allergy Expert logo

562 Shearer Street, Suite 101 GREENSBURG
4212 Old William Penn Highway MURRSYSVILLE

ph: 724 837 4070

Facebook

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Disclaimer
  • Asthma
    • How to use an inhaler
    • Exercise induced asthma
    • Is your asthma under control?
  • Eczema
  • Eosinophilic Esophagitis
  • Environmental allergies
    • Cat allergy
    • Dog allergy
    • Dust mite allergy
    • Allergy drops
    • Allergy shots
  • Food allergies
    • Coping with food allergies
    • Egg allergy
    • Fish allergy
    • Milk allergy
    • Peanut allergy
    • Sesame Seed Allergy
    • Shellfish allergy
    • Soy allergy
    • Tree nut allergy
    • Wheat allergy
    • Pollen Food Syndrome
  • Food intolerance
    • Lactose intolerance
    • Gluten sensitivity
  • Hives and Angioedema
  • Insect allergies
  • FAQ
    • What medications should I stop for allergy testing?
    • What is Sulfite intolerance
    • What is Celiac disease?
    • Honey for allergies?

Food intolerance

It is estimated that people eat 2-3 tons of food in a lifetime.    With so much food exposure, it is not surprising that food reactions commonly occur - but not all of these are truly food allergies.     Polls demonstrate that about 20-25% of people believe that they have a food allergy.     In reality, food allergies only affect 6-8% of children and 2% of adults.  So what is going on the rest of the time?  It turns out that the majority of food reactions are due to food intolerance or food poisoning.

Food intolerance is defined in Stedman’s Medical Dictionary (27th Edition) as “impaired utilization or disposal of dietary constituents”.   This means that there is a problem with the digestion of the food or how it is used by the body.    Some reactions are due to problems digesting the food, such as
lactose intolerance or fructose intolerance.     Some reactions can result from chemicals such as sulfites, tyramine, or histamine found in the food.  Other reactions can developed due to food poisoning, from bacteria growing on food that is not properly stored or cooked.  The
main difference between a food intolerance and a
food allergy is that a food allergy results from the production of certain antibodies called IgE by the immune system.  Some types of food intolerance reactions can also happen from the body’s immune system reacting to certain proteins in foods (such as gluten in celiac disease) – but for these reactions, the allergy antibody IgE is not involved



Contact us today!
We welcome your questions and queries.

Copyright 2020 AllergyExpert. All rights reserved. The AllergyExpert.US does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  Read more on disclaimer and terms of use.

 

562 Shearer Street, Suite 101 GREENSBURG
4212 Old William Penn Highway MURRSYSVILLE

ph: 724 837 4070

Facebook