The Discomfort Of Food Intolerance

By Author: Abbey smith
Total Articles: 353
Comment this article

If you have ever noticed that certain foods make you feel uncomfortable or unwell, you could have a food intolerance. Many people automatically think that they have a food allergy when they experience problems after eating a particular food but food allergies are actually quite rare, with only around 2-5% of adults and 2-8% of children actually suffering from them. This means that most people who experience food related symptoms are much more likely to have a food intolerance.

The Difference between Food Allergy and Food intolerance

It is not surprising that a great deal of people think that a food allergy and a food intolerance are one and the same thing, but this is actually incorrect. There are differences between the two.

A food allergy is something that occurs when the body views a particular food that has been ingested as being a foreign body creating an immune response. When the body receives this signal it will begin to put up resistance to what it perceives as a threat to the body and will begin making antibodies. These antibodies then attach to the white blood cells and this can cause swelling, ...
... itchy rashes etc. It can be very serious in its extreme form causing symptoms such as anaphylaxis.

Food Intolerance

A food intolerance is also something which occurs when the body perceives ingested food as a threat. However, a food intolerance doesn't have a direct effect on the immune system in the same way as a food allergy would. This means that a food intolerance is not as severe as a food allergy but it can still cause cause a great deal of discomfort.

Stress

There is some evidence that stress can be a factor in someone experiencing a food intolerance. This is because stressed people often have fewer IgA antibodies and this can lead to intolerance in things such as milk or wheat.

Stomach Health

Other things such as a low amount of stomach acid or excess bacteria in the gut can also contribute to people feeling discomfort or sluggishness after eating certain foods. Luckily, this can be remedied with a change in diet or medication if necessary.

Prevucare.co.uk sell a Food Intolerance product that helps detect whether you have an intolerance to a particular food type.