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Over the past four years, I have become allergic first to red meat and now chicken. If I eat it, my gums and tongue become swollen and very painful. The doctor and dentist say there is no such thing as an allergy to meat. What is your opinion, and what do you suggest I do?
Answer:
Allergy comes form the Greek words for 'other' and 'energy'. An allergic response warns of the invasion of an unwelcome substance in the body. A classic or 'true' allergy (as opposed to an intolerance or sensitivity) involves the immune system, which acts as a filter for foreign bodies (allergens), reflecting or imprisoning them. Allergens may include pollen, food stuff such as peanuts, tree nuts, gluten and shellfish, drugs including antibiotics, chemicals such ac monosodium glutamate, and dust mites. Which living bodies, such as bacteria, enter the body it reacts by forming pus at the shit of entrance, or by forming antibodies that neutralise the bacteria and stop them multiplying.
Allergies are the body's way of defending itself, but they can be very uncomfortable and, perversely, life-threatening. A common allergic reaction is immediate hypersensitivity, such as hay fever and some forms of asthma attack. Cytotoxic reaction happen when living cells encounter incompatible chemicals, in washing powder or skincare, for instance this creates a reaction that is toxic to the cells.
Reaction to food can be a 'true allergy', where the entire body goes into an immediate, often violent response, known as anaphylactic shock, and the condition can be fatal. More common is food intolerance - a slower onset reaction, leading to diarrhoea sickness, itchy throat swollen tongue, extreme fatigue, inflammation of the bowels, and so on.
For allergies to occur, that body must be 'sensitised', that is, it must have previous experience of the allergen. Which bees first attack someone, the stings cause swelling pain, itchiness and sometimes fever. Shortly after that the body's immune system registers the bee-sting venom as 'dangerous'. If you are stung later, the body remembers the ordeal and immediately goes on full alert, resulting in anaphylactic shock.
It sound as if you have developed an intolerance to meat and chicken which means that you develop a local reaction such as you describe. Unlike some other patients I have seen with (rare) intolerances to meat sausages, rice and fish, the rest of your body is not reacting by giving you diarrhea.
Here are my recommendations:
Diet
Stay away from meat and chicken for at least a year and substitute proteins such as fish and eggs. Avoid the following:
* Yeast and fungal products, including yeast-bread, pitta, naan, pizza, Marmite, beer, Guinness, mushrooms, blue cheeses and vinegar, as they may lead to candidiasis. This attacks the gut wall, making small holes that can allow toxins into the bloodstream, sensitising the body and causing other allergic reactions, including hives and eczema.
* Citrus fruits, which cruse excess stomach acid and seriously disrupt digestion.
Supplements
* Take Detox Powder (Integrated Medical Centre): soak half a teaspoon in a cup of hot water at night. Strain and drink in the morning on an empty stomach for four months. This helps the liver and any candidiasis encouraging the body to respond to immunological imbalance.
* Take one 17. mg zinc tablet daily for two months
Alternative treatments
* Contact Dr Ray Choy for details of desensitisation therapy at the Nightingale Allergy and Nutrition Clinic, tel 020 7436 2135.
* Homeopathy and acupuncture can be useful. For a qualified practitioner, contact the British Acupuncture Council, tel 020 8735 0400 (wwwacupuncture.org.uk) or the British Homeopathic Association tel:0870 444 3950 (www.trusthomeopathy.org).
* Have neck massages to build energy and help blood flow to the pituitary gland in the brain, the controller of allergy.
