Food Allergy or Food Intolerance?

Let us clear up a few misconceptions relating to the differences between food allergies and food intolerance and see just what the lifestyle implications are along with strategies to employ to live a symptomless life in spite of these hurdles. Let us start by clarifying food allergies:

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Food Allergies:

A food allergy occurs when the body’s immune system produces an abnormal or inappropriate response to exposure to specific food proteins. This abnormal or inappropriate immune response usually results in a massive local release of histamine from mast cells. Histamine is a very potent neurotransmitter that can have extreme effects upon vascular smooth muscle.

The major symptoms experienced by the allergy sufferer are directly attributable to the effects of this overly massive histamine release; namely inappropriate local vasodilation and interstitial oedema (partially caused by the vasodilation) which is the cause of most of the swelling the suffer experiences. It is this swelling that mechanically interferes with the normal functioning of the affected tissues (instant tissue stress).

More trouble follows when sufficient levels of this locally released histamine enter the circulatory system produce the same local effects but system-wide. Whole body vasodilation on this scale will generally result in server hypotension and even cardiovascular insufficiency leading to systemic cardiovascular collapse.

The problem with many food allergies is the location of this inappropriate massive histamine

• Food Allergy Triggers – Foods that are commonly associated as being causative of food allergies are commonly referred to as food allergy triggers and include peanuts and many other nuts, eggs, cow’s milk, wheat, soy and shellfish (clams, oysters etc.).
• Food Allergy Symptoms – The symptoms any given individual will experience after consuming a food allergy trigger will vary from one individual to the next and from one instance to the next for a given individual.

Typical food allergy symptoms include itching (both localized and systemic), swelling resultant from oedema (especially of mouth and throat), hives, diarrhoea, breathing difficulties (often compounded by a mechanical choking effect due to mouth, tongue and laryngeal swelling that interferes with normal epiglottal mechanical functionality) and vomiting.

Generally; it is the degree or severity of the symptoms that varies most from one food allergy to the next and is highly dependant upon the allergens route and location of the site of initial allergic response within the body.

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• Food Allergy Management – The standard management regimes for food allergies all tend revolve around avoidance. Don’t eat that which you are allergic to and you won’t suffer the debilitating symptoms. Often a process of trial and error is involved in the determination of those food allergy triggers specific to you (i.e. identifying which food stuffs you specifically are allergic to).

Unfortunately; without the proper identification of those specific food allergy triggers pertinent, on a case by case basis the general classification approach is taken. If allergic to one nut them you should avoid all nuts is the basic ethos here. While effective this approach can be very lifestyle restricting.

Desensitization is another strategy that does hold promise but is not appropriate in all cases.

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Coeliac disease is a fairly common food allergy disease that has a genetic basis. Essentially coeliac disease is an abnormal immune response to gluten. Its symptoms include bloating, diffuse abdominal pain, fatigue (often chronic) and diarrhoea. If coeliac disease remains untreated (unmanaged) serious long term illness, damage and debilitation can result.

Food Intolerance

Food intolerance; on the other hand, does not elicit any abnormal or inappropriate immune responses. Rather food intolerances are metabolic in origin; that is to say that it is the body’s inability to metabolize specific molecules present in food with the same degree of efficiency and load capabilities that are exhibited in “normal” individuals (those without food intolerance).

As a result food intolerance is often a matter of degree. That last spoonful really was the spoonful that broke the camels back so to speak. Many people with food intolerances can consume smaller quantities than normal individuals of those foods that they exhibit some degree of intolerance to and remain symptomless. One must always bear in mind that metabolic process overloads are often a matter of degree. This is probably where the phrase “too much of a good thing” has its origins.

We all have suffered instances of relative effective food intolerance and generally self-modify our behaviours in response. For example; the bloating effect and general all-round uncomfortableness that can follow a bout of gorging such as eating too much to Christmas dinner.

• Food Intolerance Symptoms – Symptoms of food intolerance include bloating, cramping, headaches, palpitations, tiredness, mild to severe diarrhoea, sleepiness, increased or inappropriate sweating episodes and tremor (having the shakes similar to an alcoholics DTs.). Symptoms may persist for several days.
• Food Intolerance Management – For mild cases of relative effective food intolerance such as those resulting from overeating simply follow your body’s lead and rest up (take it easy for a while) or have a sleep to allow your body time to deal with the sudden and unusual increase in digestive and general metabolic stress placed upon your system.

All individuals with a propensity toward food intolerances can benefit greatly by not undertaking strenuous activities during this time of metabolic stress. Thus the warnings we all have be given and give that you should let your food digest before running around etc.

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Some food intolerances however need far more draconian measures including total avoidance of that to which they are intolerant. One example of a more severe form of food intolerance is lactose intolerance; a genetic condition that renders an individual unable to metabolize the sugar lactose (found in cow’s milk). In this type of food intolerance avoidance is the best policy.

In summary the distinction between a food allergy and food intolerance resides in their etiology. Essentially; a food allergy is an abnormal inappropriate immune response whereas food intolerance can be relative in degree but its etiology is metabolic in nature.