Allergy webchat

Nutritionist Patrick Holford answers all your questions about food allergies

Hales: I suffer with severe eczema, which is much worse in winter and gets triggered when eating citrus foods. I also regularly get mouth ulcers and tiny sores on my tongue. I suffer from occasional headaches, bloating and constipation. Could these all be related to food allergies?

Patrick: Good morning everyone. All these are classic signs of food allergies and you should have a proper IgG allergy test which will identify exactly what you're allergic to. You can do this with a home test kit which is available from www.yorktest.com.

Joanne: What foods need to be eliminated to control or get rid of rosacea?

Patrick: This is a skin condition. We don't know a lot about it, however, two weeks ago I had a lady who had suffered for 10 years with rosacea. She found out what she's allergic to and followed my anti-allergy diet which is in the book Hidden Food Allergies and her rosacea is completely gone.

Caroleb: Every diet tells me to eat porridge as a breakfast rather than wheat, but it gives me chronic heartburn and I have to keep going to the loo four to five times. Can you help?

Patrick: Oats are good for you in the sense that they keep blood sugar level, so they give you energy. It is possible that you are allergic to them. They do also tend to improve bowel motion but four to five times a day is too much. Maybe try a different grain such as corn or rice and see what that does.

Toni: I have suffered for the last five years from continuous boils - firstly they appeared under my arms but now they appear everywhere. It is very embarrassing and I was wondering if this could be due to food?

Patrick: Some people are sensitive to wheat, rye, barley and oats which contain gluten. It may or may not be connected to allergy. One of the best ways to find out if your health problems are connected to poor nutrition is to do our online 100% health questionnaire available at www.patrickholford.com.

Pam: Hi Patrick. I suffer from tiredness but also PMS.  I saw you a few months ago and you had helped a lady who suffered much like me and you had recommended some supplements - could you please give me the names of them please?

Patrick: The easiest way for me to tell you what to eat to beat tiredness and PMS is to go to my website. On the right hand side it lists hormonal problems, just click there. Nutrients that help are B6, zinc, magnesium and essential fats. This is all available on my website.

Woody: Hi. I'm a 28 year old female with two children and one is under six months. I always feel tired even if I have had 10 hours sleep. I have been to the doctors and all is fine, but I felt tired even before I had my baby.  I would love some help.

Patrick: Tiredness is definitely connected with nutrition. There's one thing you could try immediately which is to supplement Chromium 200 micrograms. Take two in the morning and if you find this gives your energy a boost then you have an underlying blood sugar problem. The best way to solve this is to eat a low GL diet, and my book Holford Low GL Diet will give you all the advice you need.

Roy: Patrick, I'm doing well on your recommended dietary changes - my weight is down from 15 stone to 13.5, but now it appears to be stuck. I take chromium daily and omega 3 fish oil, but I am not sure if I should also be taking multivits. I am also suffering from headaches.

Patrick: Well done on losing weight. It's not always a smooth descent. The book I just mentioned gives specific tips for accelerating weight loss and it's well worth following precisely. Another supplement called HCA from the tamarind fruit also will help your weight loss. Take three a day and they really will work.

Emma: I'm 21 with two boys. Is there anything I can take to give me more energy because by the afternoon I feel really lifeless?

Patrick: As you've probably seen, caffeine, which we think gives you an energy boost, actually drains your energy. So the three tips are 1) Eat a low GL diet and never skip breakfast. 2) Take the right supplements like chromium and a multivitamin. 3) Cut back on caffeine. On my website there is a complete action plan of what to do to up your energy levels and it really works.

Jules: I have very dry skin and nothing I put on my skin makes it any better. I have taken your quiz and it says that I have food allergies. What can I do to improve my skin?

Patrick: There are three causes of dry skin. 1) A lack of essential fats. 2) Not drinking enough water. 3) You're allergic something. Actually there's a fourth too! 4) You're not getting enough vitamins. I take a supplement called essential omega every day. It is worth getting tested for allergy.

Patrick: On the programme we gave a vitamin A and C cream called Environ. There's a website called www.healthproductsforlife.com which is worth looking at.

Tony: Patrick, I take a multi vitamin. Is there any difference between brand names and the cheaper store multi vitamins?

Patrick: You pay for what you get. So the ideal amount of vitamin B6 is 20 milligrams, the ideal amount of zinc is 10 milligrams so you really want to have a high strength multivitamin to make sure you're getting all you need. Two good ones are Solgar, VM 2000 and Higher Nature Optimum Nutrition Formula. The Rolls Royce of supplements is their Optimum Nutrition Pack. You can get it on the web.

Pieeye: Hi Patrick. I was wondering what advice you have for someone suffering from reactive arthritis?

Patrick: Allergies are almost always involved in arthritis and certainly if you're on painkilling drugs as these irritate the guts making you more allergic. So definitely test for allergies with an IgG test on www.yorktest.com. There are also anti-inflammatory nutrients described in my Hidden Food Allergies book. For example: Quercitin is very high in red onions, ginger and turmeric.

Louie: What is gluten and how does it affect us?

Patrick: Gluten is a type of protein which is very sticky and tends to irritate the gut. Most people who are allergic to gluten are allergic to a sub fraction gliadin which is very high in wheat and there's some in rye and barley but none in oats. There's no gluten at all in rice and corn. Gluten sensitivity can cause all sorts of problems but the most common are IBS, like you can also get headaches, itching, arthritis but digestive problems are the most common.

Melanie: Do you think more people would follow your advice if the price of the products you recommended were cheaper? Can anything be done about that?

Patrick: There's a lot that you can do with diet and a healthy diet is actually cheaper than what most people eat. A good supplement programme is going to cost just 40p a day which is probably a lot less than most people spend on cigarettes, alcohol, coffee, sweets and crisps. So it's really a matter of shifting your priorities. What's good about yorktest is that for £25 you can have an indicator test which identifies if you do or don't have allergies which isn't too much to find out if allergies is part of your problem.

Rose: Is it possible to develop a food allergy to something that has been eaten with no ill effect for many years?

Patrick: Yes. Most allergies happen because the digestive tract becomes irritated and the food protein passes into the blood. So if you've been on antibiotics or painkillers or have drunk a lot of alcohol the gut gets irritated and you may start to react to a food you eat every day. The good news is if you avoid the food strictly for three months, heal the gut, you often stop being allergic to these foods. So these allergies are not for life.

Pisces: Are some vitamins negated by alcohol?

Patrick: All vitamins are destroyed to some extent by alcohol. It's certainly wise not to have both at the same time. Alcohol damages the gut and if you do drink the best solution is to have a teaspoon of glutamine powder in water before you go to bed. See www.healthproductsforlife.com for more details.

Tamara: What else can I do to help my oestrogen dominance?

Patrick: Eat less red meat and less dairy products (milk and cheese) and eat more broccoli which contains DIM which mops up excess oestrogen. If you need more help see a nutritional therapist - details are on my website www.patrickholford.com.

Polibib: Patrick, I wondered if you had any advice for someone suffering from ME?

Patrick: ME is almost invariably caused by digestive problems leading to allergies, leading to an overloading of the liver's ability to detoxify. But you have to start by getting digestion right and eliminating allergies. I've written a book called Beat Stress and Fatigue which details a complete strategy for beating ME.

Sassie: I cannot lose weight - it goes on very quickly! It's not helped by the steroids I need to take but I am sure I have food allergies but cannot afford the test. My doctor doesn't believe in food allergies. What can I do?

Patrick: I would follow my Holford Low GL diet (book). If you suspect you have allergies and can't afford the test, the three most common foods that people react to are wheat, dairy and yeast - both baker's yeast in bread and buns and brewer's yeast in beer and wine. You can always do a week without these foods and if you find you feel much better you can be sure you're reacting to one or more of these foods.

Gill: I have recently been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Could Patrick offer me any advice? My main symptoms are aching muscles and interrupted sleep.

Patrick: This is the same as the question for ME so follow that advice.

Lucy: Where is the best place to get an allergy test done?

Patrick: Go to www.yorktest.com. Or you can call on 01904 410410. They have home test kits so you can do it yourself. This involves a simple pinprick of blood which you send to the lab and they then send you their results.

Patrick: Sorry I couldn't answer everybody's questions and I was invisible! I was here! If you do need more help or more questions answered go to www.patrickholford.com. Wishing you the very best of health.