The notion that comes after reading the phrase ‘food intolerances’ is explanatory in itself, someone who is not tolerant of a particular food item. But many people confuse the food intolerance with food allergy. The former means that body gives some negative result from a normal diet that we eat.
Eating food that you are intolerant to can leave you feeling miserable and anxious. In case of food allergy, the symptoms could be life-threatening. A food intolerance response takes place in the digestive system. It occurs when someone is unable to properly break-down the food. This could happen due to enzyme deficiencies, reactions to naturally occurring chemicals in foods or sensitivity to food additives. Now it could be said from the above that misconception between the two is very clear.
Now, let’s focus on some of the symptoms and how it could be resolved.
Symptoms of food intolerances
Some of the main symptoms that is directly related to food intolerance are:
- Indigestion,
- Abdominal pain,
- Migraine,
- Cough,
- Stomach ache,
- Excessive gas production,
- Intestines discomfort,
Causes of food intolerances
- Food poisoning toxins are present in some food items.
- Certain chemical compounds present in food items can cause intolerance.
- An absence of enzymes which is required for proper digestion of food.
Can the issue be resolved by changing the diet?
It depends on the type of food items you are intolerant to. Some people have an intolerance to lactose. If that person decreases the amount of intake of lactose, intolerance to lactose could be kept at check. Similarly, many people are intolerant to gluten in wheat, caffeine, histamine present in mushrooms and pickles, artificial sweeteners, so on so forth. There are cases where even diet change can create discomfort in the digestive system, thus comes in food intolerances testing.
Food intolerance testing
It is not at all easy to determine whether somebody has an allergy or food intolerance because the signs and symptoms often overlap. Certain patterns in the symptoms can help a doctor distinguish between the two. It is also noted that food intolerance symptoms take much longer to appear than food allergies. Some of the testing techniques include skin prick test and blood test.
A question might arise, ‘what may be the benefit of testing when we can remedy by diet check?’ Well, it is very crucial to have lab tested for food intolerances. It takes away the stress, a food intolerance test enables you to put what you want into your body without worrying about the consequences.
If you would like to know more about food intolerances then please check out our website and speak to our expert Customer Service advisors. They will be delighted to help you with any queries that you may have and will also help you to choose the right test for you and your family.
