Sneezing, wheezing, running nose, itchy eyes, blotchy skin — here we go again with allergy season! Sneezing, wheezing, coughing and itching are commonly considered symptoms of allergies, but joint stiffness, sluggishness, headaches, alternating constipation and diarrhea – these symptoms and others can also be signs of an “allergic reaction,” a “sensitivity,” or an “intolerance” to something entering your body.
Why do some of us suffer every year, others have good years and bad years, while others never suffer allergies?
The skin is the most important part of the immune system. It protects us from the outside world. We also have a special “skin” that protects us from our inside world, which is the mucus membrane. This moist tissue covers the inside of your mouth, throat, stomach and intestines. It also lines your nasal passages and lungs. The purpose of these highly specialized tissues is to protect your body from foreign substances. An important principle to understand is that this “skin” is the first defense for your immune system. When your skin allows these foreign substances to “leak” through into your bloodstream, that’s when the real trouble begins.
Immune Challenges are met by antibodies
Allergic reactions begin when substances capable of beginning a “reaction” enter through your nose, lungs, skin or intestines. These substances are commonly thought to be pollen and foods, but they can also come from synthetic chemicals in our environment, drinks or foods.
Regardless of the source, all allergic reactions are a response by your body to the foreign substance. The body responds by sending antibodies to the rescue.
Antibodies are an important part of the body’s natural defense system and are produced normally by our white blood cells to help fight infection or toxins. These white blood cells make antibodies to bind with the foreign materials and then eliminate them. This is a great design!
If this antibody system is designed to protect me from bacteria, viruses and parasites – Why am I allergic to foods, perfume and cleaning solvents?
Let’s discuss foods first. One way a body can become overly sensitive (allergic) to common foods occurs when poor digestive function sends partially digested foods down the intestines for absorption. The mucus-membrane lining your intestine is supposed to absorb the good nutrients and keep out the rest. If that lining is unhealthy and “leaky,” allergic reactions begin. That’s because the “leaky” state of the intestines allows large protein particles from partially digested foods to be absorbed into the blood stream. These particles are recognized as “foreign” by the immune system, and they are removed from the body by the immune system, by binding with antibodies.
Similarly, chemicals in our environment challenge our immune system by irritating the mucus membranes of the nose and lungs, making them “leak,” and there by allowing foreign substances to enter the tissues. The immune system must respond yet again.
Additionally, the poor quality of the food we eat, poor digestion, and unhealthy bowel flora also contribute to nutritional deficiency. A nutritionally deficient body does not have the necessary nutrients available to build and maintain healthy tissues, including the skin and mucus membranes that form barriers to protect us. In this way symptoms of allergies begin.
One can see how in our world full of pollution, synthetic foods and chemicals of all types, our immune systems are challenged constantly. We often become overly sensitive to common substances. Such a constant demand on the immune system to respond to “challenges” can result from nutritional deficiency and cause nutritional deficiency, creating a vicious cycle, eventually leading to immune system exhaustion.
A natural approach to cause and care of allergies.
To summarize the cause of allergies:
- Nutritional deficiency can be the cause of allergies.
- Poor digestion can be the cause of allergies.
- Insufficient healthy bowel flora can be the cause of allergies.
- Environmental toxins can be the cause of allergies.
In previous issues of The Nutritional Essentials we have addressed each of these important principles of Health Building. Please refer to Issue 3 for digestive support, Issue 5 for the importance of bowel flora, Issue 6 for the importance of purification of the body for health, and Issue 7 for simple ways to enhance the immune system. And always take Catalyn to prevent nutritional deficiency.
Even though we eat the right foods, support the body with digestive enzymes, probiotics, organic minerals and vitamin complexes, we may still experience symptoms of ALLERGIES from time to time. Reactions such as sneezing, wheezing, running nose, itchy eyes and many others are caused by the release of histamine in the affected body tissues.
Question: Should I use anti-histamines when I feel allergic symptoms?
Histamine is involved in myriad physiological conditions, all with the goal of supporting healing. When antibodies bind with foreign substances, histamine is released to begin a process of flooding the irritated tissue with healing fluids. This inflammatory reaction can be quite uncomfortable, but is a necessary part of the healing process. One does not want to inactivate histamine, although it is ideal to clear the histamine from our tissues efficiently after it has done its job.
Drug forms of antihistamine may interfere with the healing purposes of histamine, and frequently have side effects. More importantly, these drugs may be altogether avoided by supporting normal body processes. What we need is a natural product that helps the body handle the histamine reactions, relieve symptoms, and support healing. For this exact purpose we recommend:
Antronex© which contains Yakriton, a liver fat extract discovered in the 1920’s. Yakriton has been shown to help the liver efficiently filter the blood, removing excess histamine and toxins from the blood. Protection of the stomach, nasal passages, lungs, liver and kidneys is the ultimate Health Building goal when it comes to strengthening the body to handle allergic reactions. A whole food concentrate product which supports all these body systems is appropriately named Allerplex ©.
Allerplex© is a special combination formula of whole food concentrates containing a wide variety of nutrients effective
in helping maintain a healthy immune system. Allerplex is useful in supporting proper acid/alkaline balance, and sustaining healthy liver function. Allerplex has been used by doctors since 1959 for this very purpose.
Lastly, talk to me for a more personalized recommendation.