One of the primary causes of allergies is an impaired immune system, which substantially increases the risk of allergic reactions. "This occurs when the immune system becomes stressed due to an overload of toxins.

In researching allergies, doctors has found that a number of factors negatively impact the immune system. These include increased toxic burden due to pollution in all its forms; disturbance of infant immune systems through repeated vaccination and immunization; and damage to healthy intestinal flora due to over-reliance upon antibiotics and steroids (especially birth control pills).

ALLERGIES AND CEREBRAL PALSY

"The immune system may also be weakened by hereditary problems," states doctor. "Usually this will be reflected in the gastrointestinal tract, so that nutrients are not able to be absorbed and utilized properly. This can then set you up for food allergies." Antibiotics can cause allergic reactions and feels that in many cases their use is unnecessary. Antibiotics further add to the confusion the immune system is facing. Until the immune system is no longer able to tell friend from foe. When that happens, it starts reacting to all sorts of things which are not foes, that then become treated as allergens. This lead to fatigue and allows viruses, bacteria, and so forth to come in and play havoc.

Other causes of food allergies include nutritional deficiencies, a repetitive and monotonous diet, chemicals in the food chain due to pesticides and preservatives, and chronic intestinal yeast overgrowth (candidiasis).

A FOOD ALLERGY TIMETABLE

"A repetitive diet can contribute greatly to the development of allergies. Doctor has found that diets of allergy patients normally consist of thirty foods or less, which they eat repeatedly. "These thirty foods then become the basis for the most common food intolerances," says Ddoctor. "If someone eats bread every day, for instance, he could easily develop a wheat allergy due to the immune system's continuous exposure to it."

"Leaky gut syndrome", or excessive permeability in the digestive tract, is another major factor that can lead to allergies, according to Doctor. "In these cases," he explains, "the immune system reacts to the particles of partially digested foodstuffs (macromolecules) that leak into the bloodstream through the gut as if they were foreign material." Among the causes of leaky gut syndrome, Dr. Braly cites poor digestion, alcohol consumption, the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), viral and bacterial infections, parasitical infestation, vitamin, mineral, amino acid and/or essential fatty acid deficiencies, excessive stress, antibiotics, premature birth, candidiasis, and radiation. "These are all factors that one should consider and bring under control as part of an overall approach for treating allergies," he advises.