Toxins and Food Allergy

Last summer, I blogged about our experience with a chiropractor whose treatment plan for Tanner focused on detoxification. He explained to us that his allergies were caused by toxins in his system that were overwhelming his immune system and throwing them off-balance. As I continue to do more research on possible causes, treatments and resources for food allergies, I'm finding that there is more substantiation for this point of view. Dr. Kenneth Bock, author of Healing the New Childhood Epidemics points to increased toxification as the primary factor in the increase of asthma, allergy, autism and ADHD. Of course, toxins are everywhere... in our water, air and food!

I could bore you with information on all the types of toxins that pervade our daily existence but in the interest of time and sanity, let's focus on food, shall we? As the overzealous label-readers that we are, I don't have to tell you what is in the food we are feeding our children. Dr. Bock says that "The average intake of essential nutrients – including vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids – has steadily declined since the 1980s, and the eating of unhealthy foods has increased. In particular, there has been an increase in the consumption of saturated fats, hydrogenated trans-fats, sugars, and refined carbohydrates." This is important because without the proper nutrients, the body cannot detoxify itself.

There are other medical studies that support the idea that diets with refined oil products contribute to allergic diseases, as do maternal diets with saturated fats.

So on the doctor's advice, we continue to feed our kids real food, which amazingly enough, is hard to do nowadays! Other than the box of Lucky Charms that somehow makes it into the pantry every time daddy goes to the grocery store, we stick with organic. With growing season at our door, we are excited about visiting the local farmers market for fresh fruits and veggies.