
Food intolerances vs allergies

What is the difference between a food intolerance and an allergy?
Allergies are immune reaction to unique protein, can include:
Proteins from foods (e.g peanuts, tree nuts, seafood) or pollens, house dust, animal hair or moulds.
Allergy testing: IgE antibodies to specific allergens can be detected by skin prick test (RAST)
Symptoms: Mild/moderate reaction, can progress to life threatening anaphylaxis
Reaction: immediate (minutes to 1-2 hours)
Dietary management: Complete avoidance of single food.
Food intolerances do not involve the immune system
Triggered by various food components including natural food chemicals, FODMAPs, lactose, whole foods, additives & natural colours
Reaction: Irritating nerve endings and/or are poorly absorbed and fermented in the bowel.
Symptoms can include:
Gut: bloating, reflux, gas, abdominal pain, altered bowels
Skin: hives, eczema
Airways: asthma
Nervous system: migraines, mood changes.
Reaction: Hours to days
Test: Elimination diet followed by food challenges under the guidance of specialists gastrointestinal dietitian
Dietary management: identify threshold, and maintain overall intake below threshold, tolerance can improve over time 🙌🏽
Ensure you see a specialist gastrointestinal dietitian for individualised advice so that you are supported through all stages of your journey. For more information get in contact with us here at the @dietetic.gut.clinic
#foodintolerance #foodallergies #guthealthdietitian #foodintolerancedietitian #FODMAPdietitain