The difference between Food Allergies & Food Intolerances
People often confuse food intolerance with food allergies. Sure, they can both irritate and make you unwell in many different ways but there are some fundamental differences.
Food Allergies
A food allergy is an abnormal immune response to a particular food, called the allergen. When the allergen is ingested, the body recognizes it as a foreign substance and produces antibodies that trigger inflammation and other reactions such as swelling, hives, stomach upsets and a dry throat. In severe cases, a food allergy can result in an anaphylactic reaction, which involves the breathing and circulatory system, and can be life threatening.
Some of the most commonly reported food allergies in Australia include allergies to cow’s milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat.
If you have a diagnosed food allergy you should completely avoid this particular type of food to clear your symptoms and help you feel well again.
Food Intolerances
Food intolerance can be due to what’s called an enzyme deficiency, where the body is producing insufficient or no enzymes to digest a particular food protein. It can also be due to natural chemicals and/or additives in food that irritate nerve endings in different parts of the body.
The level of reaction is generally related to the dose and will vary in severity depending on the person. For this reason, it’s unnecessary to totally avoid the food. Rather it makes more sense to reduce its intake to try and clear your symptoms. Unfortunately there is no easy way, other than trial and error, to find out what dose your body can tolerate before symptoms appear.
The symptoms of food intolerance can be very similar to those of a food allergy and could include stomach upset, bloating, headaches/migraines, a runny nose and hives.
Food intolerance can be triggered from allergens such as wheat, lactose, fructose, salicylates, amines, glutamate, sulphites, colours, preservatives and flavour enhancers.
If you think you may have a food intolerance or allergy you should seek medical and dietary advice.