Ask HN: Reading recommendations for understanding food allergies?

The prevalence of food allergies is increasing in the USA, at least, if not around the world. In my case, I have two daughters with serious food allergies and sensitivities. I’d like to educate myself on this issue, and I’d be grateful for some recommendations about where to start. Thanks!

Not reading recommendations, but here are a few keywords of topics that are directly connected to food allergies:

- leaky gut

- gut flora / gut microbiota / intestinal bacteria

- autoimmune disease - food allergy connection

- scd, gaps, paleo, autoimmune diets

And some people whose online/offline content may be helpful regarding the topics above:

- Mark Hyman

- Joe Mercola

- Natasha Campbell Mc-Bride

While educating yourself is extremely important, finding the right professional is priceless (which is really hard these days). I'd recommend to look for a functional medicine practitioner, or a good naturopath, or maybe a gaps practitioner.

Good luck with your daughters. Digestive disorders can breed all kinds of other health issues; so I'd recommend trying to cure their allergies (it's possible for many people if not all) before accepting to live with them.

I am not going to try to debate "gwn7".

Please do your own research while seeing a Gastroenterologist or registered Dietitian. Specifically a specialist you are referred to from your primary care doctor. Do not go looking for a Naturopath or GAPS practitioner!

Please also do look into blogs that have debunked the people mentioned in that comment.

Please, please, please do not blindly follow the advice given by the comment by "gwn7".

Some discussions that I feel you might find informative:

https://medium.com/@ZDoggMD/naturopathy-is-99-9-bull-hit-but...

https://badsciencedebunked.com/2015/09/10/trick-or-tweet-dr-...

https://angry-chef.com/blog/want-to-see-something-really-sca...

https://www.naturopathicdiaries.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Mercola

https://www.theringer.com/2017/1/5/16041098/dr-joseph-mercol...

https://www.quackwatch.org/11Ind/mercola.html

https://owndoc.com/diet/gaps-scam/

I wish you luck in finding the correct medical treatments for your daughters' conditions.

Pathologist here, I use FDA-approved antibodies in my daily practice. I'm going to assume you're a hacker and you're looking for what I'll call "Haynes Manual" understanding. Any textbook on molecular biology or immunology would be a good start. Conversely, I would strongly advise avoiding anything from any internet personality with an opinion on this stuff.

The medical part of the internet is extremely skewed because the subject matter is rather complicated. There are experts trying desperately to stay in their lanes and keep up high walls by only publishing in serious scientific journals, and there's the YouTubers and bloggers inviting you into their pits of crazy. Even if you're trying to understand a fairly simple system, like a modern drive-by-wire Honda Accord, YouTube is likely to lead you astray before you find the right answer. When it comes to biomedical systems, most social media types are telling you to pour sugar in your gas tank, and the right answer has never, and may never, be posted in that forum.

The compromise is to read a textbook. Sort of like a Haynes manual isn't actually going to teach you the finer points of adiabatic expansion, but you can get reliable information about how your car is put together.

Your points are fair. I just want to say that I'm completely aware of these criticisms on naturopathy, gaps, and Joe Mercola in particular.

And I can agree with the argument that many who identify themselves as "alternative practitioners" are scammers or just ignorant.

But.

1. Just because there are scammers among naturopaths or gaps practitioners it doesn't mean that those practices are completely worthless. A "real" naturopath's or gaps practitioner's approach to chronic disease can be immensely helpful, arguably much more than an ordinary hospital doctor.

2. If you don't trust naturopaths or gaps practitioners that's completely fine because the concerns you raised are fair. That's why I recommended a "functional medicine practitioner" before them, so check that out.

3. Mainstream medicine has its own share of problems, which in turn pushes people like me to naturopaths and gaps practitioners because they were the ones that helped me greatly. (the right ones) Mainstream medicine especially fails in diagnosing and curing chronic diseases, like food allergies.

Alternative medicine is in dangerous waters; while I argue that it has great value, one should be armed with proper knowledge in order to tell right from wrong, scammers from real practitioners, thus get the benefit.

If you are in doubt, check out "functional medicine" which was the first thing I mentioned. It is an approach that combines the good parts of both mainstream and alternative medicine as far as I understand.