Helix Clinic blog

Why does the body crave foods that could be causing us harm? Often people find they love eating a particular food only later to find out that they are intolerant or allergic to it.

They key to this strange effect may lie with endorphins, chemicals that are produced by the body to relieve pain. Endorphins are our natural pleasure chemicals that give us a high and a sense of well-being, and studies have been done that suggest endorphin production increases during allergic reaction.

If this is the case, then the possibility of addiction to foods that are harming us becomes more understandable. As the body adapts to the higher levels of endorphins associated with a particular food, it starts to feel withdrawal symptoms if those endorphin levels are not maintained. When we finally succumb and eat the food that our body is craving, the release of endorphins will give us a temporary boost and a sense of well-being, but this is most likely followed by an imminent crash. The classic sugar boost and crash that most people have experienced is the most obvious example.

The trouble is though, as we continue to crave and eat the foods that we are allergic to, longer term cumulative allergic symptoms start to build up. Headaches, asthma, chronic tiredness, eczema are all common allergy-related symptoms.

If one can break the addiction cycle related to food allergies, these more chronic long term symptoms should start to disappear. Acupuncture and especially ear acupuncture have been shown to be effective in combating addiction, partly because acupuncture also helps to release endorphins that can help to combat the periodic cravings.

Tags: addiction, allergies, endorphins