October Newsletter

IImmunoglobulin (Ig) G, A, and E are the three main types of antibodies that play important roles in the immune system, each with unique functions and locations within the body: Immunoglobulins (Ig) are antibodies produced by the immune system to fight off infections.

IgA neutralizes antibodies and supports mucous membranes. It is found in the

mucous membranes of the lungs, sinuses, stomach, and intestines.

IgG is the most common antibody in blood and other body fluids. It's a more delayed and potentially more mild immune response than IgE.

IgE are primarily associated with allergic reactions. It triggers mast cells to release chemical mediators that cause allergic reactions like coughing, sneezing, and vomiting

In other words, IgG operates mainly in the bloodstream, IgA protects mucosal surfaces, and IgE is primarily involved in allergic responses.

The body has many ways in which it can react negatively to foods, including mechanisms that don’t involve antibodies or measurable immune reactivity.  Testing can be valuable for some but is not always necessary.  Many times, people are already aware of the most likely culprits. The gold standard is food elimination and structured reintroduction. No single food allergy/sensitivity/intolerance panel is going to yield a comprehensive and fully accurate list of all foods that might be causing inflammation and/or discomfort.

Food intolerances such as lactose or fructose intolerance are not reactions from the immune system at all, but individuals with these intolerances will still suffer from consuming these foods. The body can also react to lectins, mycotoxins, chemical additives, and other triggers in food that will not show up on a typical food antibody panel. 

The Seven Most Common Food Sensitivities

• corn

• eggs

• dairy

• soy

• sugar

• wheat & gluten

• yeast

As a functional nutrition counselor, I start my clients on the most accurate and affordable way to decrease inflammation and identify food sensitivities, a basic elimination of the top three inflammatory foods in our westernized diet; sugar, dairy and gluten. Gluten and diary cause opiate like responses in the opiate receptors in the brain and it is recommended that they need to be eliminated slowly when engaging in gut healing diets. You'd be amazed at what symptoms clear up by eliminating these three inflammatory foods alone. Perhaps you already know you have sensitivities to others in this list.

You could try a 2–3 weeks elimination diet without any of these foods; you can set up a full “detox;” then bring one back at a time, waiting three days between introductions and documenting changes of all sorts in a Food, Mood, Poop Journal. Some eliminations may need longer (three months) to reduce IGg antibodies. Think of these elimination breaks as a "healing window" and not forever.

During those three months, functional nutritional counselors also work on addressing the root causes of the immune hyper-vigilance in our client population. We assess and explore sleep, movement, insufficient nutrients (especially Vitamins D and A and zinc), stress, toxic exposure/overload, microbiome imbalance, and enhanced intestinal permeability.

Functional nutrition counselors focus on shifting the terrain that a client's immune and nervous systems are responding so they have a more tolerant response to foods. Just eliminating the foods is not enough. It takes a holistic approach.

Walker's Functional Nutrition educates and supports clients in a therapeutic partnership throughout this process, identifying food sensitivities and quelling inflammation which is needed to heal gut mediated conditions (even if they don't manifest as digestive issues).

I'm grateful to be in a position to truly help those struggling with un-resolving autoimmune, digestive and mental health issues using a functional nutrition holistic approach to reverse functional imbalances leading and related to these chronic conditions for better health and vitality.

What Supplements are Helpful

• probiotics to heal the leaky gut

• glutamine to help with the gut lining integrity

• aloe vera juice to quell the intestinal fires of inflammation

• quercetin

• vitamin C

• nettles