Can Food Intolerances Prevent Weight Loss?
Have you ever felt that there are certain foods that don’t sit well for you, and though they may be thwarting weight loss efforts? Perhaps you find that certain foods give you digestive issues, or impact your skin. Can these sensitivities actually impact weight loss efforts?
Food intolerance and the gut
There is some truth to the idea that if you’re eating a food you’re sensitive to or show intolerance towards, you may have a harder time losing weight. Food sensitivities may be caused in part by gut permeability, in which the tight junctions of the intestinal lining loosen slightly, allowing toxins and other substances to enter the bloodstream. When this occurs, it can cause systemic inflammation which can trigger water retention, resulting in weight gain and weight fluctuations.
Furthermore, people may suspect food intolerances when the more likely cause is gut dysbiosis, or an imbalance in the gut bacteria. Imbalanced gut bacteria can have an impact on hormones such as estrogen and thyroid hormones, which are involved in metabolism and weight management. Dysbiosis can therefore indirectly lead to weight gain or weight loss resistance.
How can we combat this?
If you think your food intolerances may be related to an inability to lose weight, consider diversifying the plant fibers in your diet. Consuming a variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds will help optimize the microbiome and gut by increasing the good bacteria.
While this may lead to a period of worsening symptoms, it can help heal the gut and solve weight loss resistance. It may also be important to check for a true allergy with an IgE test. Food sensitivity tests like the IgG test are inconclusive and can lead to an unnecessarily restrictive diet.
