Food intolerances

Food intolerances can develop toward any naturally occurring or artificial food or food ingredient that ingested. Food intolerances affect the lives of virtually everyone at some point. People often may have an unpleasant reaction to something they ate and wonder if they have a food allergy.

Food intolerances produce some of the sane reactions as food allergies, but the reactions develop by different mechanisms.

When a particular food item causes irritation in different systems of the body, such as the gastrointestinal, skin, urogenital, musculoskeletal, neurological or respiratory system, without the presence of an immune reaction, it is defined as food intolerance. They are due to a missing enzyme or other cause.

Common intolerances have been observed to dairy, carbohydrate, gluten, yeast, dyes, flavor enhancers and preservatives.

True food intolerances produce predictable reactions. Problems such as headache, diarrhea, swelling or stomach pain will occur every time a person consumes a difficult amount of the suspected food.

Intolerance symptoms tend to be milder than allergy symptoms and include nausea, stomach pain, and diarrhea, gas, cramps, bloating, vomiting, headaches, heartburn and irritability.

Lactose intolerance is one example of a food intolerance. Lactose intolerances affects between 30 and 50 million Americans, 75% of African Americans and over 90% of Asian Americans.

Celiac disease, a sensitivity to gluten, a wheat protein, affects about 20% of Americans.
Food intolerances