Sometimes it can happen that certain foods, in predisposed individuals, can cause negative reactions on our bodies. These reactions may be due to food allergies or food intolerances. Food allergy is a reaction towards a food or one of its components (allergen) by the immune system, with the production of antibodies leading to the release of certain substances, including histamine, which can cause various symptoms such as skin reactions, itchy throat and palate, symptoms in respiratory and gastrointestinal system–in severe cases it can lead to anaphylactic shock. I symptoms usually appear a short distance after ingestion of the allergen.
Food intolerance, on the other hand, is a reaction that depends on a difficulty of the body to digest or metabolize a food or its component. Symptoms, in general, are in the gastrointestinal system (nausea, vomiting, intestinal colic…) and in some cases dermatitis and respiratory difficulties may appear. Symptoms can occur even some time after the food intake, and the significance of the reaction is closely related to the amount of food taken. Among the most common intolerances we have celiac disease and lactose intolerance.
If you think you have food allergies or intolerances, the first thing to do is to consult your doctor. Next, you should adopt healthy lifestyle habits, excluding allergens or foods to which you are intolerant, and learn to read food labels carefully before buying and consumption of a food.
