What Causes a Food Allergy

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What Causes a Food Allergy

Food allergies and sensitivities are increasing at rates that don't match genetic timelines. Your genes didn't change in the last 30 years. Something else did.

Understanding what causes food allergies requires looking beyond "your immune system overreacts" and examining the specific breakdowns in digestion, gut barrier function, and immune regulation that create allergic responses.

Here's what's actually happening and why it matters.

The Mechanism: How Food Allergies Develop

A food allergy is an immune system response to a protein your body recognizes as a foreign invader.

About 70-80% of your immune system lives in your digestive tract. When food proteins trigger immune reactions in the gut, the response cascades throughout your entire system.

The breakdown process:

Incomplete digestion. When your stomach doesn't produce enough hydrochloric acid or your pancreas doesn't secrete adequate digestive enzymes, food proteins don't break down completely i