ALLERGIES VS INTOLERANCES
Our bodies are all unique which is why we all react differently to various foods, and this reaction is dependent on a whole host of different factors.
When I start working with new clients, more often than not they will come to me with the belief that they are intolerant to certain foods. Sometimes this is a self-diagnosis from Dr Google after searching the symptom patterns they notice when eating particular foods, other times this belief is born from their results from an at-home testing kit (please don’t waste your money on these!).
Another common scenario which plays out in clinic is when a client has seen or heard that a particular ingredient is ‘bad’ (I’m thinking about poor gluten and dairy here) and starts to cut out a variety of different foods which contain these. This is problematic in itself as these restrictions can lead to nutrient deficiencies as well as creating fear around particular foods. For example, if someone is fearful around certain foods, consuming them can create both physical and mental stress. As we know, the brain and gut are intricately linked and this stress often presents itself through symptoms such as feeling bloated and anxious, which can then lead to alterations in bowel movements. It would then be easy to associate eating a certain food with these adverse after effects, however, this does not necessarily mean an allergy or intolerance is present. Instead, these could be physical manifestations of the mental stress that someone is experiencing at the thought of consuming something with these ‘bad’ ingredients in.
It’s important to note that an intolerance is not the same as an allergy, and while intolerances can be genuine, there are other factors which may be causing some of the unwanted symptoms arising after eating certain foods. Understanding what these are and investigating the impact these might be having is crucial before cutting out foods. This is because eliminating whole food groups puts you at serious risk of nutrient deficiencies. These deficiencies may actually be exacerbating the symptoms that lead you to stop eating something in the first place, creating a vicious cycle!
So what’s the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance?
A food allergy
A food allergy is an immune response which can result in severe adverse effects such as swelling of the airways, hives and anaphylaxis. Some common examples of foods which can cause allergic reactions include nuts, eggs and shellfish.
Although gluten is not an allergen, those with coeliac disease do experience an adverse immune response when this protein is consumed. Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition whereby the immune system damages the finger-like projections (villi) within the small intestine. This often leads to the malabsorption of nutrients, resulting in fatigue and unintentional weight loss.
A food intolerance
A food intolerance occurs when the body struggles to digest certain foods, however, the immune system is not involved. This is not to say that the symptoms can’t still be very unpleasant, however, these tend to be less serious than allergic reactions. Some common examples of these intolerances are dairy, gluten and alcohol.
Gluten intolerance (also known as non coeliac gluten sensitivity) differs from coeliac disease as although symptoms can be very similar (abdominal pain, bloating and alterations to bowel movements), there are no antibodies being produced by the immune system and therefore damage to the gut lining does not occur.
Those who are experiencing uncomfortable symptoms may decide to cut out gluten completely, however, it’s important that for at least 6 weeks prior to testing for coeliac disease, gluten is eaten regularly. If not, the antibodies produced in response to gluten will not show up on the test and therefore the person might not realise they do have coeliac disease.
Lactose intolerance can be tested for and the issue here is often that people are not producing enough of the enzyme lactase which is needed to break down the lactose within the dairy products which are being consumed. This can result in symptoms such as bloating and flatulence.
Another important thing to note is that food intolerances cannot be picked up using allergy testing, which is why you certainly should not be wasting your money on these kits. If you are concerned and feel like you could be allergic or intolerant to a particular food, we’d recommend booking an appointment with your healthcare professional and keeping a food and mood diary for a couple of weeks to take with you to your appointment. That way, you can spot any patterns when it comes to symptoms as well as stress levels, as stress is a big driver of symptoms such as bloating, changes in bowel movements and fatigue.
Unfortunately, GPs can often dismiss these symptoms as IBS and perhaps recommend following a low FODMAP diet. However, a low FODMAP diet should not be undertaken without the supervision of a registered nutrition professional as it is a long process involving initial restriction of foods, followed by gradual reintroduction (the key step that many people forget about, leaving them miserable on a very limited diet!).
If your digestive system isn't functioning optimally, you're experiencing significant stress and your gut microbiome isn't happy, it’s common to experience digestive symptoms when eating a variety of foods. Often by focusing on supporting our gut health with movement, nutrition, stress management, sleep (to name a few), rather than looking at which foods to eliminate, you can improve the health of your gut and as a result, improve digestive symptoms.
