1. Addiction, Recovery and Allergies: An Overview
Food intolerances or allergies, are often paralleled with addictions. Many of the foods we crave contain
exorphins which bind to receptor sites much like endorphins do. Therefore, these foods we crave, which
most often have negative effects on our health, act the same way drugs or alcohol do.
Nutrition is a vital part of addiction recovery. Patients who fail to eat
foods that are nutritionally sound develop other problems such as
fatigue, depression, manic mood swings, irritability, and muscle aches.
These symptoms negatively affect the patient, making their journey to
recovery even more treacherous. Continuing to eat the foods they are
intolerance or allergic to increases the effects of these symptoms. A
patient may be eating what they think is a healthy nutritious diet, when
actually they are consuming foods that are fueling the negative
symptoms listed above.
Interesting Facts about Allergies and Addiction:
• Those who suffer from food allergies are susceptible
to food addiction, which has been linked to
predisposition for substance abuse and relapse.
• When an individual forces himself/herself to give up one substance, alcohol for example, they
tend to increase the intake of other substances, such as coffee, cigarettes or sugar to
compensate. They avoid withdrawal symptoms this way, continuing their addictive behavior
making them likely to relapse.
• Often times, allergies, intolerances, and the negative effects that come with them can be masked
with different medications. It is important for recovering patients to realize what makes them sick
to change their lifestyle, as opposed to taking medication to mask their symptoms.
• Food allergies may develop with drugs and alcohol addiction due to damage to the
gastrointestinal tract.
• Removing specific allergens from your diet and limiting exposure to environmental allergens are
often significant keys to restoring the emotional and biochemical foundations necessary for
recovery.
• Allergies have been linked to an increase in violent behavior and conditions such as Attention
Deficit Disorder, digestive problems and a depleted immune system.
Dr. Grant's Migraine
Patients after excluding
top 10 allergic foods
MigrianeFree Unaffected
Dr. Mendells,
"hard to work
with neurotic"
recovery
patients
80%
Wheat
Allergy
60%
Milk
Allergy
50%
Corn
Allergy
Coronado Health
386-690-3500

2. Food Intolerance Test
Addiction, Recovery and Allergies: Why Allgenic?
“We believe on the road to recovery, patients must overhaul every part of their health in order to
start a new, healthy life post treatment. We are here to help those patients on that journey.”
Allgenic Health and Wellness is dedicated to the identification, treatment and eventual cure of
environmental allergies, food allergies and food intolerances. We provide the utmost care and attention to
our patients, having only their best interest at heart.
Allgenic is excited to share their services with recovery centers, as an extra effort to the success of the
recovering patients. The testing Allgenic provides is essential for a complete and comprehensive
treatment program for recovery patients.
Services we provide:
Overview: The environmental
allergy test uses a standard skin
prick method. The test takes 30-45
minutes to complete and tests for
70 different airborne allergens.
The results of this test are
immediate, with years of
immunotherapy treatments to
follow, in order to treat and cure
the environmental allergies.
Purpose: Treating and eventually
curing airborne allergies can
results in the elimination of
depression, mental confusion,
cravings, irritability, fatigue, and
exhaustion which are all things
that recovering patients deal with
on a daily basis.
Overview: The food intolerance
test consists of a blood draw. This
tests for 325 different foods,
additives and medications. The
results of this test is available after
7-10 days, and also includes a
customized elimination diet plan.
Purpose: Most medical issues a
recovery patient faces during
recovery could be cured, if not
greatly helped by eating the right
diet. The patient will get a
comprehensive look into what
they should or should not eat. By
eliminating certain foods, many, if
not all of their ailments should
subside, making recovery
smoother.
Environmental Allergy Test Food Allergy Test
Overview: The food allergy test
consists of a blood draw. This tests
for 196 of the most common
allergic foods. The results of this
test are available after 7-10 days.
Purpose: Many alcoholics are
allergic to the underlying
ingredients of alcohol such as
grains, wheat or grapes. These
food allergies often develop with
addiction due to damage of the
gastrointestinal tract. In order to
heal these systems, the patient
must know exactly what they are
allergic to. Thereafter, they will
eliminate these foods from their
diet in order to recover
completely.

3. Addiction, Recovery and Allergies: The Importance of Nutrition
The importance of proper nutrition in regards to addiction and recovery has been a subject studied for
many years. A number of studies indicate that correcting biochemical imbalances with nutrition can have
effect on behavior, recovery and in preventing a relapse. Without Allgenic tests, one cannot fully take
advantage of using proper nutrition to aid in recovery, which is why Allgenic allergy services are just as
important as the treatment itself.
Below are some studies listed in chronological order proving the importance of nutrition in recovery:
1940-1950s: Roger J. Williams, the biochemist who named folic acid and found pantothenic acid (one of the B-vitamins),
publishes findings from years of study at the University of Texas about the impact of diet on alcohol
consumption in animals in the book called Biochemical Individuality. The data indicate that animals given the
choice between alcohol and water chose alcohol more frequently when they were nutritionally deficient than
when they were well fed. Rats on high quality diets voluntarily consumed far less alcohol (less sugar) than
those on deficient diets. Williams is also able to shift alcohol consumption up and down based on deliberately
subtracting and adding vitamins to their diet.
1970-1982: Barbara Reed Stitt, probation officer for the Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court in Ohio, starts a successful
dietary therapy program for probationers. She reports that over 80 percent of her probationers were able to
lead healthy, crime-free lives after going through her program focused on correcting biochemical imbalances
with food and better nutrition.
1983: Ruth M. Guenther, researcher at the University of Texas, studies alcoholics in a typical AA treatment
program and compares it to alcoholics in the same program with an added nutritional component consisting
of dietary changes, vitamin and mineral supplements, and nutrition education. The nutrition education
included classes on the basics of nutrition, menus, shopping and food preparation, and how to read labels to
recognize hidden sugars, alcohol, and preservatives. She finds that six months after discharge from the
hospital, 81 percent of the study group were not drinking compared to 38 percent of the control study group.
1980-1990s: Dr. Kenneth Blum, brain researcher at the University of Texas, is one of the early researchers to note that
addiction is a biochemical disease. He finds that restoring natural endorphins and neurotransmitters
destroyed or depleted by alcohol could restore normal moods.
1986: A study of patients receiving in-patient treatment for alcoholism where half receive only the regular
treatment plan and half receive a nutritional program as well. Six months after discharge, only 33 percent of
the patients in the regular program remain sober, whereas 81 percent of the nutritionally-supported group
remain sober.
1990s: Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D., establishes a diet and nutrition-based recovery program. It is based on her
three-year program working with DUI offenders in San Mateo County, California on using diet and nutrition
to reduce sugar cravings. People are educated about what foods to avoid, when to eat, and what to eat. She
finds that people in the control group were charged again for more serious offenses at four times the rate of
those in the nutritionally-based program
2004: Grant et al. (2004) study nutrition education in substance abuse treatment programs. Results indicate that
nutrition education is an essential component of substance abuse treatment programs and can enhance
treatment outcomes.
2010: While serving as the medical director at Tully Hill Hospital and reported in his book End Your Addiction Now
(2010), Dr. Gant reports an 83 percent success rate in ending patients' addictions. Gant and his colleagues
believe that biochemical imbalances in the body must be attended to before recovery can happen and that
alcoholism is primarily a brain chemistry imbalance fueled by a deficiency in certain nutrients. He shows that
a critical part of treating addiction is to replenish missing nutrients through food and supplements.

4. Resources:
1. Hanson, D. (2009, June 13). Addiction Inbox. Retrieved September 15, 2015, from http://addiction-
dirkh.blogspot.com/2009/06/allergies-and-addiction.html
2. Levine. PhD, S. (n.d.). Food Addiction, Food Allergy and Overweight. Retrieved September 15, 2015, from
https://www.springboard4health.com/notebook/health_food_addiction.html
3. Levine. PhD, S. (n.d.). More About Allergy And Addiction | Uptown Natural Medicine. Retrieved September
15, 2015, from http://www.uptownnaturalmedicinegigharbor.com/articles/more-about-allergy-and-
addiction/
4. Lovitt, M. (2014, January 29). Connecting Food Allergies & Addiction - Twelve Wellness. Retrieved
September 15, 2015, from http://twelvewellness.com/connecting-food-allergies-addiction/
5. Miller, R. (2010, May 1). Nutrition in Addiction Recovery. Retrieved September 15, 2015, from
http://mhof.net/sites/default/files/Addiction and Recovery Report.pdf
6. Muedin, L. (2014, May 7). Leyla weighs in: Hidden food allergies and allergic addiction. Retrieved
September 15, 2015, from http://drhoffman.com/article/leyla-weighs-in-hidden-food-allergies-and-allergic-
addiction/
7. Myhill, S. (2010, January 11). Allergy and addiction. Retrieved September 15, 2015, from
http://www.drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/Allergy_and_addiction