Thyrocare Food Intolerance Test

Everything you should know about Food Intolerance

Food Intolerance is a very widespread digestive disorder. Food intolerance is also known as food sensitivity that affects our digestive system. We all know that the digestive system is one of the major organs in our body that breaks down foods and produces energy. People with food intolerance or sensitivity fail to break down certain food elements, which leads to certain bodily reactions.

These reactions can be very mild to some, and can serve to others. Most people often misjudged food intolerance with food allergy. Food intolerance and allergy are completely different disorders. Although the reactions of food intolerance can be severe but not as severe as food allergic reactions. People with food sensitivity may experience discomforting symptoms, such as abdominal pain, gas and diarrhea.

What are the causes of Food Intolerance?

The exact cause of food intolerance is still not cleared, however doctors believe that food intolerance occurs due to lack of certain digestive enzymes and chemicals. Many studies have found that there is an increased risk of developing food sensitivities to people who are already suffering from a gastrointestinal disease. People with Celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis find it difficult to digest certain food groups.

• Gluten
• Caffeine
• Histamines
• Monosodium glutamate
• Salicylates
• Sulphites
• Alcohol

The above mentioned food groups are the most common food component that people with food sensitivity cannot fully digest.

What are the symptoms of Food Intolerance?

The symptoms of food intolerance vary from person to person, and can be mild to quite severe. You may notice uncomfortable symptoms only after you have consumed the food elements. The most commons symptoms of food intolerance are as follows:

• Stomach pain
• Gas
• Bloating
• Nausea
• Headache
• Runny nose
• Diarrhea

The severity of these symptoms depends on the amount of food you have consumed. It may take a few hours for the symptoms to appear, and the symptoms may remain for several hours. As these symptoms are quite similar to food allergies, it may get very difficult to understand whether the symptoms are caused by sensitivity or allergy.

What are the different types of Food Intolerance?

• Gluten intolerance: Gluten is a kind of protein which can be found in certain cereals including barley, wheat, rye and other. Gluten sensitivity occurs when a person cannot digest gluten. As we know people with Celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, but gluten sensitivity is different from Celiac disease. And because of this gluten intolerance can also be referred to as nonceliac gluten sensitivity. Despite that, both of these conditions have similar symptoms. If you have gluten sensitivity then you may have headache, fatigue, joint pain, brain fog, depression and anxiety.
• Lactose intolerance: Lactose is a form of sugar or glucose, which can be found in most dairy products. As we know, the digestive system digests foods by using some essential digestive enzymes. There are many enzymes, and lactase is one of the digestive enzymes that helps to break down lactose. Lactose intolerance occurs when the digestive system has insufficient amounts of lactase enzyme. This is why people with lactose sensitivity cannot break down lactose and experience reactions.
• Fructose intolerance: Fructose is also a type of sugar which is found in a few fruits, vegetables and honey. This sensitivity or intolerance may arise if a person lacks an enzyme that helps to break down fructose. Although this intolerance is uncommon, and usually occurs because of genetics. In simple words, this food intolerance comes through heredity. If you have fructose intolerance then you may experience gas, stomach pain, bloating, fullness, and diarrhea.
• Salicylate intolerance: Salicylate is a component that is found in certain vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices. These components are also used in certain preservatives and artificial flavorings, such as toothpastes, candies and chewing gums. If you have this food sensitivity then you may experience symptoms including stomach ache, fatigue, runny nose, wheezing, rashes, hives, and diarrhea.
• Histamine intolerance: Histamine is an organic chemical that occurs in bananas, pineapple, avocados, red wine, white wine, cheese and chocolate. Histamine intolerance may arise if your digestive system lacks diamine oxidase enzymes which generally helps to break down histamines. If you have histamine intolerance then you may notice headache, stomach pain, low blood pressure, itchy skin, hives, diarrhea and anxiety.
• Food poisoning: Almost every person has experienced food poisoning once in their lives. Food poisoning may take place if there are viruses, bacterias and parasites in foods. And this contamination generally occurs in meat, eggs and dairy products. Also the symptoms of food poisoning vary because of the cause of poisoning. However, if you have food poisoning you may experience abdominal pain, loss of appetite, vomiting, nausea, weakness, headache, diarrhea, and even fever.

So, those are all the common types of food intolerance that affects people. However, food sensitivity is very common and can be easily treatable. But treatment is only possible after the diagnosis of Food sensitivity. There are a huge number of people that do not even know that they are allergic or sensitive to certain food components. Do not make this mistake, and go for a Food Intolerance test to understand whether you are sensitive to any food groups.