by Allan Wohrnitz
(BSc)
Allergies have one thing in common - an irritant, spoken of as an antigen, gets into
the blood and causes specific symptoms to occur. The offending substance may be
house dust, dandruff from almost any animal, pollens from plants, or bits of
incompletely digested foods. The trick in overcoming allergies is to build up
the body so that few, if any of the offending substances can get into the blood,
and so that those antigens that do gain access into the body are quickly
detoxified.
Healthy individuals remain unaffected when exposed to allergies; hence emphasis
must be placed on building health rather than avoiding an offending substance.
Allergic Symptoms
Allergic symptoms are often nothing more than the body's reaction to stress -
such as inadequate diet, emotional upsets, insufficient sleep, infections, or
the use of drugs precede the onset of allergies.
A key vitamin is Vit B5 (Pantothenic Acid) - if deficient, produces fatigue,
listlessness, poor appetite, digestive disturbances, headaches, irritability,
nervousness, mental depression, quarrelsomeness, increased need for sleep,
recurrent respiratory infections.
Daily intake - 100 - 200mg Vit B5 daily.
Under stress - 100mg Vit B5 + 500mg Vit C + 2mg of Vit B2andB6 + a high protein shake
every 3 hours until allergic symptom has reduced.
Histamine
Due to undigested proteins, the amino acid histidine can be changed
by putrefactive intestinal bacteria into a toxic substance, histamine. Histamine
is abnormally high in the blood of allergic persons.
Anti-histamine action - Vit B6, Vit C and Vit B5. Major emphasis in overcoming
food allergies must be on supplying these vitamins, improving digestion and
destroying undesirable intestinal bacteria - take acidophilus and yoghurt (see
write up on digestion).
Liver damage can play a role - adequate diet followed, liver function becomes normal.
Cell Permeability
Healthy cells can prevent harmful substances from entering them.
A lack of almost any nutrient however increases cell permeability, therefore
valuable nutrients can leak from such cells and toxic materials pass into them. To
prevent cell permeability, needed are Vit C, essential oils, Vit E and Vit A.
Vit A prevents permeability of cells both in skin and mucous membranes.
Role of each vitamin in overcoming allergies:
- Vit A - all surfaces inside the body are covered with a mucous membrane and is kept
healthy only when the needs for vit A are met. If membranes are strong and thick,
antigens probably cannot pass through them.
- Vit B - deficiency in any B vit one becomes depressed, worries easily and is readily
upset emotionally - can aggravate allergic reactions.
- Lack of B vits, less stomach acid produced, fewer digestive enzymes produced, less
stomach and intestine movements necessary to mix foods with enzymes and
digestive juices - more food remains undigested and bits of undigested foods can
cause allergies.
- Vit C and bioflavonoids - those with allergies have been found to be very low in Vit
C. Vit C acts as a detox agent against any foreign substance that gets into the
blood. If C is supplied before antigens enter the body, the offending substance
can be rendered harmless.
- Lack of C and bioflavonoids - capillary walls break, become porous and antigens can
enter the blood. Bruises and inflamed gums indicate a lack of Vit C. Best to
give more C than less.
- Vit D and Calcium - have been used in treating asthma and hives. Calcium, if well
absorbed by the aid of abundant Vit D, helps relax nerves and muscle tissue -
minimise spasms which occur with asthma - Also Cal Mag in an acid base (and no
presence of sugar in the Cal Mag), calcium is well absorbed.
- Essential fatty acids - lack of causes eczema. Also essential for the structure
of cells to prevent permeability, in combination with vit C and Calcium.
- Vit E - reduces need for oxygen (good for asthma) and acts as an antioxidant to
prevent the destruction of essential fatty acids and vit A.
- Liquids - too much may make allergies worse by washing vit C, bioflavonoids and
B vits out of the body.
- Protein - tissues of persons suffering from allergies are usually waterlogged;
undersupply of protein, waste is not effectively removed.
- If protein is inadequate, Vit C has no effect in detoxifying an antigen.
- Antibodies are made of protein and play an important role in preventing allergic
reactions, hence inadequate protein causes a lack of antibody production.
List of common allergies and recommended solutions:
- Hay fever - large amounts of vit A with vit E, 4 months before hay fever season with
250mg vit C 4 times daily - in acute cases 2000-3000mg Vit C
- Asthma - 1500mg Vit C daily
- Eczema - caused by a lack of essential oils - 2 tbs of essential oils daily with
Vit C and bioflavonoids.
- Milk allergy - Infants are rarely allergic to the same milk after it has been made
into yoghurt. During culturing process, milk protein is partially digested and
the offending substance may be broken down. Try other milks and goats milk before
other substitutes are used.
- Food allergies - take digestive enzymes as a temporary measure with each meal
while improving the digestive system.
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