Allergies, autoimmune disease and obesity: Part 2

September 5, 10:10 AMAlbuquerque Health News ExaminerRachel Hillier Pratt

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It has been known for a long time how mast cells trigger common allergies. When mast cells in the nose encounter a molecule like ragweed pollen, it releases histamines which cause the cells of the nose to release fluid.  You feel a runny nose, watery eyes, and sneezing.

But it is now evident that the immune system stages most of its heavy hitters in the intestines. According to Current Allergy and Asthma Journal, “The gastrointestinal tract is a rich source of mast cells with an enormous surface area that permits a high degree of interaction between the mast cell and the intestinal contents.”

Since a recent study found a common allergy medication can treat diabetes and obesity, this indicates that obesity and diabetes may have a trigger. For most autoimmune diseases the trigger is unknown. However, for the autoimmune condition celiac disease, the trigger is gluten. Remove gluten, remove the disease.

Remove the trigger, remove the disease.

This may also be a clue to why people undergoing gastric bypass surgery wake up the next morning free from diabetes. Surgery may remove the section of intestines undergoing severe immune response which results in the cascading symptoms of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease (metabolic syndrome).

Further research may conclude that obesity and diabetes is an autoimmune disease resulting from a certain food or ingested chemical.  According to the Current Journal of Allergy and Asthma,  “Local gastrointestinal proliferation of mast cells in response to recognized or obscure stimuli can alter gastrointestinal function and induce systemic symptoms.” Translation: an immune response in the intestines can induce symptoms affecting the entire body, which could include heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

If obesity or metabolic syndrome was considered an autoimmune disease, we might wonder why medical providers don’t seem to recognize it as an epidemic. If 65% of the American population grew facial tumors, (like the same number of people showing signs of metabolic syndrome) we can hope someone might investigate the cause of the tumors rather than ask the patient how many times they've secretly consumed an entire box of Oreo cookies.