In recent years, we have seen both food and seasonal allergies dramatically increase in adults. Allergies are an indication of gut health, and may be a sign of internal inflammation. They are intimately involved with our immune system, and can even progress into chemical sensitivities and autoimmune conditions like Sjogren’s Syndrome, Lupus, and MS. Allergies can also be an underlying cause of sleep apnea.

In the February 19 issue of THB, I discussed how to use an elimination diet to help detect food allergies/sensitivities. But there are some changes you can make to your diet to help prevent food allergies or sensitivities from happening in the first place.

The single most important measure you can take is to preserve and balance your “good” intestinal bacteria. You can do this by limiting your intake of sugary foods to prevent the overgrowth of intestinal yeast.

Because we have yeast organisms that reside in our gut, a diet that is high in sugars can promote yeast fermentation. In much the same way as baker’s yeast will ferment bread dough or brewer’s yeast will ferment grains into alcohol, intestinal yeast will ferment ingested sugars in the gut.

This not only produces an excessive amount of gas, but also increases the byproducts of yeast that are harmful to intestinal cells. In addition, sugar can actually promote the growth of the yeast population in your gut — something that makes sense when you consider than any organism flourishes with an abundant food supply.

You can help keep yeast from over-proliferating by limiting their “favorite” food sources — like desserts, soft drinks, juices and candy. Fruit is also high in natural sugars, and if you eat too much of it, it can also contribute to yeast proliferation. Keep to a reasonable 1 to 2 servings a day.

Another helpful measure you can take is to eat foods that contain natural sources of beneficial lactic acid producing bacteria, such as acidophilus. When you study the diets of other cultures, you often find that most have sources of foods that contain beneficial bacteria. They call these fermented foods.

Fermented foods are good for you because they contain lactobacilli bacteria, which actually help improve your digestion. Sauerkraut is a good fermented food, if it is traditionally made, as are Asian foods like Korean kimchi and Japanese natto.

Beneficial bacteria come from the soil, so vegetables usually hold traces of beneficial bacteria on their surface. Root vegetables are especially good sources because they contain bacteria that allows them to ferment on their own. You’ll also find beneficial bacteria in some commercial brands of milk, yogurt, and kefir.

Interesting isn’t it, that you can eat fermented foods and it’s healthy, but you don’t want to promote the internal fermentation I just described. The difference between the two is the organism that’s doing the fermenting — yeast versus good bacteria.

The final step I suggest you take to alleviate allergies is to rotate foods, especially those that tend to be highly allergic like wheat, cow’s milk, nuts, eggs, and soy. The key here is to try to eat these foods every 3 or 4 days.

For those of you who “love bread,” this may sound harder than it actually is. You can satisfy your desire for bread, crackers, and pasta by selecting those made from grains other than wheat.

[Ed. Note: Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD is presently the director of dietetics nutrition at LaValle Metabolic Institute (formerly part of Living Longer Institute). She offers personal nutritional counseling at LMI for clients who need help with their diet in relation to illness or disease. Laura also provides educational services in the areas of health promotion, wellness, and disease prevention. To learn more, click here.]

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