What are the differences of food allergy and food or food intolerance? We reveal them to you in this article, so you do not confuse them.
Some food allergies and intolerances are well known. Today there is much talk about lactose intolerance, or about gluten allergy, but until years ago this was not entirely the case. It may be due, probably, to the fact that today many specialized publications publish articles related to them, and also the arrival on the market of some specific products, such as lactose-free milk and gluten-free foods.
But the truth is that even today it is very common to confuse food allergy and food intolerance, so it is common to use both terms – and problems – as synonyms, when in reality they are quite different.
Why is it usually normal to confuse them? Probably because both have similar symptoms, but in most cases it is due to the person’s ignorance.
Food allergy
A food allergy is the name given to adverse reactions that appear after eating a food, or an additive contained in it, despite the fact that the mechanism that triggered this reaction is unknown. From a medical point of view, this term is used only in immunological forms. Unlike a food intolerance, while an intolerance can cause a person to feel unwell, a food allergy not only makes the person feel bad, but it can also cause fatal risk reactions.
Food allergy appears when the person’s immune system interprets that a certain food, or additive contained in it, is an invader. This causes a disproportionate immune response, causing the allergic reaction. In it, the body releases a series of chemical substances, among which we can find histamine. Such a reaction can cause symptoms such as:
- Trouble breathing.
- Throat tightness.
- Hoarseness.
- Cough.
- Stomach ache.
- Vomiting
- Urticaria.
- Inflammation.
- Decrease in blood pressure.
In many cases, the allergic reaction appears even when the person has eaten a very small amount of the food, or sometimes even just by touching or inhaling it.
Food intolerance
Unlike food allergies, there is a food intolerance when there is an adverse reaction to the intake of a food or a certain additive contained in it, but it is a non-immunological reaction.
This intolerance is due to the action of foods that contain certain substances that will cause an alteration of the digestive mucosa, or symptoms due to excessive consumption.
Its symptoms are similar to those that appear when a food allergy occurs, but unlike an allergy, they are not serious:
- Nausea and gas.
- Abdominal cramps.
- Diarrhea.
- Headache.
- Feeling of nervousness and irritability.
As we can see, differentiating between a food allergy and an intolerance is important, since although they usually have similar symptoms, a food allergy can trigger very serious adverse reactions for the health and life of the person who presents it.
