The process of oral intake of the substances necessary for living things to survive, that is, nutrition is one of the essential basic needs of all living things. According to the chemical structure of nutrients; As we can group them as organic and inorganic, according to the sources they are obtained from; we can group them as herbal, animal and minerals or according to their functions in the body as energizing, constructive-repairing and regulating. Regardless of the way of grouping, we should consume the basic groups in a healthy diet in certain proportions: Carbohydrates (55-60%), Protein (10-20%), Fat (20-25%) and the rest should be consumed in a balanced and alternating manner as vitamins and minerals. .
The digestive system can be thought of as a canal system consisting of a series of specialized regions. Liquids, namely digestive system fluids, have an important role in almost every stage of the mechanical and subsequent chemical digestion of this system, which starts from the mouth. These are: Saliva, gastric secretions, bile, pancreatic juices and small intestinal secretions. The sum of these fluids reaches 3-4 liters per day.
The digestion process, which starts with the mechanical breakdown of the food in the mouth, is the 25-30 cm. Mechanical and enzymatic digestion continues when it comes to the stomach after passing through the esophagus. After the stomach, the chyme passes to the small intestine, where the digestion and absorption process reaches its maximum with the liver, gall bladder, pancreatic enzymes and the secretions of the intestine. While the foods that cannot be digested any more move forward with the peristaltic movements of the small intestine, the water and the dissolved substances in it are reabsorbed by the colonic mucosa. Finally, the solidified and water-absorbed waste is removed from the body as faeces. However, the intestines are not just an excretion organ, contrary to popular belief. It is a very important part of the body with its specialized and 400 square meter mucous structure lining its inner surface, villi providing absorption, 200 million nerve cells, 1014-15 cell number, very rich vegetative nervous system, vascular and lymphatic system network, functional secretions and special flora. . The intestines can be considered as an organ of the endocrine system with the hormones they secrete, and the immune system with the mucous immune secretions. Then, when nutrition, excretion of waste products, metabolism, endocrine system and immune system functions are considered, we can say the following: A healthy body is only possible with healthy intestines.
If we make an analogy, if we compare the human body as a whole with a house; We can compare the gastrointestinal tract to the kitchen and bathroom of a house. As these two functional units are important for a home with a high quality of life, the intestines are at least as important for the health of the whole body.
Nutrition is a vital need that comes true with food taken from outside. The concept of healthy nutrition includes healthy, balanced and alternating nutrition. Criteria that are important for a healthy diet:
Food quality: The production conditions of the foods we consume, whether they are organic or not, whether they are ready-made foods or not, whether they are ready-made foods with additives…
Nutrition quality: The order of meals for the day, food the daily consumption rate of the main groups in our weekly diet…
The quality of the gastrointestinal system: The ability of adequate disintegration, absorption, digestion and excretion that can only occur in a healthy intestinal system. It is the absence of any food sensitivity, food allergy or food sensitivity.
FOOD ALLERGY-NUTRITIONAL INTOLERANCE-NUTRITIONAL SENSITIVITY
In fact, food intolerance, food allergy and food sensitivity are all food side effects. For many years, scientific communities could not reach a consensus on the classification of the side effects of foods. The most well-known classification is that determined by the European Academy of Clinical Immunology and Allergy. This classification, made according to the physiopathological mechanism, is also very easy to understand.
1- Non-Toxic
a. Allergy
i. Type 1 Hypersensitivity
ii. Other IgE-induced sensitivities
b. Intolerance
i. Pharmacological (false allergies)
1. Due to frequent biogenic amine intake
2. Due to histamine-releasing food intake
ii. Enzymatic (favizim)
2- Toxic
Regardless of the classification of this table, which we can call food sensitivity, there is confusion in its use in daily life. Let’s dig into the definitions of these 3 groups of side effects to shed some light on this confusion.
1- FOOD ALLERGY
Food allergy is an immunologic reaction. These reactions are undesirable hypersensitivity of the immune system. Most reactions occur with tissue lesions. There are 4 types of hypersensitivity with different biological mechanisms. These are:
i.Type 1 Hypersensitivity Reaction
It develops as a result of re-exposure to a distinctive environmental antigen that is normally harmless. The individual has previously produced antibodies of the IgE class against the allergen in question. Exposure of the person to the allergen produces a systemic or local reaction, depending on the tissues the allergen encounters. Depending on the dose and exposure route of the allergen, oedema in the eye conjunctiva, itching and watering in the eyes, circulatory failure and shock may occur. Examples of some allergic diseases are allergic asthma, allergic conjunctivitis, allergic rhinitis, anaphylaxis, angioedema and urticaria.
ii.Type II Hypersensitivity Reaction
In the antibody-mediated hypersensitivity reaction, antibodies have developed after the immune response against the antigens on the body’s own cells. These antibodies on cells can be endogenous or exogenous. After the combination of IgG and IgM class antibodies against these antigens with the said antigens, the complement system activation occurs via the classical pathway. Complement activation aims to destroy pathogen-carrying cells. The occurrence and effectiveness of this reaction can take hours or days. Some examples are autoimmune hemolytic anemia, Goodpasture syndrome, pemphigus pernicious anemia, immune thrombocytopenia and blood transfusion reactions.
iii. Type III Hypersensitivity Reaction
It is also called immune complex disease or immune complex hypersensitivity. It is revealed by the formation of immune complexes resulting from the combination of IgG or IgM antibodies with antigens and the presence of these immune complexes in the systemic circulation, that is, in the blood. These immune complexes show their effects by accumulating in different tissues (such as skin, kidneys and joints). Type II hypersensitivity reaction occurs in the tissue where they accumulate. The development and effectiveness of this reaction can take hours or days. Some examples are immune complex glomerulonephritis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus.
iv. Type IV Hypersensitivity Reaction
Also called cell-mediated hypersensitivity, the active ingredients are immune system cells. It has different subgroups;
• Delayed type hypersensitivity
• Sensitization in some chronic allergic diseases or parasitic infections
• Cellular immune response due to cytolytic T lymphocytes
• Natural cellular immunity produced by killer cells.
2-NUTRITIONAL INTOLERANCE
These are reactions that the body shows against food or additives, related to digestion or metabolism, but in which the immune system does not participate. Food intolerance is an enzyme deficiency. Deficiencies can be partial or total. Enzyme deficiencies can be congenital or acquired, as in most lactose and fructose intolerance. Lactose and fructose intolerance are the most common examples of food intolerance. The diagnosis of food intolerance is made by the determination of the missing enzyme.
3-NUTRITIONAL SENSITIVITY
It is a chain of reactions that develops as a result of damage to the mucosal barrier in the presence of intestinal dysbiosis and progresses with increased antibody production against foods. The food group in which the sensitivity develops can be found by frequency comparison methods as well as by the determination of IgG developed against these foods serologically. The immune system starts to form antibodies only when the selective permeability of the intestinal mucosa is impaired and the food residues that should not pass into the blood. The food group, which has not had a problem in digestion until that day, now starts to react in repetitive contacts because antibodies have developed against it.
WHICH FOODS ARE MOST COMMONLY SENSITIVE TO
Milk and dairy products, eggs, shellfish, refined carbohydrates, gluten, peanuts, hazelnuts and their varieties… are among the food groups in which food sensitivity is most frequently detected. is coming. The reason may be frequent consumption, not complying with a balanced and alternating diet, familial predisposition, etc. The main important thing is the presence of bad intestinal flora, that is, dysbiosis, under all food sensitivities, and the damage of the intestinal mucosal barrier that develops secondary to this situation.
Intestinal flora is a collection of microorganisms that live on the mucosal surface of the intestines and have many beneficial functions for the whole body. The numbers of the groups that make up the flora and their ratio to each other are also important. Among the many functions of the intestinal flora, the most important ones are for the immune system and digestive system. Intestinal flora,
• Use of antibiotics
• Use of painkillers and other chemical drugs
• Inflammatory bowel diseases
• Operations, mainly in the abdomen
• Additives
• Unbalanced diet
• One-way diet
• Acidic diet
• Dehydration
• Acidic drinks and alcohol
• We call dysbiosis when it deteriorates for many reasons, especially heavy metals. Here, food sensitivity is a clinical condition that develops on the basis of dysbiosis and significantly reduces the quality of life.
CLINIC IN FOOD SENSITIVITY
In the presence of food sensitivity, the person will not have any complaints about the digestive system and can distinguish the food groups to which they are sensitive very well. Considering the accompanying intestinal flora disorder, the most common clinical complaints in food sensitivity are;
• Meteorism
• Indigestion
• Constipation
• Defecation disorder
• Weight gain
• Edema
• Halitosis
• Blood sugar dysregulation
WHAT SHOULD OUR TREATMENT APPROACH BE IN FOOD SENSITIVITY?
1. Neural therapy:
2. Regulation of Intestinal Flora:
3. Digestive Enzyme Support:
4. Treatment of Latent Acidosis:
5. Colon Hydrotherapy:
6. Pulsative magnetic field therapy:
7. Approach to Candida albicans hypercolonization:
8. Detoxification:
9 Rectal Ozone Therapy:
As a result, a healthy body is only possible with healthy intestines. And there is never a disease, there is a patient. All these general approaches should be applied to each patient with careful control and follow-up, according to the physician’s foresight and experience. Nutrition is a habit. In order for the treatment of food sensitivity and dysbiosis to be permanent, people need to make a healthy and balanced diet, drink enough water daily and make regular body activity their lifestyle. It should be emphasized that they use chemical drugs when it is really necessary and with probiotic support. At this point, we, the physicians, have a great responsibility in raising the awareness of our patients. This is the art of medicine itself.
