When Food Sensitivities Take Over: The Mast Cell Connection By Jessica Pizano
I
t seems that in this modern era of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), processed foods, and chemically laden products, there is an astronomical increase in food sensitivities and allergies. Consult any natural or functional medicine practitioner and you are sure to be assessed for food sensitivities/allergies and leaky gut syndrome.
Autoimmune Disease and Leaky Gut If you have a chronic illness such as autoimmune disease,
fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc., it is likely that you deal with the consequences of leaky gut syndrome on a daily ba- sis. Simply stated, this means that the tight junctions in the small intestine that prevent larger food particles from entering the blood stream have developed leaks. This allows larger food molecules to easily enter the blood stream. While this may sound relatively benign, in fact it is quite troublesome for the immune system. While adept at identifying well-broken-down proteins (as amino acids), carbohydrates (as sugars), and fats (as fatty acids), the im- mune system does not recognize these larger molecules as the food required for energy production, and consequently tags them for destruction in much the same way your body might attack a bacterial or viral invader.
This means the next time the food is ingested, your body can
mount a much faster attack. So your once-beloved food sudden- ly causes you symptoms that can affect digestion (constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux, gas, bloating), skin (rashes or hives), brain (mood changes, poor concentration), respiratory (congestion, run- ny nose, sneezing, wheezing) or even metabolic control (blood glucose levels).
For most people with leaky gut syndrome there are only a handful of truly offending foods. While IgG blood tests for various food sensitivities may turn up seemingly large numbers of foods, usually there are only a few that are in the high or even moder- ate category. By and large we find that the vast majority of IgG antibodies are in the lowest level. This means that the food may be safely eaten when rotated in the diet. It may be safely eaten periodically (often one to three times per week). However, on oc- casion, I come across someone who has very few foods that are safe. Often these clients may be down to only five to ten foods.
10 Natural Nutmeg - March 2015
The questions are, in this situation, “What caused the problem in the first place?” and “What can and should I eat?”
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome
Mast cells are immune cells used in both allergic and inflam- matory reactions. They are located in the skin and mucous mem- branes so that they may guard the body against the environment and its intruders. They are most well known for their role in aller- gies and anaphylaxis, where they lose their histamine load, which causes a host of symptoms ranging from minor sniffles or hives to full on anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening reaction. Mast cells are also important in wound healing and defense against infection. In some people, however, these mast cells tend to overreact, causing seemingly endless reactions that often do not make sense. These reactions can occur in response to food, drink, chemicals, changes in temperature, hormones, and even exercise. This disorder is called mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS).
A Range of Symptoms
In MCAS there is mast cell hyperactivity that can cause a va- riety of symptoms and signs that can range from fatigue, fever, weight gain or loss, sinusitis, wheezing, nausea, vomiting, diar- rhea, mood disorders, and even anaphylaxis. Most pronounced, however, is the loss of food after food after food. It can happen as a secondary disorder to autoimmune disease or other inflamma- tory conditions (including leaky gut syndrome). For some people the cause is considered idiopathic, indicating that we do not have a good explanation for why it is occurring. Regardless, what we see is a magnified response to essentially normal stimuli. Contrary to what one would expect, there is no real increase in the amount of mast cells. Rather, the mast cells can either become both more active and produce extra inflammatory mediators, or they are sim- ply more easily triggered to degranulate.
MCAS and Disease There are numerous diseases associated with mast cell ac-
tivation including fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, blad- der pain syndrome, interstitial cystitis, chronic prostatitis, burn- ing mouth syndrome, unprovoked anaphylaxis, Kounis syndrome
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