Food intolerance is not an allergy

Food intolerance is not an allergy

09/07/2014

Many people are familiar with the problem: after drinking milk or eating fresh fruit, they are plagued by stomach pains and diarrhea. But that does not mean that they are allergic to these foods. Often, the cause of the discomfort is food intolerance.

Healthy foods can make you sick
Foods such as milk, wholemeal bread or fruit salad are actually healthy, but sometimes can make you sick. This is the case when someone has an intolerance to one of their ingredients. The nutritionist Harald Seitz from the consumer information service aid in Bonn, stated in a dpa message: „It is an intolerance reaction that has something to do with the body's inability to properly process and absorb certain nutritional components.“ Mostly, a congenital deficiency of digestive enzymes is the cause of food intolerance. But it can also be caused by intestinal diseases or changes in the intestinal flora.

Food intolerance is erroneously equated with food allergy
Lactose (lactose), fructose (fructose), gluten (cereal protein) and histamine (messenger substance) are among the substances that are most often not tolerated. People with food intolerance will respond with symptoms such as headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, bloating or tiredness. In intolerances, unlike food allergies, with which they are often mistakenly equated, it is usually not the case that sufferers have to completely avoid the triggering food.

Incompatibility occurs with a time delay
„In an allergy, the body reacts to actually harmless substances with a defense response and forms antibodies“, said the nutritionist from the German Nutrition Society (DGE), Doreen-Nadine Hecht. „Due to sensitization, small amounts of the allergen are usually sufficient to trigger immediately violent reactions.“ In the case of intolerance, however, the response is quantity-dependent, with varying amounts depending on the case „irritant“ tolerated. The intolerance occurs with a time delay, is less pronounced than an allergy and manifests itself, roughly speaking, except for a few exceptions, especially in the form of gastrointestinal complaints. You should definitely take this seriously. „If someone does not avoid what he does not tolerate, he will simply not be able to get rid of the symptoms, they may even get worse“, as the graduate oecotrophologist Bettina Halbach from Wuppertal.

Have symptoms cleared up by a doctor
An unobserved intolerance can also cause more serious health problems. For example, it can damage the lining of the stomach and intestines and, as a consequence, the absorption of nutrients is disturbed, the person becomes more susceptible to infections and inflammation can develop. It often takes real detective work to clarify which substance is the culprit. Initial evidence would often be found if sufferers keep a food diary. „Ultimately, it is recommended, however, to have the symptoms cleared up by a doctor“, so Halbach. The eating behavior must be changed depending on the findings.

Lactose intolerance is the most common food intolerance
Lactose intolerance (lactose intolerance) is the most common food intolerance. Concerned lacks the enzyme lactase, which splits milk sugar. The sugar is not digested without the enzyme, but degraded by intestinal bacteria. „This produces gases that can cause flatulence, bloating and pain. It can also lead to diarrhea“, said Margret Morlo from the Federation of Nutrition and Dietetics (VFED). A breath test reveals if lactose intolerance exists. Milk and dairy products can then be consumed only to a limited extent, but often a certain amount of lactose is tolerated, so that low-lactose products such as hard cheeses can remain on the menu. There are also lactose-free and herbal alternatives, such as soymilk. Less known are substitute products such as almond, coconut or grain milk.

Diagnosis by breath test
Also widespread is the fructose intolerance. This is caused by the malfunction of a transport protein. „Through them, the fructose is not or only partially absorbed by the small intestinal mucous membrane and migrates further into the colon, where it is degraded to organic acids, carbon dioxide and hydrogen“, explained DGE expert Hecht. The consequences of this include flatulence, pelvic pain, epigastric pain, irritable bowel syndrome, sudden bowel movements and diarrhea. Again, the diagnosis is made by breath test. Then next to fruit, among other things, with fructose-containing foods and honey caution. Rarely does a complete renunciation become necessary. Normally, it is sufficient to throttle the intake, for example, by deliberately consuming only fruits with little fructose such as apricots.

In celiac disease replace wheat with buckwheat or corn
Gluten intolerance, also called celiac disease, only occurs in a very small part of the German population. Gluten is an adhesive protein found in wheat, rye, barley and many other cereals. In affected individuals, the body forms antibodies on contact. „They can cause a chronic inflammation of the intestinal mucosa“, So Seitz. As a result, the food is metabolized worse. This leads, for example, to diarrhea, weight loss and deficiency symptoms. Celiac disease also increases the risk of osteoporosis. The diagnosis of gluten intolerance is based on blood tests and tissue samples. Those affected can replace wheat and co with gluten-free cereals such as buckwheat or corn.

Histamine intolerance may be the result of other incompatibilities
Histamine intolerance is neither an allergy nor a nonimmunological food intolerance, but a breakdown disorder. It may be the result of other incompatibilities or allergies. Histamine exists as a messenger in the human body, but also in many foods such as mature cheese, wine or fish. Those who are intolerant, lack the enzyme responsible for histamine degradation diaminooxidase. „Therefore, dietary histamine stays in the blood for longer, causing symptoms such as wheals, redness, headaches or digestive problems“, so Morlo. Also, symptoms such as high blood pressure, heartburn or difficulty breathing may occur. A diagnostic diet will determine if there is any intolerance. If this is the case, it is advisable to consume mainly fresh, less mature products, because they are histamine poorer. (Ad)