There are a lot of chances that the food we eat does not get fully digested by our body and may cause unpleasant symptoms. This inappropriate assimilation of food is often due to some food allergy or food intolerance. There are many differences between a food allergy and food intolerance which must be understood. They are easy to get confused too as they have similar signs and symptoms.
Food allergies result in life threatening and immediate symptoms whereas food intolerance symptoms are vague and show up in 2-3 days. According to researchers, these types of symptoms are the result of genetic factors, imbalance in the gut or even psychological. Let us look at food intolerance and food allergies in detail now.
Food Intolerance
Food intolerance may be referred to as sensitivity of an individual’s digestive system to certain food groups. This leads to a range of bowel symptoms which often make one feel unwell. These intolerances are said to occur when your body lacks the correct enzymes to break down a food product. Therefore, the food remains undigested and passes into the large intestine as a whole. This further increases the osmotic load of stool causing the water to rush into the colon resulting in uncomfortable diarrhea.
Food intolerances may result from these unwanted mechanisms of our body.
1.Immune System Dysregulation In Intestine
This type of factor becomes prevalent when the intestinal permeability increases, further leading to immune system imbalance. Therefore, a leaky gut allows food particles to enter into the bloodstream resulting in inflammatory responses that cause the potential symptoms.
2.Gut Microbiome Imbalance
As we all know, the gut microbiome is the collection of trillions of good bacteria present in our gut. Hence, outgrowth of pathogenic bacteria can disrupt the balance maintained in our intestine. Such dysregulation often results from high consumption of certain carbohydrates known as FODMAP’S (fermentable oligosaccharides disaccharides monosaccharides and polyols) that feed the pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, a low FODMAP diet will prove beneficial in this case and ease the digestive symptoms that are produced.
3.Enzyme Deficiency
Our body produces a large number of enzymes that are specific for different types of food we intake. These enzymes are responsible for breakdown of food into simpler forms that can be easily absorbed by our body. For example, lactase enzyme helps in digestion of milk sugar called lactose. Absence of natural enzymes is found to be the cause of symptoms related to indigestion.
Food intolerance varies from person to person. Therefore, the same food that heals one person may prove problematic to another. You may experience vague, non-specific symptoms as a result of some underlying imbalance or inflammation in the gut. Some common symptoms of food intolerance are:
Fatigue
Brain fog or difficulty thinking and focusing
Gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and nausea
Frequent headaches and migraines
Respiratory symptoms such as asthma
Skin reactions like eczema, itching, rashes etc
Some most common food intolerances are intolerances to:
1.Gluten
Gluten is a type of protein found in grains such as rice, wheat, barley and rye. Although there is no specific test to diagnose non-specific gluten sensitivity, you can try the gluten elimination diet for 2-3 weeks and observe the symptoms. If your symptoms improve during the trial, your gluten sensitivity is confirmed.
2.Dairy
The inability to completely digest lactose, a sugar found in milk and milk products. Lactose intolerance results from deficiency of lactase enzyme. In such a case, eating dairy or cow’s milk products leads to symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, gas, cramping etc.
3.Fodmap's
FODMAP’s are a certain variety of carbohydrates that remain undigested and get fermented when they reach our gut. Therefore, in case of SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), feeding bacteria may lead to its overgrowth and worsening of symptoms. Some common symptoms include bloating, gas, constipation, and diarrhea as well as non-gastrointestinal symptoms like fatigue or foggy thinking. Certain high FODMAP foods are:
Dairy products
Onions
Garlic
Asparagus
High fructose fruits
4.Histamine
Histamines are chemicals released as a result of the normal immune system response. Imbalance in gut bacteria or intestinal inflammation will stimulate the immune system and promote the production of more histamine. This will result in intolerance to high histamine foods. Therefore, one has to follow a low histamine diet that removes fermented foods, alcohol and those that trigger histamine release.
Treatment Of Food Intolerance
1.Elimination
Remove the potential trigger foods to heal the underlying issues. It includes avoiding even the inflammatory foods like fast foods, sugar, and processed foods. For starters, a paleo diet can also be followed as it already eliminates inflammatory foods and trigger foods. Some commonly avoided foods are dairy, gluten, soy, processed foods, and food additives like sulfites, food colorings etc.
2.Reintroduce
If your symptoms start getting better within 2-3 weeks, you can slowly reintroduce certain foods in small amounts to see if they still trigger the symptoms.
3.Supplementing
At times, complete healing and gaining dietary tolerance requires the incorporation of additional supports or supplements. Supplementation with probiotics and digestive enzymes has been widely practiced for years.
4.Probiotics
Probiotics are the living microbes that mimic the gut microbiome. A study has shown that when probiotics are taken along with a gluten- free diet, non- celiac gluten sensitivity symptoms were relieved faster. They have also proved to be beneficial in treating patients suffering with inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS).
5.Digestive enzymes
Lack of natural digestive enzymes can be improved by supplementation. For example, enzyme DAO helps improve histamine intolerance, lactase enzyme helps in lactose tolerance, and α- galactosidase enzyme improves FODMAP intolerance.
Food Allergy
An individual is said to be allergic to certain food when he or she shows severe and life threatening symptoms immediately after eating a particular food. Allergies occur due to involvement of the immune system and production of antibodies known as IgE. Food allergy affects around 8% of children under the age of 5. However, some children outgrow their food allergies as they get older.
For some people, allergic reactions may be uncomfortable but for others they may be frightening or life-threatening. Food allergy symptoms usually develop within a few minutes to 2 hours. Most common food allergy symptoms include:
Itching or tingling in the mouth
Swelling of the lips, tongue, throat, and face
Nasal congestion or difficult breathing, wheezing
Nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain
Lightheadedness or fainting, dizziness
Itching or eczema of skin
Anaphylaxis – it is the severe allergic reaction and causes life threatening symptoms like constriction and tightening of the airways, severe drop in blood pressure, rapid pulse etc. An untreated anaphylaxis can cause coma or even death.
Risk factors causing food allergies
1.Family history
You should be more cautious if you have allergies common in your family i.e. asthma, eczema, hives or allergies like hay fever.
2.History of other allergies
Already being allergic to one food increases the risk of becoming allergic to another. Also, allergies of one type like pollen allergy or eczema can trigger food allergies.
3.Age
Food allergies can be more commonly found in infants and toddlers. As children grow older, their digestive system matures and becomes more tolerant to a variety of food groups.
Preventive Measures
As we come across the difference between food allergy and food intolerance, we have to plan the prevention and treatment strategies differently. Food allergies require complete eradication of the food item and so prevention becomes most essential.
1.Early exposure
Early introduction of almost all food groups in your child’s diet plan can lower the risk of developing food allergies later on in life.
2.Avoid the foods that trigger the immune response
Read the labels before eating or drinking a packaged food item, be cautious at restaurants, and when you shop at the grocery.
3.Notify the school staff about your child’s allergies
See a doctor immediately on the onset of anaphylaxis as it may prove fatal. The injection of adrenalin will be required to prevent severe injury or death.
Conclusion
The differences between food allergy and food intolerance must not be ignored. It will help you plan your diet accordingly. Don’t forget, food intolerances can improve with time and age!
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