Are you allergic or intolerant?

A common occurrence I often experience in clinic is people’s reports of having reactions to food which may manifest with various symptoms all over the body; from a simple bloat in the tummy to migraines and even severe skin breakouts. On many of these occasions, I’ve commonly heard panicked exclamations of; “Deena, I think I must be allergic to this food!” With an expression of helplessness as they look to me for a guided confirmation. My simple reply to these worried clients, is usually the same… We won’t know, until we do some investigating! And it’s of added benefit, that I think of myself as a great PI! ;)

How can you tell the difference?

When it comes to identifying the difference between an allergy or an intolerance the main difference between the two in general is that an allergic reaction is often experienced immediately (within 5 minutes) of consumption or contact with the allergen and the subsequent symptoms can range from severe skin rash, itching, hives, swollen throat, choking, abdominal cramping, vomiting, diarrhoea. Food intolerance however may start to exhibit symptoms after a delayed period of time, such as days after consumption, and the symptoms are usually less severe; bloating, headaches, skin conditions, runny nose, irritable bowel and other mild symptoms.

Common food allergens include fish, eggs, cow’s milk, wheat and peanuts. It’s usually an immune-mediated reaction to the protein component of the food such as casein in milk or gluten in wheat that causes the allergic response. If a client is reacting to another food component, such as lactose, it is more likely to be food intolerance which is generally thought to be non-immune activated. Food intolerances can literally be associated with any food or food compound, which is why thorough investigative testing is available.

Can you overcome an allergy or food intolerance?

Allergies can affect a person in the long-term (except in some cases, children can grow out of allergies), whereas intolerances or sensitivities have the ability to be short-lived, depending on how soon they are addressed or how severe they are. Generally, food intolerances can be properly measured and analysed with an IgG test, where a certain amount of foods are measured to ascertain your tolerance level to them (ranging from strong, medium, to weak intolerance). Sometimes small amounts of the food can be tolerated, but larger or more frequent amounts of a certain food can instigate a reaction.

Do not ignore the signs

If left untreated, allergies can cause damage to the various affected areas of your body, and potentially even cause death in cases of anaphylaxis. Food intolerances that are overlooked could also negatively impact your health, as repeatedly exposing your gut to food it is sensitive to over time can lead to inflammation in the gut and the body (eczema, arthritis, hypo/hyper thyroid, IBD), leaky gut, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, reduced immunity, anxiety/depression, brain fog, auto-immunity and nutrient deficiencies including the all-important zinc, B vitamins, iron and protein.

If you think you may be allergic a food or foods, it is best to avoid it, or in the case of intolerance, reduce the amount to a tolerable level or avoid completely. However, do not just remove these foods from your diet without replacing them with alternatively nourishing foods. (e.g. removing milk and dairy means you need to find good sources of calcium, removing wheat, means including healthy sources of fibre and foods with B vitamins). People who are not familiar with the important nutrients these foods contribute to the diet may risk more health issues by limiting their vital nutrient intake.

Do you think you may have an allergy or intolerance?

My advice is to speak to a qualified Nutritionist who can help you identify your triggers through ordering functional allergy or food intolerance tests and gauge the severity of your reaction to them to treat you accordingly.

Alternatively, a less invasive approach (no needles) to identify food intolerance (not allergy) is to start you on a food elimination diet or de-challenge re-challenge diet to identify your sensitising trigger foods, and then design an appropriate healthy diet to ensure your optimal health and nutrition needs are met.

If you find yourself experiencing certain physical symptoms, fatigue, skin issues, gut issues and even brain fog and lack of concentration when eating certain foods, it may be time to do some more investigating. A simple change to your diet could bring a world of difference, vibrancy and energy into your life!

If you would like more information or would like to discuss your symptoms further please contact me deenajanenutritionist@gmail.com

In health

Deena x