Hi Treese,
The rotation diet comes up in discussions somewhat regularly. Basically it amounts to eating any particular food 1 day (in all meals if desired) and then skipping at least 2 days before eating that food again. That's called a 3-day rotation diet. Here's why some people believe it should work:
The immune system will react to antibodies to a particular food if the total existing antibody level exceeds a certain tolerance threshold. As long as the antibody level remains below that threshold, there will be no reaction (at least not one sufficient to result in clinical symptoms). If the tolerance threshold is exceeded however, a reaction is triggered. The basis of the rotation diet theory is that by skipping 2 days, the immune system will never be able to build up an antibody level that exceeds the tolerance threshold, and therefore no reaction will be triggered. The hitch in this plan is that we all have different threshold levels, and it's possible that those threshold levels may possibly vary depending upon our stage in the healing process.
For some of us, the mathematics involved may foil our plan. That means that the rotation diet may only work for some of us (or for certain foods) for a limited amount of time, because of the mathematics involved. The length of time for which it will work depends upon the rate at which an individual's immune system produces antibodies to that particular food. IOW, the life cycle for which the diet will be effective depends on the sensitivity level of that individual to that particular food. Here's why:
The half-life of antibodies to most common allergenic food proteins is approximately 6 days. Gluten (anti-gliadin antibodies) is an exception, because anti-gliadin IgA antibodies have a half-life of approximately 120 days, making the antibody level for gluten relatively persistent, by comparison with other food sensitivities. That implies that it is impossible (on a practical level) to design a rotation diet that would allow gluten to be included.
But for other foods, a 6-day half-life means that in 3 days the antibody level for a given food sensitivity will be approximately half of what it was initially. So if we eat the food again on the 3rd day, then the newly-generated antibodies will be added to the existing supply (which is now at 50 % of the level on the 1st day), to result in a total antibody level of 150 % of the initial level. After 3 more days, if the food is eaten again, then the beginning antibody level is 75 % of the initial level (from day 1) and the level at the end of the day (day 6) will be 175 % of the initial level. After 9 days the antibody level will be 187.5 % of the initial level, and after 12 days, the antibody level will be at 193.75 % of the initial level. After 15 days, the antibody level will be 196.875 % of the initial level.
If we continue this process, it becomes clear that the antibody level will slowly but surely approach 200 % of the initial level. That suggests that if one's sensitivity to a food is low enough that the total daily antibody production level is below half the threshold level at which a reaction is triggered, then the threshold at which a reaction is triggered will never be reached. Conversely, if the daily antibody production level exceeds half the level at which a reaction is triggered, then eventually the total antibody level will exceed the reaction threshold limit, and a reaction will be triggered.
The problem is that there is no way to measure or predict exactly what one's daily antibody production level might be for any particular food sensitivity. So suffice to say, some of us will be able to successfully use a rotation diet for certain foods (to which we show a slight reaction potential), while others will not be able to use a rotation diet successfully, because they produce too many antibodies from each exposure event.
So if one's sensitivity level to a particular food is very low, then the rotation diet should allow one to continue to include that food in a rotation diet for a relatively long period of time (possibly forever). The higher one's sensitivity level happens to be however, the shorter the amount of time needed before the reaction threshold will be exceeded, and a reaction will be triggered.
Looking at the math, it appears to me that if a rotation diet works successfully for 2 or 3 weeks, then unless one's sensitivity rate changes, there's a good chance that it might continue to work indefinitely.
I hope this doesn't just confuse the issue.
Tex
I get alittle caffeine in my Mountain Dew soda, I have a small one at times. I know too much sugar is not good for us in the initial healing phase so I am trying my best to watch what I am eating or drinking right now. I don't want to lose anymore weight either, I'm 5' 9" and used to weight 145 and now I am 136 with a very low Body Mass Index right now.