Many people crave the foods they are allergic to. Having a food that you cannot give up is a strong indication of an unrecognized food allergy. Most people associated an allergy with a full-blown immediate reaction, like breaking out in hives after eating shellfish. Hidden allergies usually take longer to manifest with a reaction taking place anyway from 24-72 hours later. This makes it very difficult to identify the offending food.

Craving for certain foods can also be an indication of certain nutritional deficiencies. For instance people who crave people chocolate are very often magnesium deficient and craving fatty foods can indicates an essential fatty acid deficiency.

People with hidden allergies have many chronic health problems that they probably do not associated with any particular food. One thing we have to look at is the reason or cause of the sensitivity or allergy in the first place. The answer lies in the digestive tract.

Gastrointestinal dysfunction often causes mal-digestion of food. Large food particles are left undigested and form substrate for bacterial growth. Over time the villi, the large absorptive surface of the intestines, becomes irritated and inflamed, which causes it to become less dense. These large particles, especially proteins, can then penetrate the intestinal mucous membrane. Once in the bloodstream, the body’s immune system will recognize the small protein or part of a protein as foreign, and produces antibodies against it. It is the reaction of the antibody/antigen complex that produces the classic allergy symptoms. These allergens are usually identified and destroyed by the liver, however, if the liver is not functioning at optimum, it allows the allergens to circulate in the body.

Treatment should focus on addressing the underlying cause of the allergy by thoroughly assessing the digestive and liver system. Moreover, identification and avoidance of the offending foods is crucial.

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