clinical use, there are no negative side effects, no known reactions with other drugs, no contraindications for use and no addictive or habit forming properties. These outstanding results are unprecedented in the history of medicine.

Homeopathic medicines have become the first of all the natural remedies to be registered by the FDA as a drug product. Homeopathy offers a safe, natural solution backed by science, clinical experience, FDA registration and, most importantly, the tests of time.

Homeopathy is designed to work very quickly. Most people will notice initial results as early as 30 seconds to 3 minutes. Others may see results in a few minutes to a few days. Others experience a sense of lightness, accompanied by an emotional release. The corresponding sense of well being or an increase in overall energy, alertness and awareness indicates the healing response is taking place within you. Another positive sign of the healing response being activated is that you will require less and less of this natural medicine as time goes on, not more and more.

Homeopathic natural medicines are powerful. Homeopathy can be safely and effectively combined with nutritional and herbal products, as well as conventional drugs and procedures. The end results of using an all-natural approach are well worth it! Natural relief is a far healthier and often permanent solution.

Homeopathy is a very individualized healing art. A single remedy for one person with allergies may not be the same as that needed for another. Treating 10 people with allergy symptoms may require just as many different homeopathic remedies.

Homeopathy offers formulas designed to strengthen you from the inside by activating your body’s natural response system to stimulate its ability to heal itself. This approach offers relief of allergy symptoms, while formulas which work specifically on the immune system may even prevent future allergic reactions. A second approach in homeopathy acclimates you for the outside by providing homeopathic preparations of the specific weeds, grasses, trees, molds and pollens found in your geographic region. Over time, your body becomes less sensitive to the exposure of these allergens, reducing the severity and frequency allergic reactions. Using both of these approaches together provide the most complete approach to allergy correction.

Using The Bax Aura system Dr. Eric Herman and other Bioveda practitioners can assess thousands of environmental, chemical and food substances to determine which ones cause neurological stress. The Bax Aura harmonic imprinter can then create custom Homeopathic Medicines specific to your sensitivities. Imagine being able to pin point your exact needs and have a natural medication custom made for you. Can you think of any other doctor or clinic on the planet that can offer this? After taking your custom Homeopathic Medication for a period you can then return and be re-tested to specifically measure the degree of improvement you have experienced.

This contemporary homeopathic approach is the only treatment method besides immunotherapy or allergy tests and shots that offer a chance for lasting relief or potential cure from allergies. Obviously, homeopathy offers the simplest, safest, and less costly and time-invested approach. Homeopathic allergy relief is applicable to anyone with allergies and should be the practical first choice for allergy care and correction.   Contact a BioVeda Health and Wellness Center to learn more!

[1] Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America

[2] Cohen SG. The American Academy of Allergy: a historical review. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1979;64: 332-333.

[3] Reilly D, Taylor MA, McSharry C, Aitchison T. Is homoeopathy a placebo response? Controlled trial of homoeopath­ic potency, with pollen in hayfever as model. Lancet October 18, 1986; ii: 881-886.

By Dr. Andrew Moore, D.C., A BioVeda Health and Wellness Center in Alamo Heights

1. Pollens. Pollens are the number one allergy triggers in the United States. Pollens are produced by vegetation – trees, grass and flowering plants – and are spread by air. When inhaled, they cause a reaction on people who are allergic to them. Most plant life release pollen into the air from spring to autumn, but there are also some plants that produce pollen in winter.

2. Animal hair. As lovable as dogs and cats are, the oil they secrete to coat their hair contains protein that can cause allergic reactions. The sad thing about it is that allergy to animal dander can develop over time and can end the relationship between a pet and its master.

3. Dust mites. Dust mites live in the dust that collect in homes and workplaces. They cannot be seen by the naked eye, and they feed on bacteria, fungi and dead skin cells in dust balls. The proteins that their waste products contain can cause allergic reactions.

4. Insect bites. An insect stings or bites as part of its defensive mechanism. However, when an insect bites, it leaves proteins in the skin that are also allergy triggers for some people. The allergy can manifest as mild swelling and itchiness, but it can also be life-threatening for some people.

5. Mold. Mold develops on damp and dark areas. When mold spores are touched or inhaled, they irritate the air tract and cause allergic reactions. Molds act almost the same way as pollens do, except that they persist even in sub-freezing temperatures.

6. Food. Some people are predisposed to developing allergies to food such as shellfish, peanuts, wheat and milk. Such people produce antibodies against the substances found in the food they are allergic to. When they eat this food, their antibodies release histamine and trigger allergic reactions. You can use food intolerance testing kit to identify possible food intolerance of your body for 96 different food types.

7. Latex. Latex is made from the sap of the rubber tree, and this sap contains proteins that can be an allergy trigger for some people. When these people come in contact with latex, they immediately show an allergic reaction. This can be problematic, given that many items used in the health care business are made of latex.

8. Medicine. Some people have immune systems that are not friendly with substances found in some drugs, like penicillin and salicylates. When these people ingest medicine containing these allergens, they can break out.

9. Perfume. There are people who cannot stand the smell of perfume, no matter how good the perfume smells. The chemicals in the perfume irritate the lining of their nose and trigger the allergy.

10. Cockroaches. Cockroaches are creepy; nobody likes them. But more than that, the proteins that their feces contain can irritate the skin and cause an allergic reaction.

Each year, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) declares May to  be ”National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month.” It’s a peak season for asthma and allergy sufferers, and a perfect time to educate your patients, family, friends, co-workers and others about these diseases. 

Each year, AAFA asks the President of the United States to officially designate May as National Asthma and Allergy Awareness month. We make it easy for you to join in the activities by inviting you to use AAFA materials and tools to bring healthy messages to work, school and home.

Get an Awareness Month Planning Kit from the EPA.

Spring Allergy Capital Rankings for 2010

There is no place safe from allergies in America, and some cities are more problematic than others. The Allergy Capitals is an annual research project of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) to identify “the 100 most challenging places to live with allergies” in the spring and fall seasons. This year Knoxville, TN, has risen to the top. Visit to see where over 100 cities are on the list this year.

The rankings are based on scientific analysis of 3 factors for the 100 largest metro areas in the U.S. The data measured and compared each year includes:

• Pollen scores (airborne grass/tree/weed pollen and mold spores)*
• Number of allergy medications used per patient
• Number of allergy specialists per patient

Top 5 Spring Allergy Capitals for 2010:

1. Knoxville, TN
2. Louisville, KY
3. Chattanooga, TN
4. Dayton, OH
5. Charlotte, NC

Asthma Capital Rankings for 2010

No city is free from asthma triggers, and some cities are more challenging places to live than others. This year, Richmond, VA, has been named the top “Asthma Capital” in our annual ranking of “the 100 most challenging places to live with asthma.” Visit www.AsthmaCapitals.com to see where over 100 cities are on the list this year.

By Dr. Jack Epter – Natural Health Allergies, Chiropractic, and Nutrition

IgE is an indication of a hypersensitivity or true allergy. IgG is a secondary response usually associated with a previous exposure to an antigen.

IgE Food Allergies
The best known and well-studied form of food allergies is called a Type 1 immune reaction (classical food allergy, immediate-onset, IgE-mediated, atopic food allergies, etc.). Type 1 food allergies occur in approximately only 2-5% of the population. Type 1 food allergies occur mostly in children and are less frequent in adults. Usually occurring in the genetically predisposed individual, the immune system begins creating a specific type of antibody called Immunoglobulin E (IgE) to certain foods. One side of the IgE antibody will recognize and bind to the allergic food. The other side of the antibody is attached to a specialized immune cell packed with histamine, called a Mast cell. Primed for action, the IgE antibody now only has to patiently wait for re-exposure to food allergens. When you eat the allergic food the next time, IgE antibodies hungrily latch onto the food. Instantaneously histamine and other allergy-related chemicals (chemical mediators) are released from the mast cell, quickly bringing on the unwelcome appearance of stomach cramping, diarrhea, skin rashes, hives, swelling, wheezing or the most dreaded of all Type 1 reactions, anaphylaxis.

IgG Delayed Onset Food Allergy
Type 3 immune reactions are much more commonly involved in food allergy than Type 1 reactions. In fact, 45-60% of the population has been reported as having delayed food allergies. Delayed food allergy or food sensitivity also involves the immune system. They occur when your immune system creates an overabundance of antibody Immunoglobulin G (IgG) to a specific food. The IgG antibodies, instead of attaching to Mast cells, like IgE antibodies in Type 1 allergies, bind directly to the food as it enters the bloodstream, forming food allergens bound to antibodies circulating in the bloodstream. The allergic symptoms in Type 3 immune reactions are delayed in onset – appearing anywhere from a couple of hours to several days after consuming allergic foods. Delayed food reactions may occur in any organ or tissue in the body and have been linked to either causing and/or provoking over 100 allergic symptoms and well over 150 different medical diseases. An estimated 60 to 80 million Americans suffer from clinically significant food allergies and most all of whom suffer delayed symptoms.

Symptoms of IgG Food Allergy may include:

• Abdominal Pains
• Aches and Pains
• Acne
• ADHD
• Anxiety
• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Autism
• Bloating
• Celiac Disease
• Chronic Fatigue
• Chronic Infections
• Constipation
• Depression
• Dizziness
• Eczema
• Enuresis (Bed Wetting)
• Fibromyalgia
• Fluid Retention
• GI Problems
• Hyperactivity
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Itching
• Lethargy
• Loss of Appetite
• Migraine
• Nausea
• PMS
• Psoriasis
• Recurrent Ear Infection
• Recurrent Sinus Infections
• Rhinitis
• Sinusitis
• Skin Rashes
• Stomach Cramps
• Tension
• Urticaria
• Weight Gain
• Weight Loss
• Wheezing

Food Allergies don’t cause Everything, BUT Food Allergies CAN cause ANYTHING!

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reports this month on a study showing peanut allergies in American children have more than tripled over 11 years, from 1997 to 2008. Peanut allergies are one of the few allergies that children do not grow out of, and are also one of the most dangerous.

“Our research shows that more than 3 million Americans report peanut and or tree nut allergies, representing a significant health burden,” researcher Scott Sicherer, MD, of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City says in the news release. “The data also emphasize the importance of developing better prevention and treatment strategies.”

Its increase could be attributable to the “hygiene hypothesis” — the idea that less exposure to allergens and bacteria in childhood leave the immune system underdeveloped and vulnerable, the researchers speculated.

Or it could be the timing of when the food is introduced, or how the food is prepared, the researchers said. Roasted peanuts, for instance, have increased allergenicity because cooking changes the nature of the proteins in the nut.

This increase in allergic response is despite the American Academy of Pediatrics’ original recommendation of delaying a child’s introduction to peanuts until the age of three, which was later rescinded in January 2008.  They now recommend that solid foods not be introduced before four to six months of age, but that the timing of introducing common allergens (such as dairy, eggs, and nuts) is no longer believed to have an impact on a child’s later probability of developing allergic diseases.  In fact, a study involving Jewish children in the United Kingdom and Israel found that the Israeli children who were exposed to peanuts frequently during infancy were 10 times LESS likely to develop a peanut allergy than their UK counterparts.

“The most obvious difference in the diet of infants in both populations occurs in the introduction of peanut. Israeli infants are introduced to peanut during early weaning and continue to eat peanut more frequently and in higher amounts than UK infants, who avoid peanut, as per Department of Health recommendations.  The observed differences in Peanut Allergies between the UK and Israel are unlikely to be explained by genetic differences. Our findings raise the question of whether early and frequent ingestion of high-dose peanut protein during infancy might prevent the development of Peanut Allergies through tolerance induction. Paradoxically, past recommendations in the United States and current recommendations in the UK and Australia might be promoting the development of Peanut Allergies and could explain the continued increase in the prevalence of Peanut Allergies observed in these countries.”

Food allergies such as nut allergies are on the rise and have become a significant health burden.  There are many alternative and holistic options for dealing with allergies such as a peanut allergy.  Contact a BioVeda Health and Wellness Center near you to learn more.

– by Dr. Waterman, BioVeda Health and Wellness Center of San Ramon, CA

Does your child hate drinking cow’s milk? Does he often complains of stomach aches or skin rashes after drinking cow’s milk? If yes, then your child most likely is not throwing a tantrum but is suffering from milk allergy. Allergies from milk and dairy products are more common among children as compared to adults. Estimates suggest that 2 to 5 % of infants are allergic to milk. 80% of these children will “outgrow” the milk allergy by the age of 6. Still, it leaves a considerable percentage of children who carry their milk allergy into adult hood without finding allergy relief.

Cause

An allergy is caused when the immune system reacts inappropriately to a substance. The immune system performs the function of recognizing foreign proteins (antigens) present in the body (primarily when food is consumed) and forms antibodies called Immuno-Globulins. When the IG’s come across antigens, these antibodies fight them, leading to destruction of that specific microorganism. In those with allergies, the immune system misbehaves by forming antibodies or markers against safe protein substances by misidentifying them as harmful and marking them for destruction.

Those allergic to milk are actually allergic to many proteins present in cow’s milk. The two main components of milk proteins are Casein and Whey. 80% of the protein in milk consists of casein and the rest is accounted for by Whey. The immune system considers these milk proteins to be dangerous foreign elements, and initializes a series of reactions to remove them out of the body.

Symptoms

Milk and dairy allergy symptoms include:

* Skin Reactions: These include hives, eczema, red rashes, swelling of lips, face, tongue, mouth or throat.
* Intestinal and Stomach Reactions: These symptoms include stomach ache, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea and bloating.
* Misc. Symptoms: Besides above mentioned specific symptoms, there are other symptoms like excessive sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, increased coughing, sneezing, decreased brain function, and decreased immune health.

What is disturbing is that none of the above symptoms can confirm milk allergy. The only way to ascertain a milk allergy is to closely monitor the diet and subsequent reactions.

Treatment

Unfortunately, there is no allopathic cure to properly treat milk allergy. Allopathic medication too fails to provide any cure. The problem is the fact that milk and dairy products are an integral part of the diet. Be it adult or children, milk is fundamental to every diet. The only sure shot method is to avoid the allergen, which in this case are milk and other dairy products. However, it is not easy as a major portion of diet comes from dairy products especially milk.

- by Dr. Craig Burns, BioVeda Health and Wellness Center of East Centennial

Allergies, Asthma and Food Sensitivities are on the rise.    Read more to discover why food sensitivities lead to allergy disorders, skin conditions and digestive symptoms.  Discover an exciting new holistic therapy!

Question: Why are the statistics for allergies and asthma getting worse every year?  Why do more kids than ever before have allergies?

Answer: The #1 reason for increased rates of allergies and asthma is that more people than ever before are becoming FOOD SENSITIVE, i.e. they are developing “unknown” food sensitivities to otherwise harmless foods.

Question: Why are people (and parents) so quick to accept that allergy and asthma symptoms are something they will have to “learn to live with”?

Answer: Because they don’t know that there are highly effective holistic solutions to detecting and correcting these troublesome food sensitivities.

Food Sensitivity Testing and Treatment:  A Holistic Breakthrough with Unbeatable Results
Imagine having a stomach ache or upset tummy after eating a seemingly harmless food like eggs or fruit.  Imagine not being able to eat what you like, when you like because you are afraid of the consequences.  Imagine not knowing what causes your digestive trouble and having to tip toe through life hoping what you put into your mouth is not going to “react” later. This is how many people live their lives.  And guess what… they have come to accept it!  People must learn to live with such troublesome issues when they and their doctors fail to recognize the underlying cause of the problem.  Worse yet, they are forced to rely on Pepto-Bismol, Tums, Ibuprofen, and other offending substances that offer a long term side effect that is worse than the original condition itself, like osteoporosis, stomach ulcers, and kidney dysfunction. So, where does it all end?  What is the solution to such a common problem that is getting worse year by year?  Rest assured the answer will never be found unless we decide that there must be another way, a better way to treating these conditions.

The True Underlying Cause of Many Digestive Symptoms
There are many reasons why people have digestive problems, but perhaps the most common of all is the substance association stress response.  The substance association stress response is what takes place when a person eats something that they are hypersensitive to, i.e. allergic to.  It is the trigger that initiates a cascade of events that inevitably leads to troublesome symptoms.  It is the defining difference between the person that is “OK” eating eggs and the person that is “NOT OK” eating eggs.  Whatever you might be hypersensitive to, eggs – you name it, is not the real problem.  Instead it is the abnormal way in which your body “reacts” to the substance. The substance association stress response is a neurological event that is orchestrated by the central nervous system, specifically the autonomic nervous system.  To put it simply, it is a faulty wiring and timing issue within the body itself that if left uncorrected will always led to the same outcome, i.e. symptoms and misery.  To put it another way, it is an abnormal reflex response that the body has when it comes into contact with a particular chemical or substance.  Remember when you first touched something hot as a child and jerked your hand away?  Probably not, but you do know the theory behind how your body learned to develop reflexes or habits that protect you.  You also know that these reflexes eventually become unconscious and automatic.  Well, interestingly enough, your body can acquire bad reflexes too.  In short, the substance association stress response is a great example of an unhealthy reflex.  And, as many people know it can be a bad, abnormal, unnecessary, untimely reflex at that. What if you could break that reflex and establish a new one, a healthier reflex to eggs, fruit – you name it!  What if you could break the reflex that makes your body react to something that many other people do not react to?  What if you could go from being “NOT OK” with certain foods, chemicals and substances to being “OK” with them like other people are?  Would that be a better life, a more enjoyable life?  You bet it would!!

Can’t I Just Use an Avoidance or Elimination Strategy?
You could, but would that be the best thing for you to do?  If you have an obvious abnormality in the way your central nervous system works – why wouldn’t you want to fix it?  The truth is allergy symptoms and the substance association stress responses are just the tip of the ice burg.  They are a physical manifestation of an underlying problem within your central nervous system.  Your central nervous system is like your body’s super computer.  You don’t want ANY underlying problems, glitches, malfunctions, etc.  The result of an abnormally functioning nervous system is always dysfunction and dis-ease.  By the same token, the result of a healthy well functioning nervous system is health without the presence of symptoms.

Can Underlying Food Allergies Cause Other Allergy Disorders?
Yes.  It is well accepted that underlying food allergies may in fact drive other allergic disorders like asthma, skin conditions, seasonal allergies, etc.  The more substance association stress responses a person has the greater the symptoms and condition.  For instance, a person could have several “unknown food hypersensitivities” that magnify or fuel the one “known” allergy. It works like this.  Your central nervous system can only handle so much stress before it crashes like a computer and produces symptoms.  The more “unknown” sensitivities you have the more neurological stress you ask your body to deal with on a regular basis.  In a way your body remains on edge or close to a tipping point, and you don’t even know it.  So when that cat enters the room, or the seasons change, or that food is consumed – your central nervous system and immune system crash and you have an allergic reaction. So then, is the real problem what you see, the tip of the iceberg?  Or is the real problem what goes unseen, what lies beneath the surface?  Could it be that allergy and asthma symptoms are getting worse year after year because we are only focusing on what we see on the surface, paying no attention to the true underlying cause of the condition?  Statistics and simple logic, as described above, would suggest so.

What Should a Person With Allergy and Asthma Symptoms Do?
To put it simply, stop treating the symptoms as if they are the condition.  Try and find the true underlying cause of the condition, and fix it once and for all.  Then and only then will your body be free from the substance association stress response, and thus be symptom free. Remember, reflexes and habits both good and bad can be easily built and easily broken.  The key is finding the right doctor to help you do just that. In my opinion, nearly every allergy and asthma patient has 2 choices:

1. To learn to live with their condition and rely on man made medications to manage symptoms, thus leaving the bodily dysfunction to worsen with time.
2. Or, to learn more about their body, to improve it for the sake of their future well being and allow it to work as God designed it to.

If you or someone you know has allergy or asthma symptoms, we may be able to help. Contact us to see if you are a candidate for an exciting new therapy – a holistic therapy that is offering both hope and results to families across the nation. Long lasting relief and optimal health may finally be within your reach!