The topic of food allergies, food intolerance, and food sensitivities has been big for the past five years. As more people become concerned or interested in the food they eat, food manufacturers, health-related companies, and influencers are tapping into that consumer interest. Food allergies are often used interchangeably with food intolerance or sensitivities. In fact, they do not actually mean the same thing. Using food allergies to define all food-related symptoms and experience may do more harm than good. Examples of this include an increased risk for disordered eating or nutritional deficiencies.
It is important to understand the difference of what food allergies, food intolerance, and food sensitivities are and how to apply that into your own approach with food.
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology define food allergies as an individual's reaction to food exposure, whether by consuming, inhaling, or touch, creates an unpleasant autoimmune response.
An autoimmune response is created by your body's immune system in reaction to an infection, disease, or antigens (foreign substance) to which your body lacks antibodies to. Antibodies are proteins your body creates to protect yourself from foreign substances that enter your body. The more exposure you have, the more antibodies your body will have to fight it off.
Autoimmune responses are often hives, rashes, redness of the skin, itching, difficulty breathing, teary eyes, stuffy nose, vomiting, or swelling. Often these reactions could cause an anaphylactic response in persons. Anaphlyaxis is a serious, life-threatening response that can occur within minutes of an allergy with the need of an epi-pen as an intervention.
Each person with a food allergy may experience different autoimmune responses than others. Individuals with food allergies absolutely have to avoid their trigger foods due to potential life-threatening complications.
Food intolerance is a condition where an individual has difficulty digesting certain foods.
Issues that can occur with food intolerance mostly involve the digestive system. Experiences include abdominal discomfort, excessive gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation. Each person with a food intolerance may experience different digestive symptoms than others.
Food intolerances seldom or never lead to life-threatening events like food allergies; however, can complicate one's lifestyle such as having consistent chronic diarrhea.
Common food intolerances include...
Lactose intolerance - difficulty in digesting the sugar lactose (milk sugar) due to the lack of lactase enzymes
Fructose intolerance - difficulty in digesting the sugar fructose (fruit agave, honey, maple) due to the lack of fructase enzymes
Gluten intolerance - difficulty in digesting the protein gluten (wheat products) due to the lack of glutease enzymes
Casein intolerance - difficulty in digesting the protein casein (milk/cheese) due to the lack of protease enzymes
FODMAPs - a category of sugars, fibers, alcohols, and phenols that causes digestive problems in persons with irritable bowel syndrome and other gut complications.
Food sensitivities are used interchangeably with the term food intolerance; thus, have no difference in its definition and causes of concerns.
Individuals with food intolerances can choose to continue eating trigger foods with the risk of digestive complications, avoid or reduce consumption of trigger foods, or take digestive enzymes like lactase for lactose intolerance to help reduce complications while maintaining enjoyment of eating that food.