There is nothing better than enjoying your favorite food. It can be a cheesy pizza or a scoop of ice cream. However, not everyone has the luxury of enjoying the foods that they like. For some people, those same foods they love actually make them sick, bloated, or uncomfortable afterwards, which can be really annoying. This condition is what we call food intolerance.
Food intolerance is when your body cannot totally digest certain foods, which subtracts from the joy of eating.
However, food intolerance is totally different from food allergies. Allergies can be serious and even dangerous, but food intolerance, on the other hand, is not life-threatening, but it can make every meal feel like a challenge.
The Process of Food Intolerance
Food intolerance happens usually because your body is missing specific enzymes or chemicals that are needed to break down certain foods. When you eat, your body uses enzymes to break down food into smaller parts so it can absorb the nutrients. In the case of lactose, which is the sugar in milk, the lactase enzyme is what breaks down lactose in order for the body to absorb the nutrients.
If your body doesn’t make enough of a specific enzyme like lactase, it can’t fully digest that food. This undigested food moves into your intestines where it causes trouble. Bacteria in your gut try to break it down instead, which leads to symptoms like gas, bloating, and other uncomfortable symptoms. If you are confused about the difference between food allergy and food intolerance, just keep in mind that food allergies happen because your immune system attacks the food.
Common Food Intolerance
- Lactose intolerance: Lactose intolerance happens because the body doesn’t have enough lactase, which is an enzyme that breaks down lactose. As a result, eating dairy products can lead to bloating, diarrhea, and gas.
- Gluten intolerance: A person becomes gluten intolerant when an autoimmune disorder, like celiac disease, damages the small intestine. Then, for non-celiac gluten sensitivity, it causes symptoms like bloating, anxiety, and diarrhea.
- Histamine intolerance: This happens when the body can’t break down histamine, a compound in foods like aged cheese and fermented products. This causes symptoms like headache, flushing, or skin rash.
- Fructose malabsorption: When the body can’t absorb fructose, which is a sugar found in fruits, honey, and some sweeteners, it causes you to experience bloating, stomach pain, or diarrhea.
How Do You Know if You Have a Food Intolerance?
This is the biggest question being asked whenever the topic of food intolerance comes up. However, the idea is to pay attention to how your body reacts after eating certain foods. Food intolerance has common symptoms such as bloating, stomach pain, gas, diarrhea, or fatigue. These symptoms usually show up a few hours after eating the food and may also happen more often if you eat larger amounts of that particular food. But in some cases, medical tests like a lactose intolerance test can be done to confirm whether or not you have this particular intolerance.
Bottom Line
In summary, food intolerance occurs when your body lacks the enzymes necessary to break down certain foods, such as dairy or gluten, and causes uncomfortable symptoms like bloating, gas, and stomach pain. Unlike food allergies, it is not fatal, but it can make eating difficult. If you suspect you may be intolerant, you can figure that out by watching how your body responds after eating.
