Food intolerance basically describes the body’s adverse reaction to certain foods. The reaction occurs on every occasion when the food is eaten.
It’s important to remember that food intolerance is not the same as food allergy. A food allergy is the problem when a protein in the food acts as an allergen that stimulates the production of antibodies that lead to an abnormal response of the immune system. It’s also very different to food poisoning where anyone eating the affected food would become sick.
So what causes food intolerance?
Food intolerance happens when the body is unable to digest a particular type of food. Usually this happens when not enough enzymes or chemicals to digest the particular food are produced by the body.
One of the most common types of food intolerance is lactose intolerance. Lactose is a sugar found in cows milk. When someone is lactose intolerant they have a shortage of the enzyme lactase which is used to break down lactose. This means that the milk isn’d broken down completely into forms which can be absorbed in the blood stream. The symptoms of lactose intolerance are very similar to irritable bowel syndrome.
Who is affected by food intollerance?
There is a high degree of heredity in food intolerance. For example Asian, African and Native American people are much more likely to suffer from lactose intolerance than western Europeans.
Food Intolerance Symptoms
Unlike food allergies food intolerance isn’t usually harmful. The symptoms are generally unpleasant and can cause diarrhoea, nausea, bloating and stomach ache. How severe the symptoms are will vary from person to person depending on how much of the enzyme the body makes and how much of the food in question has been eaten.
Food Intolerance Diagnosis
The most simple way to determine a food intolerance is to remove the food from the diet and wait to see if the symptoms clear up. If they do try the food again and if the symptoms reappear it’s likely that you may be intolerant of the food.
Some food intolerances can be specifically tested for such as lactose intolerance. Talk to your doctor about these types of tests.
How can you manage food intolerance?
The simplest way is to remove the offending food from your diet. Food intolerances are rarely more than an inconvenience - talk to your doctor if you're worried.
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