Is it Possible to Develop a Food Allergy?

You never hear anything good about getting old. You always hear about the aches, the pains! The trails and tribulations of adulthood and beyond.

Even at ‘almost 27’, I notice that my body doesn’t recover the way it used to. I am sore in places I didn’t know soreness could be. The joint pain! Why is this all happening so soon?!

It’s true: the body changes over time. In some ways that I never expected. And in some ways that have completely changed my relationship with food.

This brings me to the topic at hand: food allergies. Can we develop food allergies in adulthood? Well the short answer is: yes.

You can develop allergies to a few different foods, but some of the main culprits are dairy, wheat, eggs, and soy. Why does this happen? Well, an allergy is simply your body’s immune system overreacting to substance.

Allergies have been linked to a condition commonly known as “leaky gut”. Leaky gut happens when your gut lining becomes so damaged that their are essentially large holes that proteins, which are particularly large, can fit through. These proteins can then enter the bloodstream – and this is what the immune system reacts to.

I was chatting with a woman the other day who just a few weeks ago found out that she developed a dairy allergy. She had been wondering for months why her skin was breaking out, why she always felt sick and bloated, and why she was having such incredible mood swings.

“Yogurt was my whole life!” she shared. “I was upset when I found out what was causing my symptoms”. But at this point for her, even cooking with a teaspoon of butter is enough to aggravate her allergy.

Well, that highlights the crappy part: that the development of a food allergy can sometimes mean saying goodbye to foods that you truly enjoy.

If you’ve been experiencing problems with digestion and bloating, headaches, dizziness, hives, or coughing you might consider a developed food allergy as a possibility.

The best way to figure out which food is causing your symptoms is to go on an elimination diet. It is important to eliminate the suspected foods for at least two weeks, as even when you haven’t digested that food in some time it can still take time for symptoms to disappear. As you begin to reintroduce foods, keep a food journal so that you can track your reactions.

I really empathized with the woman I was talking to. Before we had even met I had been exploring the possibility of having a food allergy, and I am experiencing some of the same symptoms as her!

“Everyone thinks I’m crazy! But you can develop allergies in adulthood”

“I believe you” I said and she smiled, “I feel like you needed to hear that” I added.

So there you have it folks: developing food allergies or even sensitivities in adulthood is very much real.

If you want to learn more, click here – it’s the best website I found on the subject.

On a personal note, I am currently abstaining from dairy and wheat, as those are the two types of foods I suspect are affecting me. If there is anything that this health journey has taught me, it is that the journey itself is never ending. Our bodies themselves change over time. Lifestyles change. We should be diligent in not only our learning but also in our adjusting.

When I find the answer to this question, I promise you guys will be the first to know!

Thanks for reading!

Edit:

I’m glad I did some investigating of my own during the time I was writing this post. It turns out that I do have a casein allergy (a protein in dairy), and I am also sensitive to wheat. I’m now officially dairy free, I avoid wheat, but best of all I enjoy food all the same – without all the side effects now!