Food Allergy or Intolerance: There Is a Difference
Food allergy symptoms can range from mild digestive discomfort or runny nose to life-threatening, such as blocked airways. Unfortunately, there is no treatment for food allergies; the only management is to avoid food that contains allergens. Then there are the food allergies that are rarely diagnosed, such as dairy, and gluten intolerance (different from celiac, which is considered a disease). The patient can live with the symptoms for years, unaware of the origin of her pain.
According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), food allergies are on the rise in the United States. The CDC estimates an increase of 18 percent among children between 1997 and 2007. The cause of this rise in food allergies remains a mystery.
Food allergies are most common in babies and children, but they can appear at any age ranging from mild to severe. Just because an initial reaction causes few problems doesn’t mean that all reactions will be similar; a food that triggers only mild symptoms on one occasion may cause more severe symptoms at another time in life. That’s why it’s important to address the problem early.
While any food can cause an adverse reaction, 6 types of food account for about 90 percent of all reactions:
- Dairy (including yogurt and any food made with milk or cheese)
- Grain: wheat and sometimes all grains, including quinoa, millet, and teff
- Beans: peanuts, soy, peas
- Tree nuts
- Shellfish
- Eggs
The first step in treating an allergy is to identify its origin by examining the food intake, symptoms, and the duration of symptoms. In the most serious cases, a stool or urine test can zero in on the allergen. Once the source is identified and the food is removed, a nutritionist can develop a nutrition plan to rebuild and heal the body. In the case of the digestive system, food allergies can damage the mucosa, enzymes, and the GALT (Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue), making it easy for pathogens to thrive and cause many GI dysfunctions such bloating and leaky gut syndrome.
How to Recognize a Food Allergy
Unfortunately, an allergy doesn’t always manifest after eating a certain food. It may take several days to several months. That’s why it’s so difficult to diagnose. By the time you feel the symptoms, chances are you’ve forgotten what you’ve eaten and when. Or it becomes a habit to clear your throat after eating and cough out mucus in the morning; some people even learn to live with constipation for years.
Food Allergy or Food Intolerance
Food allergy and food intolerance are regularly lumped into one because symptoms are often similar. However, food intolerance refers to the inability to digest a certain food and doesn’t involve the immune system reaction or cause a life-threatening reaction, such as anaphylaxis. Furthermore, allergy tests cannot identify food intolerance. This is particularly the case with dairy and gluten. I’ve had many patients deny that they’re gluten or dairy intolerant because it did not show on their allergy test.
Food intolerance is a difficult concept to grasp because, oftentimes, the severity of symptoms is due to increased frequency. Small amount are no problem, but eating the same food or ingredient in different dishes several times a week will cause severe symptoms such as headaches, rashes, or gastric pain. Take for example, gluten intolerance. The patient may not have any symptoms after 2 slices of bread in his sandwich; he may need to clear his throat after eating a plate of pasta; but when he eats a bagel for breakfast, ravioli for lunch, and indulges in a chocolate cake after dinner, he may experience clogged nose, post-nasal drip or headaches.
Heal the Gut First
If your food allergy or intolerance involves the digestive system, once the allergen is identified and you remove the food or foods from your diet, you need to repair your digestive system. First, you need to follow a bland diet to soothe the GI and allow it to heal. A bland diet doesn’t mean it won’t taste good, it just means you won’t be able to eat anything difficult to digest such as meat, insoluble fiber, grain, or anything that causes you pain. If you work with a nutritionist, she can create meals you can still enjoy. During this time, you may also take probiotics and supplement to complete the repair phase, which lasts about 3 weeks.. Then you will gradually resume normal eating while paying attention to any changes in your body.
Test Yourself
The best way to pinpoint food intolerance or allergy is by keeping a food journal and having a health professional analyze it. Download our allergy checklist and test yourself to find out if you have a food allergy or intolerance.
Jonna has a severe case of food allergies. Changing her diet saved her money and trips to different health professionals.
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