Food Intolerance

If it's not an Allergy, what is a Food Intolerance?

Food Intolerance isn't an Allergy, although it's a lot more common. We all understand that after eating food, the body makes chemicals and enzymes in the stomach and in the intestine to disolve the food we have just eaten. This process extracts the vitamins and nutrients contained in the food that the body needs to function.

If you have a Food Intolerance to a certain food then your body may not produce any chemicals or enzymes to digest the food you have just eaten. Or if it does produce some it may be too much or too little. Whichever way it is, your digestive system has a problem with a particular food that it does not have with other foods you eat.

To make matters worse it may not really be just a individual food item, it might be to a particular chemical or enzyme or protein (manmade or organic) that's inside the food.

For example, take a look at wheat. Now wheat is in the vast majority of packet and tinned foods you buy. Not convinced? Open up your pantry and have a look at some of the labels on your tins and packets.

The reason wheat is in a great many food products is because it contains an emzyme called Gluten. Gluten's job is to make things stick together, a bit like natural glue. So rather than having dry and crumbly breads and cakes we have soft pliable foods that feel good and hold their shape.

Gluten is also found in rye, barley and oats. So basically whatever type of bread you eat will have Gluten in it, unless you buy specific Gluten Free bread. The name given to people who are gluten intolerance is Celiac or Coeliac.

Common food items identified as being the cause of Food Intolerance include:

- Wheat Barley Rye Oats and products made from them
- Milk Cheese Eggs
- Dairy products
- Chocolate
- Tomatoes and Strawberries
- Certain Food and Flavor additives and enhancers

The symptoms of Food Intolerance will vary from person to person. They might not even appear till the day after eating the food. Symptoms include:

- Headaches
- Sinus problems, trouble breathing (similar to Hay Fever symptoms)
- Stomach pains and possibly stomach cramps
- Diarrhea or Constipation or Gas
- Rashes on the skin

Obviously the best method to treat a Food Intolerance is to stop eating the particular item. Easier said than done in a lot of cases. Like with Food Allergies, you first have to identify what particular food / foods cause the problem. This is best left to the experts. If you think you have a Food Intolerance (or Food Allergy) you should seek medical advice.

Having a Food Intolerance/Allergy does not mean you have to starve. Most supermarkets these days are very aware of the problems accociated with Food Intolerance/Allergy. A lot even have special sections where for example you can go and buy Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Dairy Free products without having to read all the lables all over the shop.

In saying that it is always best to start off by checking the food labels on products, and only select the ones that are good for you. The same applies if you go out to a restaurant. Check to make sure they do not include your Allergy food in your meal.

Again, this is becoming far more common these day. There are even special restaurants specifically catering to folk with Food Intolerances and Food Allergies. Makes for good business.

Check your local library and bookstores and on the internet, you will find thousands of cookbooks available for Food Intolerance and Food Allergy sufferers. Why not even experiment with a variety of different foods that you can eat.

It's your body and your life, take control of it and be happy.