Dr Oz: Food Allergies & Weight Loss
If you are having problems losing weight, did you know the answer could be in food allergies? Dr Mark Hyman joined Dr Oz to investigate the relationship between food allergies and weight control. He said that your weight gain could be due to allergies to what you’re eating, that you may not even know you have.
To start making progress in weight loss, you may need to eliminate some problem foods from your diet. Dr. Oz said the biggest complaint he hears from patients in his office is that they can’t take off the pounds. (Can you imagine what it must be like to be Dr Oz’s actually patient? Does he ask you if your poop is S-shaped on every visit? Do you get to put on purple gloves when he explains things to you?)
Having trouble losing weight? You could be suffering from hidden food allergies.
In the spirit of today’s show about medical myths, Dr Oz tackled yet another pervasive issue: Are we to blame for our weight gain? In many cases, this may not be true, debunking yet another popular medical myth.
Doctor Oz: Weight Gain Health Myth
Dr. Hyman said that food allergies cause internal inflammation, kicking off a vicious cycle that leads to weight gain and could spiral into obesity. Dr Oz gave the example that a dairy allergy could be adding 30 pounds per year to your body.
When we think of food allergies, most of us think about acute and specific triggers, such as peanuts. But these types of allergies are only really present in 2-5% of all people. But what most of us don’t know is that a whopping 60% of the population has dairy allergies, which can be responsible for slow weight gain over time.
Dr Oz: Dairy Allergies
The first things we think of in terms of dairy are likely milk and cheese. But you also have to be aware of dairy hidden in other food items, like cakes, muffins, cookies, or chocolate. That’s because these products and others like them contain whey.
When it comes to meat and fish, flavors may be enhanced in the course of food processing, such as with canned tuna. Choosing kosher meats can help you avoid these additives.
Dr Oz: Bread Allergy
Could you also be allergic to bread? This would be distressing to someone who loves sandwiches. Bread is high in milk powder and whey. You can check the label on your favorite store bought bread for its ingredients. If you usually purchase fresh bread, ask your baker whether these ingredients are present in your favorite loaves.
Dr Oz: Protein Bar Allergy
Did you know that you could even be allergic to protein bars? Some of these contain whey also, so be sure to check your labels.
Dr Hyman said that many of his patients who discovered their dairy allergies have made significant progress. Once they cut the dairy out of their diets, they started losing weight. For many of them, this also improved other problems related to weight and food allergies, such as congestion, irritable bowel, joint pain, and fatigue.
If you’re not sure why you can’t lose weight, this could be the answer to your problems. Check with your doctor if you need more resources in managing your diet to eliminate allergens.
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