**If you’re more of a visual or audio learner, watch Sarah Plymire’s Snack With A Dietitian on our instagram as she discusses this topic.
Did you know that 65% of the global population has some form of lactose intolerance? With food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities on the rise, it’s important to understand the difference between these terms.
What is an “intolerance?”
An intolerance to a food generally means you experience some form of gastrointestinal discomfort after consuming it.
This could be feeling nauseous, experiencing bloating, or feeling gassy. The reaction time for these symptoms could be immediate but can also take hours to develop.
Some common food components that people can be intolerant to include lactose (the main sugar found in dairy products), gluten/wheat (found in a majority of breads and pastries in the US), sugar alcohols (like sorbitol and xylitol) or fructans (found in onion and garlic).
The diagnosis of an intolerance for some food components, like lactose and fructans, can be determined with a breath test. Other intolerances are generally determined by following a low FODMAP diet. A low FODMAP diet should not be followed without close supervision from a registered dietitian. FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, which are types of sugars that some people cannot digest properly.
The treatment for an intolerance involves avoiding the food that seems to trigger discomfort or managing symptoms by taking medications, like lactaid in the case of a lactose intolerance.
what is a “food sensitivity?”
A food sensitivity is similar to a food intolerance. Like an intolerance, gastrointestinal discomfort occurs after consuming a food but sensitivities do not have specific diagnostic criteria and are therefore harder to confirm.
what is a food “allergy?”
An allergy to a food means your immune system becomes activated and has a reaction every time when that same food is consumed.
The reaction can be one or more of the following: skin rash, swelling of the face and lips, difficulty breathing, vomiting, severe abdominal pain, or even anaphylaxis. The onest of an allergic reaction occurs within minutes of ingesting the food - the only exception is an alpha-gal allergy, which can take 6-8 hours to develop a reaction.
The most common food allergens are known as the top 8 which includes wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, fish, eggs, milk, sesame, and soybeans.
If an individual with a food allergy continues to consume that food, damage to the intestine can occur, leading to malabsorption of nutrients. This is why it’s important to work with a registered dietitian to make sure the foods you consume on a regular basis do not contain even a trace of a food allergen.
The diagnosis of a food allergy typically includes a skin prick test as well as blood work. An endoscopy with a biopsy may also be necessary to confirm a diagnosis. On occasion, a food challenge will be conducted in a medical office, where the potential allergenic food is consumed with the supervision of healthcare professionals.
Food allergies most commonly develop within the first year of life, which is why it’s important to introduce these top 8 foods early on. Sometimes, these allergies disappear as we age but individuals with a peanut, tree nut, or shellfish allergy generally do not outgrow their allergy to these foods.
what’s next???
If you struggle with a food allergy or intolerance, we at Bamboo Nutrition would love to help you manage these conditions as well as work with you to help you find safe and delicious foods. Eating should be an enjoyable experience and having a food allergy or intolerance does not mean you have to sacrifice the pleasure of consuming food!