Did you know there are two different kinds of reactions we can have to food when it affects us negatively? Lately I have been reading up about food intolerance and allergies, as well as trying to test my own response to different foods to determine if I have any. First thing I learned is allergies aren’t what I thought they were!
Food allergy and food intolerance are very different. Food allergies occur when our immune system reacts adversely to even a small bit of a certain kind of food. Basically it’s an overreaction, but it can be very serious, even fatal. We’ve all heard the horror stories of those who are so allergic to peanuts that they may die from exposure, even a very small amount.
Food intolerance is much more common. Was it Something You Ate? Food Intolerance: What Causes it and How to Avoid it by John Emsley and Peter Fell describe intolerance as caused “by the body’s inability to detoxify certain components in food.” The immune system is not involved. This book focuses on non-nutrients such as additives, and components of food that are naturally occurring. For example, MSG is a concentrated sodium salt version of a chemical that is found in some foods and is also produced by our own bodies. It is only when the amount in our system reaches certain threshold levels that our body reacts negatively.
It isn’t the focus of the book above, but food intolerance can actually be of nutrients as well that we are unable to digest. The level to which we have a reaction will relate to the amount of that food that we eat. Examples of this are eggs, milk, corn, wheat, seafood, peanuts, and the list goes on. All one can do is learn what the problem foods are and avoid them. But the consequences of eating a little of one of these is far less serious than allergy!
Was it Something You Ate? Food Intolerance: What Causes it and How to Avoid it by John Emsley and Peter Fell is available in the Anne Arundel County Public Library System and on Amazon.
Food allergy and food intolerance are very different. Food allergies occur when our immune system reacts adversely to even a small bit of a certain kind of food. Basically it’s an overreaction, but it can be very serious, even fatal. We’ve all heard the horror stories of those who are so allergic to peanuts that they may die from exposure, even a very small amount.
Food intolerance is much more common. Was it Something You Ate? Food Intolerance: What Causes it and How to Avoid it by John Emsley and Peter Fell describe intolerance as caused “by the body’s inability to detoxify certain components in food.” The immune system is not involved. This book focuses on non-nutrients such as additives, and components of food that are naturally occurring. For example, MSG is a concentrated sodium salt version of a chemical that is found in some foods and is also produced by our own bodies. It is only when the amount in our system reaches certain threshold levels that our body reacts negatively.
It isn’t the focus of the book above, but food intolerance can actually be of nutrients as well that we are unable to digest. The level to which we have a reaction will relate to the amount of that food that we eat. Examples of this are eggs, milk, corn, wheat, seafood, peanuts, and the list goes on. All one can do is learn what the problem foods are and avoid them. But the consequences of eating a little of one of these is far less serious than allergy!
Was it Something You Ate? Food Intolerance: What Causes it and How to Avoid it by John Emsley and Peter Fell is available in the Anne Arundel County Public Library System and on Amazon.
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