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Defining the Differences between Food Allergies and Food Intolerances

There are thousands to millions of people who believe that they have food allergies when in fact, they actually just have body intolerance to certain types of food. One prime example is milk consumption. Many people drink milk and end up with upset stomachs, gas and even diarrhea. This reaction to cow's milk is food intolerance rather than an allergic reaction. The same thing could occur with other food products such as those that contain gluten, a protein found in barley, wheat and rye.

So how do you know when you have a food allergy rather than just intolerance to food? The answer lies in your body's immunological response. When your body thinks that a foreign invader is present, it will produce antibodies which release chemicals such as histamines to combat them. If you were allergic to a particular food like shellfish, peanuts or milk, an allergic reaction would manifest itself via hives, swelling, and redness, breathing difficulties, runny nose and more.

For the most part, food intolerance does not trigger any immunological response but rather a simple reaction in the gastrointestinal tract. Because of this, it can be quite difficult to treat them and those who believe they have had an allergic reaction to the food in question will discover that anti-histamines and other medications that fight allergic responses have no effect. People with food intolerances rather than allergies will have reactions that are not as harsh as what a food allergy would cause. In fact, you could probably eat small doses of the food in question without garnering a negative bodily response.

Food intolerance and food allergies are similar in that they both can cause digestive issues along with other symptoms such as headaches, foggy mental clarity and even low energy levels. However, the difference lies in other symptoms that occur in food allergy sufferers over people who are food intolerant. The allergy sufferers may have the telltale hives, rash, swelling and even wheezing.

Another disparity is the fact food allergy sufferers could slip into anaphylactic shock if their reactions were severe enough. With food intolerance, the food culprit eventually leaves the body and you are back to normal. Now there are a few health conditions like celiac disease which is sometimes called a type of food allergy when it fact it relates to food intolerance. Celiac sufferers have problems with the proteins found in wheat, barley and rye. If it were an allergic reaction, the body would produce histamines to combat the proteins but it does not. Therefore, the disease is grouped with food intolerance.

If you believe that you may be food intolerant, you could experiment a bit to find the best times to try to consume the food in question. Some people who are lactose intolerant cannot have cow's milk products in the morning when there is no other food in their system but they find out they can handle them better in the afternoon or evening time. It is up to you as to how much you want to subject yourself to the discomfort that food intolerance brings but it may be worth it if it is something you really enjoy otherwise.