Functional medicine can be an incredibly successful treatment for food allergies, sensitivities and intolerances. The aim is to correct the underlying biochemical imbalance so your body functions at peak performance.

Food allergies occur when the immune system of a person recognizes certain proteins in food as harmful and produces antibodies. This can manifest as hives, skin rashes or asthma symptoms.

Restoring Digestive Function

A functional medicine approach will include an extensive evaluation of your symptoms and history to identify the root cause. The aim is to restore digestive function and boost your immunity, so you can feel better, resolve health issues, and enhance quality of life.

A healthy digestive tract allows your body to efficiently break down proteins, fats and carbohydrates found in food. This is essential for absorption of essential nutrients for optimal health. When your digestion is compromised due to low levels of digestive enzymes, irregular gut motility (diarrhoea or constipation), or lack of gastric hydrochloric acid production, it becomes difficult for the body to absorb essential vitamins and minerals needed for optimal wellbeing.

Restoring digestion requires eliminating foods that cause inflammation in your gut. These include gluten, dairy products, corn and soy products as well as sugar, alcohol, caffeine, yeast and other irritants that disrupt the microbiome of your digestive tract.

It is also essential to eliminate any toxins that have built up in the gut, such as environmental chemicals, heavy metals and antibiotics. These toxins can disrupt the balance of beneficial bacteria within the gut, leading to a condition known as leaky gut. Leaky gut has been linked to many common health issues like acne, joint pain, mental fog and fatigue, migraines, weight gain and other chronic issues.

Functional medicine can assist in healing your leaky gut and relieving gut inflammation. It utilizes natural compounds to encourage Treg cell growth – part of your immune system’s regulatory system – which are necessary for successful healing.

These cells are responsible for controlling your immune response to allergens. They can suppress allergic symptoms through various mechanisms, such as decreasing Th-2 cytokine levels and mast cell degranulation.

These Treg cells can also increase the production of anti-inflammatory molecules that reduce allergy symptoms and inflammation in the body. They do this through various metabolites and bioactive factors like Baicalein.

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