Thursday, November 15, 2007

Food Intolerance, Allergies and Migraines

I’ve written about chemical imbalances in other reports before. Migraine headaches can be categorized as upset biochemistry that is most frequently precipitated by what is eaten. (exception: hormone cycles)


The disturbance of these undigested “foods” often triggers a chemical and/or hormone imbalance.

Allow me to explain. Typically about one third of the population has food imbalances. What this means is that certain foods are not well tolerated by the individual and they upset the body chemistry. The problem is that neither the individual nor the doctor realizes the problem.

The linings of the GI (gastro-intestinal) tract normally prevent large molecules from entry into the blood stream. If they manage to enter through because of irritating inflammation in the GI tract (“leaky gut”), then the blood handles these large molecules as invaders. The response of the immune system is that of an allergic reaction.

“Fireworks” in the blood can now occur. In the case of migraines,
IgE immuoglobins (antibodies) interact with mast cells which release histamine and heparin. The end result is inflammation in the vascular system.

In a migraine sensitive individual, inflammation in the form of cytokines and other irritants can produce spasm and pain in the cerebral blood vessels. This can trigger headaches and an avalanche of migraine symptoms.

Hormone disruption can occur which compounds and exacerbates the problem. The bottom line is that the body chemistry is disrupted and pain and migraine symptoms prevail.

Migraineurs know about some of the triggers but sometimes they are unaware of other culprits that set off migraine headaches for them.
A careful record or mental note of exactly what is eaten, including such things salad dressings, seasonings and such things as MSG often prove to be the culprits.

More information can be obtained by going to my website @ http://www.migraineheadache-relief.com …Denis Van Loan DDS

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