The immune system does important role- it protects the body from bacteria, viruses, fungi, helminths, identifies tumor cells. Its main task is to recognize and destroy malicious agents in time. Sometimes such vigilance becomes excessive - pathology occurs. immune system and allergy, characterized by an exacerbated reaction to foreign substances. What are the reasons for its development and what is the significance of changes in defense mechanisms?

Immunity and Allergy: What's the Connection?

Human health directly depends on the activity of internal protection - if it is weakened or absent, the body is damaged and dies, unable to withstand the attack of numerous foreign agents. Contact with them occurs daily, but due to the maintenance of the functional viability of the immune system, it passes without irreversible consequences. By the way, even inflammation, which is considered a synonym for the concept of "disease", is actually a typical protective reaction necessary to create boundaries between a healthy and damaged area and destroy the factor that caused the violations, with minimal losses for the whole organism as a whole.

What is the relationship? It is worth starting with the fact that defensive reactions are quite aggressive, but they are regulated by special mechanisms: this is necessary so that the target of the attack is not healthy cells or substances that do not pose a threat to the body.

If there is contact with a potentially dangerous foreign compound, or antigen, such a property of the immune system as reactivity is used - the ability to respond to the invasion of a harmful agent. For this, cellular and humoral reactions are used - in the first case, T- and B-lymphocytes are involved, in the second - special complexes of a protein nature, that is, antibodies.

During the implementation of the immune response occurs:

1. Antigen recognition.
2. Transmission of information about it to cells involved in defense reactions.
3. Interaction of lymphocytes and/or antibodies with a foreign agent.
4. memory of the antigen.

The process of formation of immune memory in the pathogenesis (development mechanism) of allergies is called sensitization.

It is triggered upon first contact with a causally significant agent, but at first it does not manifest itself in any way. clinical symptoms. However, after antibodies, or immunoglobulins, are produced, repeated contact provokes a cascade of protective reactions and the occurrence of disorders of the skin, mucous membranes, digestive tract, respiratory organs.

Reasons for the development of allergies

The mechanism of the immune response that is triggered by contact with a provoking substance is typical - that is, it is the same for all people and laid down in the process of evolution. But if in the case of infectious agents it is extremely clear why protective reactions are needed, the occurrence of an allergy does not represent any practical use. Why, then, does a person start sneezing after tasting an orange or desperately itching after using a moisturizer? Experts describe different reasons sensitivity formation.

Most Significant Triggers

Otherwise - triggering or provoking factors. They include such as:

• burdened heredity;
• massive drug therapy;
• early initiation of antibiotics;
• acute and chronic infections;
• contact with aggressive chemicals;
• environmental degradation.

The presence of any of the factors does not mean the indispensable formation of individual intolerance. The most common combination of triggers; even burdened heredity, that is, the presence of genes that contribute to the development of sensitization, does not manifest itself without additional provocateurs.

Stress and the "sterility factor"

Experts have known for a long time that anxiety can provoke malfunctions in the immune system. suffer various organs- stomach, intestines, kidneys; recovery reserves are depleted.

Stress can weaken resistance to infections and contribute to the formation of hypersensitivity reactions - that is, allergic intolerance.

Also widely recognized was the "hygiene theory", or "sterility factor", which states that the approximation of living conditions to indicators of maximum cleanliness reduces the need for immune protection at the standard level.

The resulting "gaps" are filled with reactions to substances that, in principle, do not pose a danger - the "point of application" becomes food product, dust, animal hair, cosmetics.

Allergy and immunodeficiency

It is widely believed that the cause of individual sensitivity reactions lies in the weakening of the protective functions of the body.

Of course, there is a certain meaning in this - after all, the prerequisites for the formation of disorders can be created during infections (especially chronic ones) and other diseases that in one way or another affect resistance (resistance) to stimuli.

However, an allergy is a pathologically heightened sensitivity. The mechanisms responsible for its implementation are not suppressed, but, on the contrary, are activated. Therefore, the disease cannot be considered an example of immunodeficiency. On the contrary, it is characterized by violent reactions that do not occur when protective structures fail.

Allergy is a phenomenon of inappropriate response to antigens associated with dysfunction of the immune system.

At the same time, people suffering from intolerance may notice an increased susceptibility to infections. There is a mutual relationship between these diseases: infection with viruses and bacteria increases the sensitivity of the mucous membranes to antigens of household dust, saliva and animal hair, and plant pollen. And inflammation associated with allergies affects local defense mechanisms (for example, the composition and amount of secretion of glands in the nose), can reduce immune reactivity, and thereby facilitate the penetration of disease-causing agents.

Immunotherapy: its features and benefits

It is known that best results treatment can be obtained by eliminating the cause of the development of an unfavorable process or by acting on the links of the mechanism of formation, that is, pathogenesis.

This principle is widely used in the case of infections - an example is the appointment of antibiotics, antiviral, antipyretic drugs to patients. As for individual intolerance, more and more popularity is gaining relatively new method called ASIT - or allergen-specific immunotherapy.

What are its advantages?

Since the relationship between sensitivity and defensive reactions organism, the effect is not on the signs of the disease that disturb the patient, but on the pathogenesis. This distinguishes ASIT from all other methods of treatment, which only temporarily remove the symptoms and cannot prevent their occurrence in any way.

The essence of ASIT is in the formation of the so-called immunological tolerance, that is, immunity to provocative substances. With its help, you can achieve such effects as:

1. Decreased sensitivity to allergens.
2. Reducing the need for drugs.
3. Prevention of the progression of the inflammatory process.
4. Remission (a state of absence of any symptoms of intolerance).

With a successful result of ASIT, you can count on the disappearance of signs of allergy for several years; in addition, with the timely initiation of therapy, the development of bronchial asthma in patients with rhinitis and dermatitis is prevented, and in people who already suffer from this disease, progress to more severe forms.

How is ASIT carried out? Increasing doses of a modified or specially modified allergen are introduced into the patient's body (by injection or sublingually, that is, under the tongue), the condition is controlled using laboratory tests. The general course can be several months.

Immunotherapy is not carried out for people with severe forms of any pathologies, including allergic ones, as well as for tumors.

ASIT has not only positive properties, she has contraindications (age up to 5 years, taking medications from the beta-blocker group, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, uncontrolled asthma, immunodeficiency). The introduction of an allergen can provoke local and general reactions- urticaria, bronchospasm, anaphylactic shock. However, despite the fact that caution is needed when implementing the course of therapy, ASIT remains the most modern and effective of available to the patient allergy treatments.

A new study suggests that trauma or extreme stress may increase your chances of developing an autoimmune disease. When comparing more than 106,000 people who have experienced a stress disorder with a million people without such an experience, the researchers found that stress was associated with a 36 percent risk of developing 41 autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn's disease and celiac disease.

“Patients suffering from severe emotional reactions after trauma or other stress should resort to medical treatment due to the risk of transition of these symptoms to chronic form and thus further deterioration of health as a result of increased risk autoimmune disease,” says lead researcher Dr Huan Song from the University of Iceland in Reykjavik.

The immune system of the body protects you from diseases and infections. But autoimmune diseases turn the body's natural defenses against itself by attacking healthy cells. It is not clear what causes autoimmune diseases, but they tend to occur in members of the same family. In particular, women, blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans have a higher risk of developing certain autoimmune diseases, the researchers say.

Song adds that treating stress-related disorders can help reduce the risk of developing autoimmune diseases. “Now there are several treatments, both pharmacological and cognitive behavioral approaches, with documented efficacy,” she says. For example, treating patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can help reduce the risk of autoimmune disease, especially when taken in the early years after diagnosis, says Song. But she cautions, due to the fact that this is an observational study, it is impossible to prove that stress causes autoimmune diseases, but only their association.

In the study, the Song team studied patients from Sweden from 1981 to 2013. with diagnoses of stress disorders such as PTSD, acute stress reaction, adjustment disorder, and other stress responses. The researchers compared these people to their siblings and other people who do not have stress disorders.

One expert in PTSD says the effects severe stress associated with a number of health problems. “Many studies have linked stress and negative events in childhood such as trauma and lack of attention, followed by medical problems, including immune ones,” says Mayer Bellehsen, director of the Integrated Behavioral Health Center for military veterans and their families in New York's Bay Shore. “It is also noteworthy that when people began to receive effective treatment, their risk has been reduced,” he adds.

Although it is not known why stress may increase the chances of developing an autoimmune disease, Bellehsen offers several possible explanations. These include the impact of stress on lifestyle, such as less sleep or more drugs or alcohol. Stress can also directly affect nervous system he says. "Regardless of the reason, this study adds evidence of a link between stressful conditions And physical condition health, requiring further attention to reducing injury and other causes of stress disorders, as well as improving the treatment of such conditions,” says Bellehsen.

When young children get sick, a parent's life turns into endless trips to the doctor, the hunt for miracle cures, and sheer disappointment if the hectic activity aimed at improving the child's health does not bring results. Most often this happens when the child's immune system is affected. Moreover, no matter how strange it may sound, a decrease in immunity affects the baby's condition as negatively as the hyperactivity of immune mechanisms.

In the first case, the child often and for a long time suffers from various infectious diseases that are difficult to treat. antibacterial agents. Reduced immunity is a harbinger of pathology on the part of hematopoietic organs, including malignant ones. Therefore, with frequent colds consultation of a pediatric immunologist is mandatory.

And with hyperactivity of the immune system, you need to contact not an immunologist, but a pediatric allergist. Allergic manifestations observed in children with hyperreaction to foreign proteins and allergens of a different nature, may be different in severity and severity. At the same time, the attending physician will not prescribe treatment without a preliminary examination, even when your baby is shown taking such a harmless and universal medicinal product, How kestin. Although this drug absolutely harmless and suitable for the treatment of babies aged 6 months or more, the exact dosage to an infant only a specialist can calculate.

In most cases, any allergic reactions begin with skin manifestations. Itching worries the baby, but does not affect him general condition. Therefore, some parents delay visiting a doctor or do not even think about the fact that rashes on the child's skin require the attention of a specialist. And absolutely in vain. Do not think that a banal rash is not a reason to visit an allergist. In the absence of timely qualified treatment, allergic dermatitis in children, they can go into chronic neurodermatitis or lead to the development of bronchial asthma.

Of course, bronchial asthma today is not as formidable as it used to be, but the disease continues to be quite serious. This is evidenced by at least the fact that young men of military age, suffering from bronchial asthma exempt from military service.

So that a serious illness does not become the cause of a serious illness of your baby, you need to take the first manifestations of allergies very seriously and conduct a course of treatment. At the same time, it should be remembered that buy kestin or another medicinal product- does not mean to acquire a panacea for all diseases.

Often, behind the rash is not an allergy, but childhood infections - scarlet fever, measles, rubella, or banal chickenpox. Also, therefore, one cannot do without consulting a specialist: if the allergist decides that the origin of the rash is infectious, and not allergic, he will refer the child to a pediatrician or a pediatric infectious disease specialist. Self-medication with antihistamines without a doctor's examination and tests is fraught with backfire: painting infectious disease mistaken for an allergy may be erased.

After a course of therapy with modern medicinal antihistamines the child's condition returns to normal. However, you should follow the recommendations of doctors, and for a certain period of time, regularly conduct maintenance therapy courses even against the background of full health. This will prevent the recurrence of the disease. Usually preventive courses of maintenance treatment are carried out twice a year - in spring and autumn. In the absence of exacerbations for more than 5 years, we can talk about the complete cure of your baby from allergies.

Diseases of the immune system, list Diseases and disorders of the immune system are classified according to the activity of the immune system. An overactive immune system has just as much potential to create health threats as an underactive immune system. The following is a list of immune system disorders based on the activity of the immune system Hyporeactive states of the immune system Conditions of immunodeficiency Severe combined immunodeficiency AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) Hyperreactivity of the immune system Allergy (caused either by foods or drugs, insect bites, or a specific substance Anaphylaxis Asthma Autoimmune diseases Other immune system disorders Chediak-Higashi Syndrome common variable immunodeficiency hay fever Human T-lymphotropic virus type I Hyperimmunoglobulinemia syndrome E) Syndrome of hyperimmunoglobulinemia M)) Primary immunodeficiency Selective IgA deficiency skin allergy X-linked agammaglobulinemia Immunodeficiency states This is the largest group of diseases of the immune system, which includes various diseases that suppress the immune system. Often the cause of an immunodeficiency state is an underlying chronic disease. The symptoms of an immunodeficiency state are the same as those of the underlying disease. Combined immunodeficiency - hereditary disorders immune system. The cause of combined immunodeficiencies is a number of genetic abnormalities, in particular, the X chromosome. Several types of recurrent infections are common in people suffering from combined immunodeficiency. In addition, they are also prone to contact diseases such as meningitis, pneumonia, measles, chicken pox, oral candidiasis, herpes, blood diseases, etc. Immune system diseases in children suffering from combined immunodeficiency become apparent in the first 3 months after birth. AIDS: HIV/AIDS is a severe deficiency of the immune system and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. AIDS takes more than late stages progression of HIV infection, when the body's immune system, after a slow deterioration, comes to a state of complete collapse. AIDS is considered a life-threatening sexually transmitted disease through physical contact, blood transfusions, needle sharing, and the like. The chances of survival for AIDS patients are negligible if the diagnosis is made at a later stage. Immune system symptoms associated with AIDS range from the common cold and flu to pneumonia and cancer. Allergy: Allergy is the immune system's response to normally harmless substances called allergens. There are many allergens such as pollen, mold spores, latex and some foods like peanuts or drugs like penicillin that can cause allergies. In many cases, there is more than one allergen responsible for inducing an allergic reaction. While allergy symptoms are often mild, it's a good idea to diagnose the underlying problem. Anaphylactic shock: Anaphylactic shock is a serious extreme form of allergy. In this condition, allergens such as food, drugs, or insect bites act as a trigger and cause a number of physical symptoms discomfort. Itching, rash, throat swelling and falling blood pressure are among the common symptoms of anaphylaxis. Anaphylactic shock can lead to emergency if not diagnosed and treated promptly. Asthma: asthma, chronic lung disease, inflammation at the heart of the disease respiratory tract. Allergens, various irritants or even stimulants such as physical activity, can initiate inflammation and cause various breathing problems in a person. Asthma symptoms include wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, etc. Autoimmune diseases: autoimmune diseases are a group of immune system dysfunctions in which cells of the immune system misinterpret signals and attack healthy cells own body. Autoimmune diseases pose a serious threat to human health. Autoimmune diseases can be seen as special category immune disorders. Chediak-Higashi Syndrome: Chediak-Higashi Syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by a mutation in the LYST gene displacement of lysosomes). This syndrome is manifested by recurrent purulent infections, partial albinism of the eyes and skin; neutrophils contain giant cytoplasmic granules. Effective transplant bone marrow. In addition, shown natural vitamins to help the immune system if the child's condition is not severe. Common variable immunodeficiency: Common variable immunodeficiency is characterized by low levels of antibodies in the body. Common variable immunodeficiency occurs mainly in adults. It may be present at birth but does not appear until age 20. Common variable immunodeficiency symptoms include bacterial ear infections, paranasal sinuses, bronchi and lungs. Painful swelling of the knee, ankle, elbow, or wrist joints general symptoms inflammation. Some patients may have increased The lymph nodes or spleen. hay fever: Hay fever is very similar to allergies, caused by airborne particles such as pollen, mold spores, animal hair. Hay fever is also called allergic rhinitis, is extremely widespread in the world. Symptoms include a runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, etc., which are very similar to a cold. The symptoms remain as long as you are in contact with the allergen. Urticaria (urticaria). Urticaria is an acute skin reaction to an allergen. .Allergen is either food or contact with a certain plant. Blisters form on the surface of the skin. These blisters are often itchy and round or flat. In addition to increased itching of the skin and blisters, a rash, swelling of the lips, tongue and face appear. Human T-lymphotropic virus (retrovirus) and Human T-lymphotropic virus (retrovirus) type II (HIV). Cause severe pathology of the human immune system. Most common among drug users and people with multiple sexual partners. People with genital ulcers and survivors of syphilis are also prone to infection with lymphotropic viruses. The way HIV is transmitted through sexual contact, blood transfusion, or during pregnancy from mother to fetus. Hyper-IgE Syndrome: Hyperimmunoglobulinemia syndrome E or Job's syndrome, characterized by elevated serum levels blood IgE. Hyper-IgE syndrome is characterized by recurrent staphylococcal infections, skin rash similar to eczema. This genetic disorder can be dominant or recessive. People with a dominant hyper-IgE syndrome cannot lose their milk teeth and have two sets of teeth. Hyper-IgM Syndrome: Hyper-IgM is a rare immunodeficiency disease. With hyper-IgM, the immune system cannot generate IgA and IgGj. The cause of this disease is a defective gene in T cells. Due to this defect, B cells do not receive a signal to switch immunoglobulin synthesis genes from IgM to IgA and IgG antibodies, and thus continue the synthesis of IgM antibodies. Primary immunodeficiency A: Primary immunodeficiency diseases are a group of immune system diseases caused by genetic abnormalities. In this case, people are born with a malfunctioning immune system. The symptoms and effects are the same as those of AIDS, but unlike AIDS, the cause is not acquired but congenital. Selective IgA deficiency: This is a special immunodeficiency in which the immune system is unable to generate antibodies of the IgA class. These antibodies protect against infections the mucous membranes lining the mouth and gastrointestinal tract, a variant of IgA - secretory IgA. Obviously, in the absence of IgA, the mucous membranes are open to infections. skin allergy: Skin allergy is similar to any other allergy, with the only difference that the immunological reaction to the allergen is realized on the skin. e. Allergy - reaction of the immune system to certain harmless substances. Skin allergies are characterized by redness and itching of the skin, sometimes blistering and some lesions. X-linked agammaglobulinemia: X-linked agammaglobulinemia is genetic disease, at which the body's ability to fight infections is impaired. The immune system does not produce enough antibodies to fight infections. Naturally, the body becomes a victim of many infections. The above list of diseases of the immune system reflects only some of the major immune disorders. Along with the listed diseases, there are several genetic and acquired immune deficiencies that affect millions of people around the world. Since the immune system protects us from various infections and diseases, attempts are being made to strengthen it.

Just a few decades ago, allergies were rare, but now they are ubiquitous. According to recent American statistics, every fifth inhabitant of the country suffers from allergies or asthma. In other words, allergies and asthma are one of a bunch chronic diseases associated with change environment, in particular nutritional and toxic load.

The motivation for this article was a tea party in the garden of the youngest daughter after new year holiday. Its ideologists were mothers of allergic children. According to their plan, the treat at the holiday should have been hypoallergenic to the maximum. As a result, we ended up at the table, the main characters of which were pastries made from white flour. Buns, cheesecakes and cookies ... Yes, they are made with their own hands, therefore they do not contain dyes and other additives. BUT even this does not make them safe for allergy sufferers! Why, read below.

Hygiene hypothesis

One of the first explanations widespread allergies in the early 90s of the last century has become a hygiene hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, allergies are the result of our excessive desire for hygiene and fear of germs. The obsession with cleanliness, constant washing of the body and home, sterilization of dishes for young children has led to the fact that from childhood we now come into contact with relatively few germs.

Meanwhile, it is microbes from the environment that train our immune system to recognize relatively harmless substances and distinguish them from pathogens. In other words, the more "dirt" around us since infancy, the smarter and more balanced our immunity is. So, a number of epidemiological studies show that the likelihood of developing allergies and asthma is lower in:

• people with pets
• children who grow up on a farm
• people who drink raw unpasteurized milk

On the other hand, risk factors that increase the likelihood of allergies or asthma are:

• antibiotic use
• birth by caesarean section
• formula feeding babies

The microbes we encounter throughout life also have big influence on the population of microbes that live inside and on us - our microbiota, the most famous community of which is the intestinal microflora.

Modern research using technologies that have made it possible to compare the microflora of children with and without allergies has demonstrated that the microbes inhabiting them differ in a number of ways. Thus, allergic children have a much larger population of pathogenic bacteria such as staphylococcus, clostridium, eskericia and a much lower population of friendly lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.

All roads lead to the intestines

The close association of allergies with gut health and gut microflora is not at all surprising when you think about it. After all, it is in the intestines that 70% of our immune system is located, and friendly microbes take care of its health.

Our gastrointestinal tract, a long tube from mouth to anus, serves as the first line of defense against pathogens and toxic substances, where mucosal microbes and immune cells work together to keep harmful substances out of the bloodstream.

The success of this protection depends, on the one hand, on the coherence of the microbial team, and on the other hand, on the condition of the intestinal mucosa. One of the functions of friendly microbes is precisely to maintain the health and integrity of the mucosa to protect the host/vessel in which they live.

In addition to bacteria, a number of micro and macro elements are also necessary for the health of the mucous membrane - amino acids, fatty acids and fermentable fiber, which bacteria feed on and from which the mucosa itself is built. With a deficiency of one of these elements, populations of friendly microbes suffer, the condition of the mucosa worsens, and after it, immunity.

Leaky gut

Despite the most powerful protective function, which she performs, the mucosa of our intestines is very
thin and fragile, its thickness is only 1 mm. A healthy mucosa effectively filters all substances that it comes into contact with from the gastrointestinal tract. They can get there only through epithelial cells, which cuts off pathogenic, toxic substances, of the wrong size, format, etc.

If the integrity of the mucous membrane is violated, the intestine becomes “leaky” - the gaps between the epithelial cells increase, which allows substances from the gastrointestinal tract to enter the bloodstream without filters, through the resulting gaps.

This opens the way to the bloodstream for pathogenic and toxic substances, and with them completely innocent ones - such as particles of undigested food. So, in the case of proteins, instead of an amino acid, peptides, that is, compounds of several amino acids, can enter the bloodstream through the intestines. Particles of incompletely digested food in the bloodstream are perceived by the immune system in the same way as dangerous pathogens, since in this form they cannot be used by the body and pose a serious danger.

In this case, it doesn’t matter what you ate - broccoli or an organic egg, if they enter your bloodstream undigested, your immune system will react, make efforts to neutralize and remove them, and also remember them for the future.

The next time undigested broccoli particles enter the bloodstream, specialized immune cells on the mucosa (mast cells) recognize them, immediately activate and instruct the immune system to synthesize protective substances such as histamines (hence the name of the category of medicines - “antihistamines”), leukotrienes , prostaglandins.

These substances, in turn, cause hypersecretion of mucus, inflammation and spasms of the mucosa - that is, what manifests itself in the form of traditional allergic symptoms- snot, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing.

Hyperactive immunity

Imagine that once hooligans broke a window in your house. You were worried, but after a while you calmed down. Now imagine that this began to happen on a regular basis. In addition to taking protective measures, it is very likely that you will become very susceptible to any noise in the street, over time, overly nervous and shy.

This is exactly what happens with the immune system, which is constantly confronted with large volumes of intruder aliens. Over time, she reinsured begins to react even to substances that have entered the bloodstream legally.

With a "leaky" intestine, or in other words, its increased permeability, no matter what you eat, it can cause allergic reaction. Moreover, if you do an allergy test, it will highly likely will show a reaction to most of the foods you regularly eat. I'll talk a little more about the analyzes below.

Hidden effects of allergies:

The danger of an allergy lies not in its unpleasant and uncomfortable symptoms, but in violation of a number of key physiological processes, which over time become inevitable if its (allergy) causes are not eliminated.

deficit nutrients
Through the mucosa, in particular, due to the numerous villi that cover it, absorption and assimilation of many nutrients occurs, including minerals - magnesium, iron. Bacteria also actively participate in this process, which also synthesize a number of nutrients themselves - such as B vitamins, vitamin K2. Deficiency of these trace elements and not only these is typical for most allergy sufferers.

Inflammatory processes
Immune activation occurs particularly through inflammatory processes and oxidative reactions. With prolonged activation, inflammatory processes become chronic, and oxidative stress increases, which characterizes the processes of aging and deterioration of health. So-called systemic inflammatory processes are developing, which scientists now recognize as the basis of all chronic diseases.

Development of autoimmune diseases
Chronic activation of the immune system is one of the causes of autoimmune diseases. Because of constant voltage and activity, the ability of the immune system to effectively recognize “self” and “foreign” is impaired. Often, due to the similarity in the structure of the proteins of undigested products that constantly enter the bloodstream, and their own tissues, the immune system begins to mistakenly attack its tissues. In addition, increased intestinal permeability alone is one of the three factors whose presence leads to the development of autoimmunity.

Deteriorating mental health
As I wrote in detail, our intestines are physiologically closely connected with the brain. At the same time, for one message from the brain to the intestines, there are ten (!) From the intestines to the brain. During systemic inflammatory processes, signaling substances enter the brain from the intestines, stimulating inflammatory processes that underlie depression and other mental disorders. The gut also produces neurotransmitters that regulate our mood, such as serotonin. With dysbacteriosis, these processes are disrupted, which at the level of symptoms can also be expressed in depression, frequent mood swings, and nervousness.

Allergies and flour products

The cross-reactivity described above, that is, the erroneous acceptance by the immune system of its tissues as pathogenic substances, often occurs with the well-known gluten, a protein fraction of wheat and other grains (its correct name is gliadin).

The structure of gluten (gliadin) is very similar to the thyroid gland and therefore the nutritional protocol for people with autoimmune diseases thyroid gland prescribes complete failure from gluten-containing foods. At the same time, the protein of modern wheat is very difficult to digest, especially in people with impaired gastrointestinal function, and therefore often remains in the form of a compound of amino acids, that is, in an incompletely digested form.

Another known property gluten is the increase in intestinal permeability discussed above. A number of studies have shown that eating protein from wheat, rye, and other gluten-containing grains results in increased synthesis of a protein called zonulin, which promotes intestinal permeability.

At healthy person after 4 hours, the permeability decreases and returns to normal. However, in people with impaired mucosal health, dysbacteriosis and weakened immunity, this does not happen.

Outcome: White bread or rolls may not lead to acute symptoms allergies, but regular use leads to aggravation of the disease.

At the same time, there is often a reaction that can be more difficult to track. The reaction may be delayed, it may also manifest itself through such atypical symptoms as headache, weakness, joint pain, etc., which I wrote about here.

WHAT TO DO:

Analyzes

Everyone has modern analyzes there are weaknesses for the presence of allergies. If you really want to do tests, then be prepared for the fact that most of the foods you eat can be allergens (if you have increased intestinal permeability).

Due to differences in reactions and the types of antibodies that are released, many allergens are difficult to detect. In particular, Americans are still working on improving the accuracy of tests to detect reactions to gluten known to us, which is extremely difficult to detect.

The most accurate protocol for recognizing sensitivities and allergies is the elimination diet that I wrote about. In addition to testing sensitivity to dairy products, which is written in the article, it is equally successfully used to test a whole list of them (products).

Here is what the founder of "" Chris Kresser says about this diet and analysis:

“I am not convinced that allergy tests can be 100% accurate. Rather, I treat them as a basis for experimentation. That is, if you were told that you were allergic to strawberries and egg whites, this is not a reason to exclude them from the diet forever. Instead, try taking them out of your diet for a few weeks, then reintroduce them and see how you react. If you analyze the studies, the elimination diet, which I just mentioned - temporarily eliminating foods and then including them in the diet, is still the “gold standard” for allergy testing. And if you come to a really good allergist, he will recommend this protocol to you. And the results of the analyzes will be used for its individualization.”

Nutrition

The main tasks of nutrition are:

Restoring the balance of intestinal microflora . I wrote about it in.

Restoring the integrity of the mucosa for which you need:

• add foods such as strong bone broth, coconut and ghee, fermented and fermented foods, wild oily fish and their caviar, algae
• remove all refined foods, sources of added sugar, gluten-containing cereals, among other things, as they feed pathogenic bacteria and exacerbate dysbacteriosis
• remove all sources food additives, dyes, that is, almost everything that is sold in bags and packages
• temporarily remove dairy products, a number of vegetables, cereals, legumes

Elimination for a while of all products to which there is a reaction , until the mucosa heals and the immune system "calms down".

Decreased total toxic load from the environment in the form of cosmetics and cleaning products, personal care products, household plastics, furniture and coverings made from a range of synthetic materials. All this is a source of toxic substances that our immune system and liver have to "deal with", which have physiological limitations, especially with allergies and sensitivities. I wrote more about it.

"Special carbohydrate" diet

A well-known protocol for repairing the intestinal mucosa is "Special Carbohydrate Diet" or "Special Carbohydrate Diet". This diet is applied in several stages over a period of 6 months to two years and initial stage It provides for the rejection of grains, legumes, many vegetables and dairy products.

A variation of the “special carbohydrate diet” is “GAPS-diet”, from Russian-born doctor Natasha McBride. With this protocol, she managed not only to help patients get rid of allergies, but also significantly improve the condition of many autistic children, children with attention deficit.

Additives

Among the universal supplements recommended for allergy sufferers:
Vitamin D , critical for normal functioning immune system
Omega 3 fatty acids in the form of DHA and EPA, as a powerful tool in the regulation of inflammatory processes
B vitamins , since their deficiency is often observed in allergy sufferers due to dysbacteriosis and violations of their synthesis by bacteria
Zinc in the form of l-carnosine and the amino acid l-glutamine for mucosal healing
Flavonoid quercetin as a non-drug antihistamine