Bell I R, Schwartz G E, Peterson J M, Amend D
Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona, Tucson 85724.
J Am Coll Nutr. 1993 Dec;12(6):693-702. doi: 10.1080/07315724.1993.10718361.
Despite much debate over a presumptively somatic vs psychological etiology of nonatopic food and chemical sensitivities, little systematic research has addressed the issues. The present study investigated self-reported illness from several common foods (wheat, dairy, eggs) and chemicals (pesticide, car exhaust, paint, perfume, new carpet), symptom patterns, and psychological profiles of a sample of young adult college students (n = 490, age 19.4 +/- 2.4, 52% female/48% male). Subjects were divided into 4 groups on the basis of sample medians for frequency of illness from the foods (FI) and chemicals (CI); high FI with high CI (FI/CI), high FI alone, high CI alone, and NOILL (low FI and CI). FI was associated with more defensiveness (denial of negativity) while CI was linked with more shyness (avoidance of novelty). Women outnumbered men in all groups (FI/CI: 61%; FI: 80% CI: 55%) except the NOILL (40% women). Nevertheless, the FI/CI, FI, and/or CI groups still had significantly higher total symptom scores as well as more indigestion, headache, and memory trouble than did the NOILL group, even after depression, anxiety, shyness, defensiveness, and gender were covaried. The illness groups reported significantly more limitation of foods that mobilize endogenous opioids or generate exogenous opioids (sweets, fats, bread) as well as more illness from opiate drugs, small amounts of beverage alcohol, and late meals. Nasal symptoms from pollens or animals were more common in the FI/CI (42%) and CI (42%) than in FI (26%) or NOILL (28%) groups. Premenstrual tension syndrome and irritable bowel were also more common in the FI/CI group. The findings indicate that young adults outside the clinical setting who are relatively higher in FI and/or CI have distinctive symptom and psychological patterns. Covariate analyses suggest that important symptoms in FI and CI individuals such as indigestion, headache, and memory problems may occur in addition to rather than as simply part of emotional distress. The data are consistent with a previously hypothesized role of olfactory-limbic and hypothalamic pathways and with a time-dependent sensitization model for illness from foods and chemicals.
尽管对于非特应性食物和化学物质敏感的病因是推测为躯体性还是心理性存在诸多争论，但很少有系统研究探讨这些问题。本研究调查了一群年轻成年大学生（n = 490，年龄19.4 +/- 2.4，52%为女性/48%为男性）对几种常见食物（小麦、乳制品、鸡蛋）和化学物质（农药、汽车尾气、油漆、香水、新地毯）的自述疾病情况、症状模式及心理特征。根据食物疾病频率（FI）和化学物质疾病频率（CI）的样本中位数，将受试者分为4组；高FI且高CI（FI/CI）组、仅高FI组、仅高CI组和无疾病组（低FI和CI）。FI与更多的防御性（否认负面情况）相关，而CI与更多的害羞（回避新事物）相关。除无疾病组（女性占40%）外，所有组中女性人数均多于男性（FI/CI组：61%；FI组：80%；CI组：55%）。然而，即使在对抑郁、焦虑、害羞、防御性和性别进行协变量分析后，FI/CI组、FI组和/或CI组的总症状评分仍显著高于无疾病组，消化不良、头痛和记忆问题也更多。疾病组报告称，摄入能动员内源性阿片类物质或产生外源性阿片类物质的食物（甜食、脂肪、面包）受限更多，对阿片类药物、少量酒精饮料和晚餐引发的疾病感受也更多。花粉或动物引起的鼻部症状在FI/CI组（42%）和CI组（42%）中比在FI组（26%）或无疾病组（28%）中更常见。经前紧张综合征和肠易激综合征在FI/CI组中也更常见。研究结果表明，在临床环境之外，FI和/或CI相对较高的年轻成年人具有独特的症状和心理模式。协变量分析表明，FI和CI个体中的重要症状，如消化不良、头痛和记忆问题，可能是在情绪困扰之外出现，而不仅仅是情绪困扰的一部分。这些数据与先前假设的嗅觉 - 边缘系统和下丘脑通路的作用以及食物和化学物质所致疾病的时间依赖性致敏模型一致。
