Worried You've Developed a Food Intolerance?
Worried you’ve developed a food intolerance?
May 28, 2021 by Allie Buxton, reviewed by Lesley Seto
Is the food you're eating making you feel ill? Do you worry you've developed a food intolerance?
Keep reading to learn about the symptoms of food intolerances and what you can do to again enjoy the foods you love!
Food allergy, food sensitivity, or food intolerance?
Approximately 1 in every 5 people may experience an adverse reaction to food at some point in their life. Adverse reactions can be the result of a food allergy, sensitivity, or intolerance, each triggering different response mechanisms in the body. However, it can be confusing to understand the type of reaction you're experiencing, and a mistaken diagnosis can result in unnecessary dietary restrictions. So what's the difference between all three?
Food Allergies
In an allergic reaction, the body mounts an immediate immune response to a non-harmful food. Mild allergic reactions include rashes or hives. Severe reactions can be life-threatening and can cause a drop in blood pressure, wheezing, or anaphylaxis.
Allergies often appear in childhood but can develop at any age. It is unclear what causes allergies. However, research suggests allergies may be genetic, influenced by your gut bacteria, or result from environmental exposures. There are different allergy tests a healthcare professional can perform to identify foods that may be causing your reaction. While these tests may be expensive and sometimes have a long wait-list, it is important to understand what you can and cannot eat safely.
Food Sensitivities
Food sensitivities cause a delayed immune response. Sensitivities activate different immune cells than in an allergic response, typically resulting in reactions that can affect other parts of the body like the skin, joints, mental functioning, and the digestive system. The cause of food sensitivities is unclear, but research suggests the gut is key. Changes to our gut bacteria can affect how our immune system responds to certain foods. Food poisoning, certain medications, a lack of dietary diversity, and genetic factors can all disrupt the bacteria in our gut.
Symptoms of food sensitivities include digestive issues, headaches, joint pain, low energy, eczema, and mood swings. Unlike a true food allergy, it can take up to three days for symptoms to appear. Due to this delay and the diversity of symptoms, food sensitivities can be hard to identify. Currently, there are no reliable tests for diagnosing food sensitivities, but working with a dietitian experienced in digestive health can help eliminate symptoms of food sensitivities.
Food Intolerances
Food intolerance is a non-immune response to food. Intolerances originate in the digestive system, usually due to an absent or insufficient production of digestive enzymes. One of the most well-known examples of food intolerance is lactose intolerance. People who are lactose intolerant are unable to break down lactose, a sugar found in milk, because they do not produce the lactase enzyme.
Without the proper enzymes, the body cannot break down food. Undigested food moves into the large intestine where it provides extra fuel for the bacteria living in our digestive system, causing gut irritation. The length of time it takes to develop a reaction can vary. The severity of symptoms is also dependent on how much of that food you consume and your sensitivity to it.
Symptoms of food intolerance
Symptoms of food intolerance are inflammatory. Intolerances can present as gut irritation, such as bloating, stomach pain, and diarrhea, or manifest as headaches, skin conditions, and mood swings. The onset of symptoms can vary depending on your tolerance level to a food - or how much you can eat without negative consequences. Small quantities of foods may not result in observable symptoms.
Living with food intolerances
Food intolerances can develop from metabolic and gastrointestinal disorders, infections, food poisoning, or with age. As we get older, digestion slows down and we produce fewer digestive enzymes, increasing our risk of developing an intolerance.
Common food intolerances
Not everyone experiences food intolerances, and some people may experience multiple intolerances or intolerances that change over time. The more common components of food that cause food intolerances are:
Lactose (dairy products)
Sulphites (wine & dried fruit)
Fructose (certain fruits, vegetables, and honey)
Histamines (fermented foods, processed meats, alcohol, and certain fruits & vegetables)
Gluten (products containing wheat, barley, rye, etc.)
Caffeine (coffee and chocolate)
With food allergies, you should avoid foods that cause a reaction, as repeat exposures can increase the severity of the immune response. In contrast, food intolerances and sensitivities are sometimes temporary. After the gut has healed, foods can often be reintroduced in small amounts or by using an enzymatic supplement to support digestion.
Diagnosing food intolerances
The only way to diagnose an intolerance is by using the 3R's of the elimination diet:
Record
Keeping a detailed diary for 7-14 days to capture your gut symptoms and the factors that influence them. Tracking diet, exercise, bowel movements, stress levels, gut symptoms, and sleep habits provide insight into if you have a food intolerance or something else.
Remove
After identifying the potential trigger(s), temporarily remove the food(s) from the diet and assess your symptoms. Symptoms can take anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks to resolve. If after 6 weeks your symptoms remain, the food item may not be the source of the problem.
Reintroduce
Gradually reintroduce increasing amounts of the food you have been restricting. Reintroduction should be done in stages, reintroducing small amounts at a time, while continuing to record your gut symptoms and lifestyle habits.
Reintroduction is essential to understand if food is the source of your gut issues and determine your threshold level for that food.
This type of diet helps to narrow down the food(s) causing you distress, reduce inflammation, and repair your gut. By reducing inflammation and supporting your gut health, you may be able to tolerate foods you were sensitive or intolerant to without irritation.
It's important to remember that an elimination diet is a therapeutic diet - it's not meant to be long-term. Long-term restriction of certain foods can displace other nutrients in your diet and lead to deficiencies. It also takes the fun out of eating and socialising! An elimination diet is meant to determine if food is the source of your gut issues, and to identify your threshold to those foods.
Support from a dietitian
Identifying intolerances can be confusing and overwhelming. If you've tried to eliminate a food without success, then working with a Registered Dietitian can make this process less stressful. We can help you clarify what foods to eliminate temporarily, prevent deficiencies, and work on gut healing, so you can feel your best!
A healthy gut is a happy gut. Give us a call to discover how we can support you.