Any negative situation caused by nutrients in the body is generally described as food allergy. However, the reactions caused by nutrients in the body are divided into two as food intolerance and food allergy. These concepts, which are often confused with each other, are actually two quite different situations.
WHAT IS FOOD INTOLERANCE?
Food intolerance is defined as the reaction of the digestive system to a substance in a consumed food. A substance in a food cannot be properly digested or broken down by a person’s digestive system. This irritates the digestive system and causes damage. The cause of food intolerance is the lack of enzymes or the inability to digest the substance in the food. For example, lactose intolerance occurs as a result of a deficiency of the enzyme lactase, which digests the lactose carbohydrate in milk.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF FOOD INTOLERANCE?
If a person has a food intolerance, it may occur when the person eats that food for the first time. What affects food intolerance is the amount of food. When the food that causes intolerance is consumed in low amounts, it is accepted by the body, while it can cause discomfort in higher amounts. Symptoms of food intolerance:
- stomach pain, stomach cramps, burning sensation in the stomach,
- nausea and vomiting,
- Gas, cramps and bloating in the stomach and intestines,
- Headache, irritability, weakness, fatigue,
- Diarrhea
HOW IS FOOD INTOLERANCE DIAGNOSED?
Food intolerance can be diagnosed with an elimination diet or a food intolerance test. In order to detect problematic foods in the elimination diet, suspicious foods are completely removed from the diet under the control of a doctor or dietitian, and then these foods are added to the diet one by one. By examining the symptoms, it can be understood which foods cause food intolerance. In the food intolerance test, people are tested for sensitivity to many substances such as fungi, dyes, drugs, foods, and their diets are arranged according to the results of this test.
HOW IS FOOD INTOLERANCE TREATMENT?
The only treatment for food intolerance is removing the food that causes the intolerance from the diet or consuming it in amounts the body can tolerate. If the food that causes intolerance is an essential food that the body must take, it is very important to consume another food with the same characteristics instead. Lack of wheat consumption due to gluten intolerance may cause deficiency in B vitamin intake. In this case, the person does not contain gluten instead of wheat; can consume cornmeal, millet, brown rice, buckwheat and quinoa.