Getting to know food intolerance

Quite often people feel discomfort or an unpleasant reaction after food. Such might be bloating, stomach pain, heartburn, nausea, or headache. Some of us might associate such symptoms with food allergies. However, it is not always the case. It may be something else: a reaction called food intolerance.

Food intolerance affects up to 20% of the population, brings a lot of discomfort, while most of the people are unaware of the problem.

Food allergy vs Food intolerance

A food allergy is related to your immune system, which reacts to food when it is not supposed to. It identifies protein or another ingredient in food as a threat and releases antibodies to fight it. This causes allergic reactions, such as hives and swelling, shortness of breath, or wheezing, which might be life-threatening if not treated on time. The symptoms may occur within minutes after consuming those foods. Food allergies are quite rare and often have genetic origins, which are inherited through the family line.

While food intolerance does not stem from immune system response but from digestion issues. It occurs when your digestive system cannot break down certain foods, which leads to not life-threatening symptoms, such as an upset stomach, within a few hours after eating those foods.

If you think you have a food allergy or intolerance, see a doctor to confirm what's triggering it and get help managing and treating it.

Let´s talk more about food intolerance, its causes, analysis, and management.

What causes food intolerance?

The main cause is the inability of the body to make enough of a particular digestive enzyme that the digestive system needs to break down specific food or ingredient. It is still unknown why some people develop food intolerances.

There are also certain gastrointestinal conditions that increase your sensitivity to certain foods, such as Celiac disease, and inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn´s disease and ulcreative colitis.

Common food intolerances.

Lactose: People who are lactose intolerant don’t make enough lactase enzyme to break down lactose, a sugar found in milk and dairy products. This food intolerance is the most common.
Histamine: Histamines are naturally occurring chemicals in foods like cheese, pineapples, bananas, avocados, and chocolate. Red wine and some white wines also have histamines. People who are histamine intolerant don’t make enough diamine oxidase enzyme to break down this chemical.
Gluten: Gluten is a protein in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten sensitivity isn’t the same as having celiac disease, a type of autoimmune disease. When you have celiac disease, gluten damages the small intestines. If you have a non-celiac gluten sensitivity, your body has a harder time digesting gluten.
High FODMAP foods: FODMAPs are a type of carbohydrates that are fermentable, osmotic, and poorly absorbed. They can cause digestive symptoms for some people.

How is food intolerance diagnosed?

Research is still inconclusive as to the proper diagnosis of food intolerance. A number of diagnostic methods are available to evaluate food intolerances, including an in-depth medical history analysis, food diary, breath test or provocation test.

In the breath test, substances are measured in the breath, such as hydrogen, that remains as a by-product of the defective digestive process due to a lack of enzymes.

Your healthcare provider may ask you to keep a food diary. To be honest, it is useful to adopt food journalling in everyday life. By tracking your reactions to food, you may identify the foods that may be the cause of the reaction and help to eliminate such discomfort in the future.

An elimination diet can also be used to remove certain foods from your diet for two to six weeks. If symptoms go away during this time — and then return when you start eating the food again — you may have a food intolerance.

There are also some tests that are advertised online, however, their diagnostic value is unclear, or refuted (IgG tests, hair analysis, and kinesiological tests). Thus, self-diagnosis or self-treatment based on these tests is not recommended. Anyone with a suspected food intolerance should consult a doctor.

How do you treat or manage food intolerance?

You may need to reconsider your diet to limit or eliminate problematic foods. Some people find that consuming such foods in small amounts does not cause problematic symptoms. However, when symptoms occur, over-the-counter medicines may help.

Try keeping a food diary, make a note of:

what foods do you eat
any symptoms you have after eating these foods
when these symptoms happen

Are there any complications?

People who are lactose intolerant may not get enough calcium and vitamin D if dairy products are eliminated completely. People who cut back on products with gluten may need to eat more fresh vegetables, fruit, and gluten-free whole grains to make sure they get enough fiber and other nutrients such as vitamin B.

I have discomfort after eating food. What should I do next?

Most people can manage the symptoms if they reduce or cut out foods that cause digestive problems. Food intolerance may be an inconvenience (and the symptoms unpleasant), but it isn’t a life-threatening problem like a food allergy.

However, to evaluate if you have a food intolerance, first of all, contact a healthcare provider. You may also find it useful to keep a food journal for a few months and eliminate foods that cause discomfort.

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Sources:

This article was written not by a healthcare provider, or registered dietician. Thus, it does not constitute medical advice. Please consult a doctor if you have food reactions.

Yours,

Alyana Fit