Deadly Harvest: The Intimate Relationship Between Our Heath and Our Food (51 page)

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (Heartburn, Acid Reflux)

Heartburn occurs when stomach acid flows back into the esophagus and, quite literally, burns it. Heartburn affects a quarter of the population, representing a terrible burden of suffering, particularly because eliminating the cause is so easy. When put on the Savanna Model, I have seen some heartburn sufferers experience relief overnight. When gastroenterologists have tried it in their own practice, they too have found excellent results.
³²⁴
The chief decisive factors are good food combining and the absence of dairy products.

Researchers have identified other risk factors for heartburn, such as the consumption of hot spices like chili, cayenne, and paprika. Another study found higher risks of heartburn in obese people. The same study found that those who drank one or more carbonated soft drinks a day increased their risk of developing heartburn at night by almost a third, compared to patients who stayed away from them.
³²⁵

IMMUNE SYSTEM DYSFUNCTION

Sometimes the immune system goes berserk and actually causes disease. This happens when the immune system launches an attack when it should not. There are two types of target for such “rogue” attacks: foreign particles originating from outside the body and internal body tissues.

The immune system has a subtle job to do in deciding quickly whether or not to attack a foreign particle. A healthy immune system is extraordinarily good at this and rarely makes a mistake. However, a poorly tuned immune system often fails to recognize which particles are friendly (like many food proteins) and which are “enemy” (like viruses and bacteria). When it makes a mistake like this, the response is called an allergy and the foreign material is referred to as an allergen. Instead of ignoring the harmless foreign particles, the immune system unleashes its counterattack of inflammation, swelling, and mucus secretion. We perceive this inappropriate response as various ailments such as allergies and asthma (or “allergen diseases”).

Rogue attacks on the body’s own tissues occur when the immune system fails to recognize its own body cells as “self” and launches an attack on various parts of the body. Killer T-cells, when they forget who hired them, attack innocent cells with friendly fire. We perceive the destruction as various ailments such as arthritis and multiple sclerosis (or “autoimmune diseases”).

Allergen Diseases

What causes an allergen disease? Pollen? Cat dander? Shellfish? Peanuts? These are some of the answers likely to be given by the average person, yet he or she would be wrong. All of these substances certainly have strong links to allergic reaction. Indeed, allergy counselors would add milk, soy, and wheat to the list.
³²⁶
However these cannot be root causes. If so, everyone would suffer from allergen disease. The root problem is not the triggers (pollen, peanuts, etc.), but a failure of the body’s defenses, the immune system.

Of course, you need to pay attention to the triggers, but you should not be sidetracked into thinking they are all-important. The chief priority is to restore sanity to the deranged immune system. Allergen disease is a disease of modern industrial societies for similar reasons that cancer has become much more common.

Usually, the sufferer is sensitive to quite a few allergens and the allergy only breaks out when several of them have accumulated. Then, it is the last one that gets the blame. Even worse, often the reaction can be delayed up to 24 hours after exposure. The average sufferer has no way of making the link between the trigger and the onset of the allergic reaction. That is why it is difficult to isolate the culprit: there are many of them and the exposure from day to day will be in a different order. Many of these complications are removed when we eat in conformity with the Savanna Model. As soon as we stop eating grains, dairy, and legumes, we remove a massive burden of allergy triggers.

Many of our dietary errors aggravate allergy symptoms such as inflammation, swelling, and mucus production. The first error is an overconsumption of omega-6 oils, which produce “bad” prostaglandins that instruct cells to inflame, swell, and secrete mucus. They also increase histamine production. In contrast, omega-3 oils produce “good” prostaglandins that suppress histamine, inflammation, and swelling. That is another reason why it is vital in fighting allergen diseases to have the essential fatty acid ratio in balance. The second error is abnormally high insulin levels, which also generate abnormal levels of histamine and other allergic reaction chemicals. That is why it is important to consume a low-glycemic diet.

Histamine and Allergic Reactions

Histamine is a substance that is released from the body’s tissues during conditions of stress, inflammation, and allergy. It provokes the familiar allergic reaction of runny nose, watery eyes, and tissue swelling. Many allergy sufferers are familiar with “anti-histamine” medications designed to neutralize the histamines produced by the immune system.

A major reason why allergens have their effect is that their molecules closely resemble a genuine enemy molecule, such as a virus. A sweetly tuned immune system has no difficulty distinguishing them, but a crazed immune system just lashes out indiscriminately. It sets in motion an unstoppable chain reaction and sometimes sets up the sufferer for a lifetime of allergic reactions.

This is how it happens: the immune system labels bad guys with a criminal record. That way, if it comes across them again, it knows straight away to give them a hard time. It does this all the time with virus infections and other foreign invaders. For example, when you have a disease like measles, the body remembers it for a very long time and you are unlikely to suffer it again. This works fine as long as the “criminal” label is correctly applied. But this is not always the case: the confused immune system sometimes labels harmless molecules as “criminal.” When that happens, the immune system launches an attack that is even more rapid and violent when it meets that falsely labeled “criminal” on subsequent occasions. This condition is known as hypersensitivity and is why allergies can take a long time to shake off. We have to give the immune system time to “forget” the falsely applied “criminal” label, which can take many months or even years.

Allergies

Allergy symptoms range from the mild response of sneezing and a runny nose to the sometimes life-threatening reaction called anaphylactic shock. During an anaphylactic reaction, the airways in the lungs constrict intensely, making it impossible to breathe, and the blood pressure falls precipitously.

Allergen Connection
—A deranged immune system is capable of taking exception to foreign particles from almost any source. However, the biggest sources of allergens are the following:

•
Grains.
All grains (wheat, rye, barley, corn, rice, oats, etc.) are allergenic.

•
Milk and Dairy Products
. A number of constituents of milk are highly allergenic: lactose, casein, and lactalbumin are the main examples. All milks and their products are concerned—milk itself, yogurt, and cheese. And it doesn’t matters if they are low fat. Dairy products from other creatures (such as sheep and goats) are just as bad.

•
Legumes.
Lentils and beans contain many allergenic substances. Soy, however, is the biggest problem. It has the most powerful allergens, and soy in various forms is an all-pervading, ingredient in a huge range of processed foods. A Swedish study found that in four out of five fatal reactions to food the deaths were due to soy.
³²⁷
The amount of soy needed to kill was small: between 0.25–2.0 teaspoons.

•
Essential Fatty Acid Connection
—Many studies have demonstrated that a high intake of omega-6 oils is harmful. The ideal is to have a rich omega-3 intake in balance with omega-6.
³²⁸

•
Colon Health Connection
—Hot spices encourage allergic reactions. Hot spices such as paprika, cayenne pepper, and chili pepper interact with the lining of the digestive tract and allow allergens to invade the body.
³²⁹

•
Stress Connection
—There are many non-dietary triggers of allergies and one of the most common is stress. Stress hormones deregulate powerful immune system chemicals called cytokines, causing them to unleash allergic reactions.
³³⁰

If you are bringing up young children, you have a chance to ensure they start life with a properly developed immune system. In order to mature properly, a child’s immune system needs to be constantly challenged by naturally occurring foreign particles. That way, the immune system is properly programmed with the right responses. One study found that children growing up in a large family, sharing bedrooms with siblings, and having a dog reduces the risk of developing allergies in adulthood.
³³¹

Asthma

Asthma is an inflammatory process with abnormal spasm of the bronchial tubes, mucus production, fluid in the lungs, and inflammatory cell migration. The prevalence of asthma has increased dramatically in recent years.
³³²
What has changed so much to cause this?

•
Essential Fatty Acid Connection
—Spasms, mucus, fluid, and inflammation are all conditions driven by powerful “bad” prostaglandins. Once again, the culprit is overconsumption of omega-6 oils.
³³³
The increase in asthma in the last half century is directly linked to the increased consumption of corn oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, and other omega-6 vegetable oils.

•
Colon Health Connection
—A leaky colon increases the risk of asthma.
³³⁴

•
Allergen Connection
—The consumption of dairy products increases the risk of getting asthma.
³³⁵

•
Non-Starchy Plant Food Connection
—Studies show that lung performance is better in those who eat fresh fruit at least once a day,
³³⁶
those who eat at least five apples a week,
³³⁷
and those who have a high intake of fruit and vegetables.
³³⁸
In other words, poor lung function, including asthma, is in large part due to a deficiency of plant food micronutrients.

•
Sunshine Connection
—Dr. Peter Black of Auckland University, in New Zealand, found that the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D, improved lung function, even in ex-smokers.
³³⁹

Migraine

Migraine is a mechanism in the brain that becomes activated in response to various trigger factors, such as routine stress, hormonal fluctuations, sleep disturbances, certain foods, or even changes in weather conditions. The migraine mechanism involves many parts of the brain, various neurotransmitters, and, ultimately, the activation of nerves and swelling and inflammation of blood vessels around the head. The greater the degree of blood vessel swelling and inflammation, the worse the headache.

•
Allergy Connection
—A number of allergens may play a role in migraines:

•
Grains.
Gluten has a particularly strong connection. Sufferers of full-blown gluten allergy (celiac disease) are also much more likely to suffer migraines.
³⁴⁰

•
Dairy connection –
in particular dairy protein.
³⁴¹

•
Pain-killers.
Sometimes the medication that one takes to relieve pain actually makes it worse, a phenomenon called “rebound.” The only solution is to grit your teeth and cut out your usual pain relievers.

•
Histamine.
This powerful chemical is contained in many fish, many cheeses, and some vegetables.
³⁴²

•
Non-Starchy Plant Food Connection
—A low plant food diet, deficient in micronutrients, notably magnesium
³⁴³
and riboflavin (vitamin B2),
³⁴⁴
sharply increases the likelihood of developing a migraine.

•
Blood Sugar Control Connection
—High abnormal insulin levels have the effect of manufacturing abnormal levels of histamine. Diabetics are much more vulnerable to migraine.
³⁴⁵
The low glycemic diet is how nature intended.