Food Intolerances and Malabsorption - What you may be missing.

Food Intolerances and sensitivities are more common than many people realize and apart from the obvious discomfort they may present with such as loose stool or explosive diarrhoea, bloating or stomach cramps, it can interfere with your absorption of essential nutrients and if not corrected with can affect a wide range of health issues including Vitamin and mineral deficiencies such as iron and calcium, weight loss, fatigue and Osteoporosis.

The incidence of food intolerance issues has increased over the last few decades and the reason although still unclear, are likely to be the result of over processed foods, lack of pre and pro-biotics and enzymes in the digestive tract that are effected by drugs such as anti-biotics, heart burn medications (such as Nexium that severely effects B12 absorption and in turn Iron absorption) and other medications have also been implicated with various issues with nutrient absorption.

The danger is that many people do not know the signs of malabsorption so it’s important to take note especially if your children are having stomach pain or growth issues. The most common signs include loose stool (can be sudden and involve cramping or be explosive) bloating, scaly skin rashes, mucous congestion, easy to bruise, weight loss, bone fractures, fatigue and excessive hunger or even loss of appetite.

Certain issues will present with specific symptoms such as fructose malabsorption (see FODMAP diets to learn more on this) will present with excessive hunger, bloating and pain and is caused by eating fruits high in fructose such as watermelon, apples etc. This can be assessed by cutting out high fructose fruits for a month and noting any changes to your gut and bowel habits. Cooking these fruits with a little sugar and cinnamon can increase their tolerance and is kinder to the stomach.

Lactose malabsorption is very common, as high as 65% of the population and is caused by lacking the enzyme to break down the sugar found in milk. This can lead to serious deficiencies in Calcium and magnesium and therefore can lead to osteoporosis. Symptoms include loose stools and cramping, mucous congestion and skin rashes. Cultured milk products such as good yoghurt or kefir has less lactose as it’s broken down by enzyme action. Lactose free milk or taking ‘Lactease’ enzymes can help easily with this.

Other malabsorption issues can be caused by sluggish organ function such as problems with pancreatic enzymes, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (which is very often a malabsorption issue and in turn causes reduced nutritional deficiencies due to gut irritation) or may be an autoimmune issue such as Coeliac disease where the immune system attacks the body in response to gluten.

Most importantly, it’s vital not to ignore these symptoms and eat foods that don’t sit well. The long-term effects of reduced nutrient absorption can severely affect all aspects of your health as well as skin, bones and energy production and even muscle strength. The easiest way to address the issue is to cut out a suspected food for at least 1 month and monitor your symptoms. If no change, then try cutting out another one. If you feel better stick with it and get advice. Foods high in digestive enzymes can be very useful in increasing your tolerance and nutritional status. These foods include fermented foods such as Kim Gee and sauerkraut, miso, pawpaw and other fermented vegetables. It’s important that these are not pasteurized as the process kills the very enzymes that we need and is one of the contributing factors in the increase in digestive issues.

Until next time. Stay well.

Dr Angela Palmer

Chinese Medicine