Food Components

Food is a mixture of hundreds of components (proteins, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, minerals, nutraceuticals, etc.). Food sensitivity is a reaction to a component, not the food itself. This obvious (but often overlooked) fact is essential to appreciate the vast manifestations of food sensitivity.

For example, milk allergy (the immune system reacts to a specific protein) and milk intolerance (lactose is fermented because it is not digested and absorbed) are reactions to different components.

The food components responsible for “above-the-water” conditions have been researched. They are relatively stable and consistent from sample to sample.

For example:

However, little is known about the food components responsible for the “under-the-water” conditions. These components, such as food salicylates, are unstable and inconsistent from sample to sample (we will further explore these concepts in module #4: The Murky Depths-Common Restrictions.  

This variability can lead to unpredictable symptoms. An apple may have a higher concentration of component X than another apple. Someone with a component X sensitivity will react to the first apple but not the second. However, the individual still tolerates most apples. Additionally, they may not tolerate other foods with unusually high component X concentrations. One day they may react to an apple and the next to a peach. It may seem like random, unconnected reactions – but it is not.