Food allergy or intolerance? Discovering your food intolerances.

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Belly ache, rumbling, gas, difficulty to focus again after a meal, is it something you ate you wonder… Reactions of an allergy and intolerance are similar, but they are not the same as they cause a different basic reaction in your body. More about that later on…

Food intolerances are more common than is expected.

They are exactly what it says: your body cannot tolerate a specific food very well. A bit like that friend or a relative that you can only take in small doses...

How does an intolerance come about?

It maybe that you have inherited the intolerance, like lactose intolerance*. You may have burdened your system with other substances. Or you just might be an unfortunate mutant… in this case, your best healthy diet may look different to the mainstream diet but it is there to be found. Testing and experimentation are the key!

What is a food intolerance?

Intolerances are not allergies as they do not involve your immune system. However, they can cause other kind of havoc and in the first instance, lots of discomfort and maybe even pain.

They can be caused by a lack of a particular enzyme (lactose intolerance) or the reason of it may be yet to be discovered, like in the case of gluten.

Food intolerances are usually less serious than food allergies but they can still negatively affect your quality of life. The gas or cramps in your stomach might be because of a food intolerance. Other symptoms may include:

  • Diarrhea

  • Bloating

  • Rashes

  • Headaches

  • Nausea

  • Fatigue

  • Runny nose

  • Reflux

  • Flushing of the skin

  • Hives

  • Anxiety

An example might be that your digestive system might be busy elsewhere or otherwise not in full capacity. This may make your general level of tolerance lower than normal. Improving your digestive tract may be enough to eliminate your symptoms.

Firstly you might observe the most common intolerance foods which are dairy, wheat (gluten), eggs, bananas, caffeine. Secondly there are the salicylates**, nightshade family, histamine***, some preservatives and additives, some carbohydrates****.

Intolerance is not a disease as such, just a bunch of symptoms which will go away if the substance is not present. The good news is that unlike allergy, food intolerances can somewhat change with the improvement of your general digestion. You maybe able to tolerate more of the culprit than what you did before. A bit like that annoying person towards whom you learn to be more tolerant and compassionate. Moreover, that will be your strength which is not dependent on anything else!

Finding your optimum daily diet

Getting your gut measured by doctor or another health care provider is always a good idea. Then you know where you stand and how to go forward from there. There are several ways to eat healthy, you just need to find them!

 * your body produces very little or none at all lactase, the enzyme that breaks lactose into easier digestible forms

**Salicylates can be found in various levels in spices, coffee, some fruits and vegetables, as well as cosmetics and medications that contain salicylates. If you are intolerant to salicylates, please request a list.

*** Histamine can be found fermented foods, cured meats, dried fruits, citrus fruits, avocados, aged cheeses, smoked fish, vinegar, soured foods like buttermilk, fermented alcoholic beverages like beer and wine.

**** Some fermentable carbohydrates, many of them the same as above: FODMAP

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/263965

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/05/what-s-really-behind-gluten-sensitivity

 

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