Nutritional Management: Adverse Food Reactions

As a patient, you will (and you must) see a doctor if you ever present a symptom associated with an adverse food reaction. Indeed, that will be the correct thing to do, and your health care provider will prescribe the right way to treat and manage the symptoms, depending on their severity. Interestingly, it is more likely that your doctor will recommend avoiding the food that might have caused the symptoms in the first place. Additionally, they will refer you to a dietitian or nutritionist to manage such avoidance of food.

This might seem odd, you might think. I am only avoiding one or two foods. Why am I being referred to a nutritionist? Do I need to lose weight?

As a matter of fact, the avoidance of allergens is a fundamental part of the treatment and management of food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities. Considering that the most common studied allergens are cow’s milk, hen’s eggs, soy, fish and shellfish, wheat, and last but not least, peanuts and/or tree nuts. Did you know that you are most likely to have an unbalanced diet if you take 2 to 3 of these foods? Ultimately, eating an unbalanced diet will lead you to nutrition deficiencies, which will additionally affect your quality of life and health.

Since it is more likely that you will end up having a nutritional consultation, here are some of the questions that the nutrition specialist should be asking.

Questions

Overall, a nutritionist should consider the relevance of positive test results and be informed about the common cross-reactors between food and environmental allergens. Besides, some factors might affect the presence of adverse food reactions, such as medication, introduction to vitamin supplementation, stress, hormonal changes or unbalance, infection, exercise, and herbal medication.

A nutritionist or dietitian intervention should be fundamental to avoid nutritional deficiencies and promote a normal growth rate in children. It is especially recommended to those patients who are encouraged to avoid more than one food on their diets, additionally to prevent unnecessary avoidance of food. The provision of alternatives to avoided food will ensure a nutritionally dense diet and prevent exposure to allergenic foods.

In conclusion, nutritional advice and management are essential for the treatment of food allergies or intolerances. The avoidance of various foods can promote nutritional deficiencies and affect the quality of life of the patient. Having nutritional management of food allergies and intolerances will provide psychological support to the patient, avoid the risk of exposure to the mentioned allergens, promote a better quality of life through a healthy and nutrient-dense diet.

Venter, Carina, Kirsi Laitinen, and Berber Vlieg-Boerstra. “Nutritional Aspects in diagnosis and management of food hypersensitivity—the dietitian’s role.” Journal of allergy 2012 (2012).