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Various studies have found that around 20-30% of the UK population claim that they have a food allergy however the majority of this percentage mistake food allergy for food intolerance. A more realistic percentage of those who suffer with food allergies are in fact only 3-4%. These studies have shown that there is a clear lack of understanding of the differences between food intolerance and food allergy. The following article aims to shed some of light on the key differences. Food Allergy A food allergy is the result of the body’s immune system having an adverse reaction to specific proteins. Some of the symptoms that can be brought on include skin rashes and tingling in the mouth right through to severe swelling of the throat which makes breathing difficult. Symptoms like the latter can be life threatening and so food allergies can be very dangerous to the individual. Food allergies can be triggered by a multitude of different foods however the more common ones are: • eggs • milk • soya • wheat • nuts • fish/shellfish Food allergies tend to affect children more than adults and luckily young children can actually outgrow their food allergy to food like milk, eggs, and soya before they begin school. The only food group which can cause problems throughout adult life is nuts and unfortunately there is no cure for people who suffer with food allergies. Food Intolerance Food intolerance is a reaction to a food group or ingredient that is brought on every time it is consumed. Food intolerance differs from food allergies due to the fact that the body’s immune system is not activated. According to the leading medical charity Allergy UK roughly 45% of the UK population suffer from food intolerance . Food intolerance is triggered when the body is unable to deal with a certain type of food normally because the body doesn’t produce enough chemicals needed to break down the food as part of digestion. The result of food intolerance can contribute to varying symptoms such as nausea, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, fatigue, migraines and more. The severity of the symptoms differs from one person to the next and depends on the amount of enzyme a person makes and how much of the problematic food is consumes. Like with food allergies there are some common food groups that people are intolerant to and these include: • Wheat • Corn • Dairy • Yeast To determine if you have food intolerance you can test yourself using IgG food intolerance tests. These tests measure food-specific IgG antibodies which help to identify food groups that your body may be reacting to. Once results are given by reducing the consumption of the problematic foods you can begin to lessen the symptoms that it contributes to. So there you have it, a quick guide to the differences between a food intolerance and food allergy.
Article Source: http://www.articledestination.com
Dr. Gillian Hart is a Scientific Director for YorkTest Laboratories who specialise in food intolerance and allergy testing which can help those suffering from food intolerance symptoms to identify problematic foods. For more information visit YorkTest.com or call 0800 074 6185.
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