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Why Are You So Tired?


Fatigue Cause Number Seven: Food Allergies

While food is supposed to give us energy, some doctors believe hidden food intolerances—or allergies—can do the opposite. According to Dr. Rudy Rivera, author of Your Hidden Food Allergies Are Making You Fat, even mild food intolerance can leave you feeling sleepy. Eat the offending food long enough, and you could find yourself feeling continually exhausted.

"Evidence indicates food intolerance as a cause of fatigue and even suggests that fatigue may be an early warning sign of food intolerance," Rivera says.

If you suspect that food may be behind all that yawning, Rivera says to start with an elimination diet, cutting out foods that cause you to feel sleepy within 10 to 30 minutes of eating them. You can also talk to your doctor about a food allergy test.




SOURCES: Harris H. McIlwain, MD, rheumatologist, adjunct professor, University of South Florida, Tampa; author, The Fibromyalgia Handbook, 3rd Edition. Ronald R. Fieve, MD, psychopharmacologist, professor of clinical psychiatry, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York City; author, Bipolar II. Nieca Goldberg, MD, director, NYU Medical Center Women's Heart Program; associate professor, NYU School of Medicine, New York City. Rebecca Amaru, MD, clinical instructor of obstetrics and gynecology, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York City. W. Stephen Pray, PhD, RPh, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Weatherford, Okla. Rudy Rivera, MD, author, Your Hidden Food Allergies Are Making You Fat. WebMD Feature: "Living with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue." WebMD Feature: "Why Am I So Tired?" WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise: "Sleep Apnea—Treatment Overview." WebMD Medical Reference provided in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic: "Depression: Detecting Depression." WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise: "Hypothyroidism."