Allergies
By Lita Lee, Ph.D.
Revised 10/11/06
An allergy can be viewed an adverse immune system reaction to an undigested food or to an
environmental substance that can’t be neutralized (detoxified) by the lymphatic system. Basically, it
doesn't matter whether you eat it, breathe it, or absorb it transdermally (through the skin)--enzymes are
required to digest whatever is taken into the body. From this point of view, inflammatory conditions,
including food and environmental allergies, arise from enzyme deficiencies from eating enzyme deficient
foods or from dietary excesses of certain foods.
Most people think that taking vitamin and mineral supplements will make up for deficiencies in their
diets--but this is a common fallacy. The fact is, without enzymes, nothing works in the body and taking
vitamins and minerals are a waste of money. When vitamin and mineral deficiencies do occur, it is in a
relatively short period of time--say 60 to 90 days--but enzyme deficiencies take longer to develop, simply
because the body has so many compensation mechanisms. When the allergic reaction occurs, an enzyme
deficiency condition has likely existed for months or even years prior to its onset.
Allergic reactions can go way beyond the common sneezing, itchy and watery eyes or dark circles under
the eyes. An allergy to a food or something environmental can lead to dozens of symptoms including
stuffy or runny nose, flatulence, burping, constipation, diarrhea, stomach aches and even gastric
problems, nausea, vomiting, hives and rashes, bloating and intestinal irritation or swelling, fatigue, and
dizziness.
Allergies can also cause more serious and even life-threatening reactions such as asthma attacks, seizures
and anaphylactic shock (a severe and sometimes fatal allergic reaction characterized by a sharp drop in
blood pressure, hives and breathing difficulties requiring immediate medical attention). An allergic
reaction may be immediate after the exposure to the allergen or may manifest hours later, sometimes
making it difficult to identify the allergen. Many people aren’t aware they have allergies even though
testing reveals very poor digestion and formation of toxic substances (indican) which arise from the
undigested food.
Food Allergies
What can you do to prevent or relieve allergies? First, find out what digestive problems--that is, enzyme
deficiencies--you have. What foods are hardest for you to digest--proteins, fats, carbohydrates, sugars,
fibers, or others? Second, limit these foods and take the food enzymes required to digest them.
Many people aren’t aware of the foods they have trouble digesting, especially if the symptoms are mild.
However, many allergic reactions are not connected to a poorly digested food. Here are brief examples of
what I sometimes find to be allergic reactions to foods:
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Burping, regurgitation, belching and other gallbladder symptoms or high blood pressure can
come from poor fat digestion (lipase deficiency).
Abdominal cramps, excess mucous or diarrhea can come from milk intolerance (lactose
deficiency).
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Constipation, anxiety and edema (water retention) can come from poor protein digestion
(protease deficiency).
Asthma, environmental sensitivity, spaciness, dizziness and seizure disorders, and ADD
(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) can come from poor sugar digestion (disaccharidase
deficiency).
In addition to these symptoms, there are measurable signs of enzyme deficiencies. You can see them in
the blood and in the urine. For example, if you eat commercial, devitalized food with zero enzymes and
get a blood test after eating, you will see an increase in your white blood count, meaning that your
immune system has been mobilized. Why? Because your body is responding to the need for enzymes
and enzymes can be carried on white blood cells. Next, if you do the Loomis 24-hour urinalysis for
enzyme deficiencies, you may see a high level of indican which is a direct indication of how poor your
digestion is. What is indican? It’s a group of toxic substances that come from poor digestion. The higher
the indican, the worse the digestion. There is one exception. A zero indican doesn’t mean good
digestion. It means severe sugar intolerance because undigested sugar interferes with this test. High
indican is associated with over 100 symptoms of poor health. In addition, there is a urinary sediment test
that reveals exactly what you cannot easily digest. Is it sugar? Is it protein? Is it fat? Or perhaps all
three?
There are several multiple digestive enzymes to perfectly fit your digestive needs. Here is a brief
description of them: Some people need more than one formula. For example, PAN and Bil or HCL,
PAN and LAC, PAN and Stm. If you can’t figure out what you need, a Loomis 24-hour urinalysis will
reveal your digestive problems.
PAN: for sugar intolerance (sucrose, maltose and lactose), grains and fruits. Sugar intolerant people can
be prone towards asthma and environmental sensitivity. Dosage: 2 caps immediately before each meal
3x/d.
LAC: for lactose intolerance if PAN isn’t enough. Dosage: 2 or more caps before consuming dairy
products.
Bil: for fat intolerance. Also good for digestion of protein. People who can’t tolerate fat are in this
category and may develop gallbladder problems. Contraindication: gastric problems. Dosage: 2 caps
immediately before each meal 3/d.
HCL: contains no hydrochloric acid but only enzymes and is for people who have trouble digesting
anything – protein, fat or sugar. It’s also for people with sluggish digestion who may have low
hydrochloric acid. Contraindication: gastric problems. Dosage: 2 caps immediately before each meal.
VSCLR: for severe fat intolerance and for people who may have high cholesterol, diabetes, weight
problems, high blood pressure and immune system problems. Dosage: 2 caps immediately before each
meal.
Stm: a multiple digestive enzyme formula that doesn’t contain protease which is for people who have
gastric problems (ulcers, hiatal hernia, esophageal reflux, gastritis, taking antacids, etc.). This formula
should be used in people who can’t tolerate protease (in the Bil and HCL formulas) because of gastric
problems. Dosage: 2 caps immediately before each meal and 4 caps anytime you have gastric irritation.
DGST: a multiple digestive enzyme for babies, children and for adults with good digestion. Dosage: 2
caps immediately before each meal 3x/d. For nursing or bottle-fed babies, use ½ cap per feeding and put
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this into a small amount of water. For older children, you can use 2 caps immediately before each meal
3x/d.
Causes of Enzyme Deficiencies
It’s not just poor digestion or the cooking of foods. First, organic foods have much more nutrition
(including enzymes, vitamins and minerals) than commercial foods, which are full of pesticides and not
much else. Next, most toxins work by poisoning enzymes and this includes most prescription drugs, and
environmental poisons. Here is an example: fluoride, which is mandated in at least 70% of our cities in
the United States poisons over 100 enzymes in your body and that is just one of the problems with this
toxic waste material.
Kidney Stress and Allergies
Suppose you are exposed to allergens, be it food or environmental. If you eat foods that you cannot
digest, or are exposed to environmental allergens which your kidneys cannot eliminate, the resulting
kidney stress will cause discomfort and pain. Fortunately, enzyme formulas can support the normal
function of the kidneys get rid of CIC’s--circulating immune complexes, which arise when food is not
completely digested--reducing kidney stress and eliminating pain.
Thera-zyme Kdy contains enzymes plus nutritional herbs with antiseptic, blood-cleansing and lymphaticcleansing properties. People requiring this type of nutritional support may have environmental allergies
characterized by sneezing, nasal congestion, itching or watery eyes, sinus problems with a clear, watery
discharge, and swollen lymph glands. They may also have one or more of the following symptoms:
frontal headaches, low back or kidney pain, low blood sugar, and sometimes nausea and vomiting. This
formula is used when there is nausea and vomiting that often occurs during menses or pregnancy--another
condition related to the inability to eliminate toxins via the kidneys. When the CIC’s are cleared from the
blood and lymphatics, these symptoms are also cleared.
I have seen not only children and adults but also nursing babies with severe environmental allergies
manifesting as swollen, red, watery eyes and nose show a remarkable reduction of these symptoms within
hours of ingesting this formula. Allergic asthma can also be relieved by this formula, in combination with
an enzymatic program for asthma. Symptoms can be held in check with a minimum maintenance
program.
The need for kidney support can be determined by an enzyme therapist by measuring the volume and
specific gravity of a 24-hour collection of urine. People who need the kidney formula may exhibit either a
normal (4 or 8 cups) or low (less than four cups) 24-hour urine volume with a low specific gravity. This
is a sign that the kidneys are stressed and are having difficulty concentrating urine. However, it does not
indicate the extent of this condition, nor how long it has been occurring. The longer the pattern exists, the
more likely the person will have symptoms.
From my clinical experience with many clients, I have frequently observed the need for kidney support in
various detoxification programs. Many clients who undertake a detoxification program cannot tolerate it
because the program does not provide kidney and lymphatic support. Symptoms of this include kidney
tenderness or pain, swollen lymph glands, and an attempt by the body to eliminate the toxins via the skin,
which can lead to rashes and so forth. These so-called side effects can be prevented or alleviated by
providing drainage remedies such as the Thera-zyme Kdy for the kidneys and lymphatic system, Therazyme DERM-H3 an enzymatic antihistamine formula and/or Thera-zyme TRMA for the skin as well as
other drainage remedies indicated by the need of the client.
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Finally, in more severe cases of allergies Thera-zyme DERM which is very high in amylase, is taken
along with the Thera-zyme Kdy formula. Amylase appears to act like a natural antihistamine. The usual
dosage of each is three caps between meals three times daily but more frequent doses can be taken during
an acute allergy attack, especially if hives or a rash develop.
Case Histories:
Controlling a bug-bite allergy
Sally, 13 , was terrified of bugs, including mosquitoes, because each bit would produce a severe lesion
with scabbing and scarring. Her mother asked for help for a trip to South America. I gave Sally a bottle
of DERM, a natural antihistamine, high in amylase. She took this formula and returned home with no
sores or scars.
Controlling asthma
Sean, age 8 had developed asthma from exposure to pesticides. His diet had been very good, with whole
organic foods. He had been breast fed for two years and had not been immunized. His asthma was also
triggered by emotional trauma. At age 15, his mother started an enzyme program for him. This included
PAN, the multiple digestive enzyme formula for sugar intolerance, Kdy for allergies, including allergic
asthma, Rsp, an enzymatic formula for wheezing and coughing, thyroid glandular (common in
asthmatics), and Lagundi, an herbal formula for lung problems. Gradually, Sean’s asthma went away and
his mother never gave him drugs for his asthma. Now, at age 21, Sean knows how to control his asthma
and he takes his enzymes and Lagundi as needed, plus, he is now conscious of his emotional triggers.
Controlling severe food allergies
Mary, an 11-year old girl, presented with very severe food allergies. She suffered from headaches,
stomachaches, and nausea. She also had frequent infections which were treated with antibiotics. In the
year prior to coming to me she had missed two months of school because of illness. Mary was allergic to
fruit and even smelling it would cause a sever allergic reaction. Here known allergies included fruits,
peanuts, celery, cucumbers, beans, salad dressing, and tomatoes. An extensive health history plus her
urinalysis told mw that Mary consumed highly processed foods. In addition, her symptoms became
extreme following her second se of vaccinations when she was five years old. Immediately following the
shots, which included diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, tuberculosis, and the
haemophilus B polysaccharide vaccine, Mary nearly passed out and then became ill. The Loomis 24-hur
urinalysis revealed a severe vitamin C deficiency as well as a severe fat, protein and sugar intolerance.
I recommended an organic, whole foods diet and recommended the following enzymes: HCL (for sugar,
protein and fat digestion), Kdy (for her allergies), Lvr (to support the liver function).
After only one month, her mother reported great improvement in Mary’s condition. She felt much better,
had grown half and inch, and had regained her spunk and vitality.
Saying goodbye to herpes
Mary developed cold sores whenever she was exposed to the sun or stress. She visited me during the
Christmas season and welcomed the break from her stressful teaching job combined with being a single
mother. We went skiing and on the way up the mountain on the ski lift a bright red spot began appearing
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on her upper lip, which rapidly started to swell. Instead of taking a drug, she opted for DERM, an
enzymatic antihistamine for skin manifestations. I told her to take 4 caps every hour or so. In one and
one half days, the swelling was gone. It never developed a scab on only a faint pink color was left.
Lucky for Maria since it healed just in time for the New Year’s Eve party.
"Disclaimer: I am a chemist and an enzyme nutritionist, not a medical doctor. I do not diagnose, prescribe for, treat
or claim to prevent, mitigate or cure any human diseases. I do not provide diagnosis, care, treatment or
rehabilitation of individuals, nor apply medical, mental health or human development principles. I do not prescribe
prescription drugs nor do I tell you to discontinue them. I provide enzymes and other dietary supplements to
improve digestion and to nourish and support normal function and structure of the body. If you suspect any disease,
please consult your physician."
Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. They are not intended
to diagnose, prescribe for, treat or claim to prevent, mitigate or cure any human disease. They are intended for
nutritional support only. The FTC requires that we tell you that the results in case notes and testimonials published
here are not typical, however, they do show what some people have been able to achieve. Individuals vary, which is
why we must always consider the whole person when recommending a course of action. The third party information
referred to herein is neither adopted nor endorsed by this web site but is provided for general information purposes.
The listing of specific disease terms is based upon medical literature and is not a substitute for competent medical
advice. If you suspect a medical condition, you should consult a physician.
Copyright 2001 - 2006. Neither this article, nor any part of it, may be reproduced without permission.
If permission to reprint is granted, the article must include author and URL information.
Lita Lee, Ph.D.
http://www.litalee.com
Lita@litalee.com