Food Allergy Versus Food Intolerance: The Difference

 Food Allergy and Food Intolerance -What's the Difference?

Emily:  "I put down my fork and started to feel uneasy. I had an itchy sensation in my mouth, and my tongue was swelling. I started to feel light-headed and was having trouble breathing. Hives were breaking out on my arms and neck.   I tried to stifle a panic but knew I had to get to the hospital-and quickly!"

FOR most people, eating is a pleasant experience.  There are some, however, who are compelled to treat certain foods as "enemies."  Like Emily, quoted earlier,  they suffer from food allergies. Emily's severe allergic response is called anaphylaxis, a very dangerous condition.  Thankfully, most food allergies are not as serious. 

In recent years, there has been a rise in reported food allergies and intolerances.  Some studies, however, suggest that only a small portion of those who think they have a food allergy have been definitely diagnosed. 

What Is a Food Allergy?

"Food allergy has no universally accepted definition,"  according to a group of scientist led by Dr. Jennifer J. Schneider Chafen in their report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. However, most experts believe that allergic reactions are primarily triggered by the immune system. 

An allergic reaction to a certain food is typically a response to a protein in that food.   The immune system may create a type of antibody known as lgE to neutralize the perceived invader. When the food allergen is again ingested, the antibodies that were created earlier can trigger a release of chemicals, including histamine.

Under normal circumstances, histamine plays a beneficial role in the immune system.  But for reasons not clearly understood, the presence of lgE antibodies and the subsequent release of histamine provoke an allergic reaction in people who  happen to be hypersensitive to a particular food protein.

This explains why you could eat a new food without any apparent reaction but eat the same food again and experience an allergic reaction.

Next time: Food Allergy Versus Food Intolerance: The Difference -What Is Food Intolerance?

From The Awake! magazine