Food Intolerance Symptoms

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Learn about food intolerance symptoms.

Food sensitivity could be the cause of some chronic, unexplained health problems.
Most people can eat many different foods without any problems. However, some people cannot tolerate certain foods and react badly if they eat them.

For metabolic reasons, people with a food intolerance can't digest part of certain foods or a food component, usually because of some chemical deficiency.
Food intolerance symptoms may be mistaken for signs of illness or drug reactions, and vice versa.

Food intolerance symptomes may be:

dermatitis

eczema

urticaria

asthma

allergic rhinitis

muscle pain

rheumatoid arthritis

migraine

.

Unlike allergies, intolerances generally intensify with age.
Because symptoms of both food intolerance and food allergy are similar, they are difficult to distinguish from each other.
Many people think they have a food allergy when it is food intolerance.
A food allergy can cause severe symptoms while food intolerance symptoms are rarely serious.

Food allergy is a specific form of intolerance to food or food component that activates the immune system. An allergen triggers a chain reaction of the immune system including the production of antibodies. These antibodies trigger the release of organic chemicals such as histamine, which cause various symptoms such as itching, runny nose, coughing or wheezing. Allergies to food or food components are often hereditary and ithey are usually diagnosed early in life.

Food intolerance involves the metabolism but not the immune system. A typical example is lactose intolerance: the people who are affected have a deficiency of lactase, the digestive enzyme that breaks down milk sugar.
When the enzyme activity is reduced, lactose is not broken down and is transported in the large intestine where it is fermented by bacteria in the gut. This can cause symptoms such as flatulence, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

The amount of milk and dairy products that causes the symptoms of intolerance varies widely.
Many people who have low intestinal lactase activity can drink a glass of milk without any problems. Similarly, the cheeses, which have a low-lactose, and fermented milk products like yogurt, are generally well tolerated.

Gluten intolerance is an intestinal disorder that occurs when the body can not tolerate gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats).
The spread of the disease, commonly known as celiac disease or gluten intolerance, is underestimated.
Celiac disease is a permanent dysfunction and can be diagnosed at any age. If the person affected consumes food containing gluten, the walls lining the small intestine are damaged and have reduced ability to absorb essential nutrients such as fat, protein, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins.
Symptoms include diarrhea, weakness due to weight loss, irritability, and abdominal cramps. In children, symptoms of malnutrition may occur, for example, a failure to thrive.
Currently, the only help for patients with celiac disease is a gluten-free diet. Diet centers and organizations for information about celiac disease make available lists of gluten-free foods. Excluding this substance from the diet, the intestine is repaired and the symptoms gradually disappear.
Research is ongoing to identify the exact nature and sequence of amino acids of gluten that trigger celiac disease and this knowledge may in future represent the basis for the application of biotechnology to the development of cereal that do not lead to intolerance.

A correct diagnosis of allergy and food intolerance can be done through scientific tests.
If a person believes they suffer from allergic reactions to certain food substances, the first thing to do is consult a doctor to verify that the symptoms are not caused by another illness and possibly must be referred to a nutritionist or an allergist.

The first step of a reliable diagnosis is a detailed history of the patient and his family. You should pay special attention to the type and frequency of symptoms and at the precise moment they occur in relation to consumption of certain foods.
The patient must also undergo a complete physical examination.
Then, if you have food intolerance symptoms, you can choose one of the following methods of investigation.

1. Skin tests

. On the basis of the diet history, foods suspected of causing allergic reactions are included in the series used for skin tests. The value of this test is very controversial. The tests involve inserting under the skin extracts of a particular food, by injection or friction, to verify the possible occurrence of a reaction of itching or swelling.

2. Exclusion diets

. The principle of exclusion diet is based on the elimination of a food or a combination of suspect foods for a period of about two weeks before a test. If during this period the symptoms disappear, the suspect foods are reintroduced in the diet, one by one, in small amounts and gradually increased until they reaches the normal dose. Once you have checked all the suspected foods, you can avoid those that cause problems.

3. RAST test (radioallergosorbent)

. In this type of test small blood samples of patients with extracts of foods are mixed in a test tube. In a true allergy, blood produces antibodies to fight the foreign protein which can then be detected. The test can only be used as an indicator of an allergy but does not determine the extent of sensitivity to the offending food.

4. Test double-blind, placebo-controlled (DBPCF)

. The suspected allergen (eg. Milk, fish, soy) is inserted into a capsule or hidden in food given to the patient under close medical supervision. These tests allow allergists to identify the most common foods and food components that cause adverse effects.

Remember: many factors can also create a vicious toxic cycle in your body but if your detox diet does not take food intolerances into account, then a complete and healthy detox will not be achieved.

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