Most people sometimes mistake a food allergy for food intolerance, which generates both signs and symptoms, the main difference between them is the type of response the body produces when it comes into contact with a specific food.
Because when an individual is allergic to a food an immediate and exaggerated immune response occurs, as the body recovers this food as if it were an aggressive agent, creating antibodies and producing symptoms at the skin, respiratory, systemic and gastrointestinal level.
- In the case of food intolerance.
- This is an adverse reaction to a food that does not involve the immune system and is caused by the way the body treats food and its components.
- Mainly generating gastrointestinal symptoms.
- This can occur due to lack of enzyme.
- As in the case of lactose intolerance.
- Diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome.
- Celiac disease and psychological factors.
In addition, a person may also have a sensitivity to food, in which the body produces an adverse reaction to food or any of its components, and it is unclear whether this may be due to an allergy or food intolerance.
Allergy would feed hypersensitivity to produce different signs and symptoms, which can vary from person to person, which will depend on the individual’s response to a specific food, which can produce symptoms:
In more severe cases, it can lead to systemic problems such as hypotension, dysrhythmia or anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that can endanger the individual’s life. See more details that are anaphylactic shock.
These symptoms appear minutes or seconds after you eat a small amount of food if you are allergic.
The signs and symptoms generated by intolerance are very similar to those that occur during a food allergy, mainly generating gastrointestinal manifestations such as stomach pain, bloating, excessive gas production, abdominal cramps, burning sensation in the throat, vomiting and diarrhea.
However, it can also produce skin and respiratory manifestations, which will depend on the cause of intolerance, usually these symptoms appear after 30 to 60 minutes and their intensity will be directly proportional to the amount of food consumed, so even if you eat more severe symptoms.
To diagnose food allergies, if performed on the skin, looking at symptoms that appear after 24 to 48 hours, if a skin reaction occurs, it means that the test is positive. Learn more about identifying food allergies
In case of food intolerance, negative skin allergy tests are performed, so your doctor can order other tests such as a blood test, tests, and remove the food that causes it from your diet. Intolerances are more common than allergies and can affect anyone without a family history, although allergies are rare and only hereditary.
It is not always possible to quickly identify which foods cause a food allergy or intolerance, which vary from person to person, and it is often necessary to treat various problems or exclude food to determine the amount of food.
However, it is believed that most cases of food allergy are caused by foods such as shrimp, peanuts, tomatoes, shellfish and kiwis. I think intolerance would feed, major foods include cow’s milk, egg, cookie cutters, nuts, chocolate, spinach and pan.
In case of allergy and food intolerance, treatment will be to remove from food all foods and recipes that include the preparation of foods that cause symptoms.
It is important to help a nutritionist indicate which foods to eat to replace those that cause discomfort, to ensure that the body receives all the nutrients necessary for its proper functioning.