The difference between a food intolerance and an allergy

What is the difference between a food intolerance and an allergy?

We’ve teamed up with Inspire Wellbeing and Nutrition Advisor, Sal Hanvey to provide a series of delicious and healthy meals as part of #FoodFriday. This time, Sal helps us to understand the difference between allergies and food intolerances.

Food intolerances and allergies can appear, let’s say, somewhat complicated to most people. Some may experience an array of symptoms and not attribute them to an intolerance or allergy, for example.  Many would never associate their nasal congestion with dairy or their stomach pain or cramps with eggs. So, what are they and what are the differences between them? Are they always life threatening?  Can they go undetected, or can you even be asymptomatic? (I.e. you experience no symptoms at all!)

When the confusion starts

In my profession, I am faced with these sorts of questions from individuals on a daily basis. Questions like:

Is a lactose intolerance the same as a milk protein intolerance? The answer is no. How do I know if what I am experiencing is an intolerance or an allergy? Via testing. Can I have one without the other? Yes. Is one more serious than the other? Yes. Can I have both? Yes! Can it change over time? Yes for intolerance, not always for allergies. Was I born with it? Possibly. Is it genetic? It can well be. Will it ever go away? Sometimes.

Here, I will help dispel the myths surrounding these issues and iron out any confusion over what they mean and represent.

 

What are the main differences?

Food intolerances effect up to 45% of the population, whereas an allergy only effects 2%. Food intolerance symptoms can occur anywhere up to a 72 hour delayed onset reaction, don’t always last for life, and the impact is not severe as an allergy. However, allergies usually impact within 2 hrs after consuming the food culprit. They can be life threatening and onset immediately.

 

How are they developed?

Anyone can develop an intolerance to almost anything, whereas, there are certain foods, (and environmental allergens, including pollen), that effect only a very small amount of people. These foods typically include: Peanuts, eggs, shellfish and soya, to name a few examples. These are common in the allergy world, however, there are others to factor in also, including: Milk, certain fruit and meat.

 

How we can detect intolerances

A food intolerance is detected through an IgG antibody test, testing the full spectrum of intolerance IgG 1-4 sub-types. It’s usually tested with a finger prick of blood – as apposed to hair testing, which isn’t backed by science in the same way, as there can be a level of inaccuracy to the result. The typical average amount of foods that one can be intolerant to at the one time is 5 foods. A food allergy is determined via an IgE antibody test and can be divided up into low, medium and severe reaction, depending on the results.

 

 

Your immune system and the ‘gut connection’

Your gut is home to 70% of your immune system. You can support your gut health by reducing your “immune load”, and removing ingredients that may be causing it to overwork from your diet for a period of recommended time.  It then stands to reason, that if you address any potential food intolerance, that in turn, you are supporting and strengthening your immune response and the environment that it inhibits.

 

The difference between a lactose intolerance and a milk protein intolerance

When differentiating between the two, it is important to recognise that a lactose intolerance is a reaction causing gas, bloating and stomach cramps for example, 30 minutes to 2 hours after consuming the lactose in the dairy product. On the other hand, a milk protein intolerance can take up to 3 days to effect the body and present symptoms, although these symptoms can be similar.

The milk protein is made up of two proteins, casein and whey. Casein is the curd and the whey is the liquid left over from the curdling process.  Casein makes up about 80% of the protein and the whey makes up the remaining 20%. You can have a milk protein intolerance without a lactose intolerance so it is important to note that those with an IgG milk protein intolerance won’t eliminate their symptoms by going ‘lactose free’ as they will still be consuming the protein that they may well be intolerant to.

 

How to deal with food intolerance

Dealing with food intolerance through an elimination diet for a period of time can allow the body to rest, recover and repair so that you can possibly eat the foods again (in moderation), which is very reassuring to many people. Knowing they can enjoy these foods again means they don’t necessarily have to avoid them for life.