The Food Intolerance Boom:
Food Intolerance is a pharmacological reaction experienced after eating or drinking, and has been associated with asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome. The symptoms of Food Intolerance include sweating, rapid breathing, palpitations, migraines, headaches, and burning sensations. These can sometimes be quite serious.
So a number of these symptoms are very similar to the reactions caused by allergies. Allergies being an abnormal response by your body’s immune system to foods or other allergens.
We all have a friend who makes you cringe, when they quiz cafe staff about the menu, because of their wheat, dairy or gluten intolerance. Food intolerances, it seems, are on the rise.
Supermarket shelves are filled with wheat and dairy substitutes, and several companies offer food intolerance tests. This is because diagnosing a food intolerance can be tricky and no-one is certain what causes them. While allergies are caused by a reaction in the immune system, it is thought that food intolerances are caused by food chemicals that irritate nerve endings.
The symptoms of food intolerances often appear quite sometime after the food has been consumed, and are the result of repeated exposure to a food, over a long period of time. While people often blame artificial additives for their sensitivities, it may be that the reaction is more to the natural chemicals in foods.
The best testing for food intolerances is through a controlled elimination diet for two to four weeks or longer. The person is then re-exposed to foods one at a time, in what are called challenges. Once you have uncovered what is causing your symptoms, the difficulties don’t end there. If you eliminate the foods from your diet altogether, it can increase your sensitivity to them, so that you have further problems later on.
People often blame wheat or dairy for their intolerances when it’s really the chemicals in foods that are to blame. Self-diagnosed dairy and wheat intolerances are common among sufferers with eating disorders, since these foods are seen as fattening.
All the experts stress the importances of proper nutrition. If you suspect you have a food intolerance, it’s important to undertake a controlled elimination diet under the supervision of an accredited dietitian. For futher information it is always a good idea to seek advice from your doctor.
For more information on Allergies in the Workplace.