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Food intolerance is not the same as food allergy. Many medical authorities, however, who really ought to know better, insist on classing them as the same, pointing out what is already known, that these types of problem do not show up in blood tests. The reason for this is that there is not usually any involvement with the immune system. Instead, there may be an inability to digest the food in question, perhaps because an enzyme is lacking, or some other difficulty.
Even though certain conditions are most often caused by an intolerance to one or two particular foods, the same symptoms may be brought on by different triggers in some patients. Different people are intolerant of different foods, and the same set of symptoms may be caused by a completely different food from one person to the next.
In case you're wondering why people eat foods they are sensitive to, I should point out that it's perfectly possible to have an intolerance to something as common as wheat for years without realising it. In a 3-year study at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK, 60% of patients were found to be intolerant of wheat! In fact, you may be intolerant to wheat, dairy products or some other major part of your diet yourself.
The only reliable way to test for such a food sensitivity is by means of an exclusion diet (see "How to find out if you're food intolerant").
Illnesses and problems that may be caused by food intolerance include:
And these are just the ones for which studies have been done that demonstrate a link! Other health effects may occur which are not listed. And, of course, intolerance to a food which is eaten regularly may also cause an existing condition to worsen.
Arthritis means inflammation of the joints and has many different forms, not all of which are believed to be affected by food intolerance.
Osteoarthritis is caused by wear and tear and is not relieved by excluding particular foods, although it may be improved by weight reduction in some cases.
Psoriatic arthritis is often alleviated by finding and removing irritant foods from the diet.
Rheumatoid arthritis may sometimes be a side effect of an intolerance to food which is already causing other problems.
Asthma is a very complex and dangerous condition, causing wheezing and breathing difficulties, often severe. The percentage of the population who suffer from asthma is on the rise, and there is a theory that this has been caused by excessive use of chemically-based cleaning products in the home and/or air pollution. However, there is also often a food intolerance component. As many as 65% of severe asthma patients have attacks after eating certain foods, the most likely culprits being wheat or dairy products.
Because asthma is potentially life-threatening, it is important that patients seek medical advice before embarking on an exclusion diet, and preferably this should be undertaken under medical supervision.
Autism spectrum disorder is often associated with gastro-intestinal symptoms. According to researchers in Minnesota, some ASD sufferers improve both mentally and physically if milk and wheat are excluded from the diet, though it is possible that other triggers exist (particularly food additives).
Food intolerance is known to be a common cause of fatigue, and recent studies have shown that ME sufferers have what is called 'gut dysbiosis' (the wrong bacteria in the gut). This causes problems with digestion in general which is likely to include intolerance of certain foods. The commonest offenders are wheat, rye, corn, dairy products, tea, coffee, sugar and yeast, plus food additives.
This is a condition in which gluten damages the lining of the small intestine, causing problems absorbing food, diarrhoea, bone disease, anaemia and failure to grow or weight loss. It needs to be diagnosed by a specialist, as there are other conditions that can cause the same symptoms. Once diagnosed, symptoms are completely eradicated by excluding gluten from the diet permanently.
Young babies often suffer from colic (stomach pain), diarrhoea, eczema, vomiting and a runny nose. This rarely occurs in breast-fed babies, and is often caused by sensitivity to cow's milk. Mothers who think this is the case should discuss the matter with their doctor or health visitor. Do not exclude cow's milk from your baby's diet without taking medical advice beforehand.
This is a potentially dangerous disease if not properly controlled, so it is important that patients seek medical advice before embarking on an exclusion diet, and this should be undertaken only under medical supervision.
Food intolerance is often implicated in depression. A study by Professor Gordon Parker of the Black Dog Institute, Australia showed that natural and artificial chemicals in food can cause symptoms of anxiety and depression in some people. "It is not unusual for people to develop abnormal, but not allergic, reactions to food and this is known as food intolerance. However, some people can, as a consequence of a number of psychological symptoms associated with their intolerance, be put on anti-depressant medication with the belief that they might have a depressive disorder," Gordon said.
"What many psychiatrists don't realise is that the anti-depressant tablets may actually make the individual worse, because components within the tablets themselves can provoke distressing reactions, often exasperating the depression and, in some cases, making the patient suicidal."
Gordon said a medically supervised elimination diet is the best way of identifying which foods cause the reaction. "It can be difficult to identify which chemicals are causing the greatest reaction," Gordon said.
Also known as atopic dermatitis and particularly common in infants and children, often together with asthma or rhinitis. Between thirty and sixty percent of child sufferers have an intolerance to one or more foods, principally eggs and milk, but other possibilities include peanuts, soya, wheat and fish. However, 85% of these sufferers are believed to grow out of their food sensitivity by the age of three years.
Once known as the Colonel's disease because it tended to affect mainly older 'clubbable' men, gout is caused by the formation of excess uric acid in the joints. Foods which contribute to this condition are those rich in purines, such as liver, kidneys, peas, beans, sardines, pilchards, anchovies, herrings and fish roes.
A study by Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children in London treated 76 children with an exclusion diet. Only 14 showed no improvement. The diet excludes cow's milk, chocolate, wheat, oranges, cheese and eggs, artificial colours and flavours, and fruits and vegetables containing natural salicylates (aspirin). There are other known potential triggers, including dust and the chemicals found in aerosols, disinfectants, perfume etc.
The definition of this syndrome is "abdominal pain and bloating, together with an upset in bowel habit - diarrhoea or constipation" (italics mine).
No wonder so many people are diagnosed as suffering from this rather vague set of symptoms. And who knows how many people suffer in silence, never telling their doctor about it? It's known to affect up to 20 percent of the population, which leads one to the belief that it has become a catch-all. For "irritable bowel syndrome" read "we don't know what's causing this, so let's call it something that sounds good"!
Having labelled it, most doctors are notably uninterested in treating this condition and even today IBS is often written off as "psychological". This is how doctors wash their hands of any responsibility for a solution. But there is light at the end of the tunnel: older doctors may still cling to this diagnosis as an excuse for inaction, but it is becoming more widely accepted that diet is a major contributor in many cases.
In one study by John Hunter, Consultant Physician of Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK two thirds of patients' symptoms were completely alleviated by removing irritant foods from their diets. Two years later, the effective 'cure' was still working for those who continued to avoid the problem foods.
This is another condition with a pick'n'mix symptoms list:
The condition is often hereditary, is mainly experienced by women (which is why it was written off for years as "women's problems"), and is frequently associated with the menstrual cycle. It's another one of those conditions that used to just be labelled and forgotten about (by the doctors at least).
Migraine is often associated with food intolerance. The foods which are most likely to play a part in triggering attacks are:
All of the foods listed contain amines (such as tyramine) which cause changes in blood flow by temporarily narrowing the capillaries. However, there are also other triggers which are less well understood, such as citrus fruit, caffeine and possibly others.
According to Russian clinicians, "recent researchers on excess weight problems proved that one of the principal causes of the obesity is incompatibility between your organism and some foods". There is also anecdotal evidence of weight loss after excluding irritant foods from the diet. I myself have found that I have been losing weight with no effort ever since I switched to a gluten-free diet several months ago.
A chronic skin disorder with periodic flare-ups of reddened and very sore skin, which will become silvery and flaky. Exacerbated by stress, but several studies have shown a link with food intolerance, particularly to gluten.
This is a condition which causes the sufferer to have a constantly 'bunged up' or runny nose. Some patients are also affected by airborne allergens, such as pollen, so that the symptoms are more severe at different times of year. However, studies have shown that two thirds of sufferers are affected by food intolerance, and 20% of cases are caused by food intolerance alone. The trigger is often dairy products, or food additives such as sodium benzoate.
Also known as nettle rash, Urticaria causes big red itchy blotches to appear on the skin. Sometimes the lips and mouth swell up and itch, as well. Though symptoms may last for only a couple of hours, chronic urticaria lasts for many months.
It affects mainly women, and can be brought on by heat, pressure, water, cold, sunlight and physical exercise as well as food intolerance. The most common food triggers are cow's milk, fish, eggs, cheese, yeast, chocolate and caffeine.
Food intolerance is not the same as food allergy (as mentioned already). Classic allergy tests don't work because they are testing for the wrong thing.
You may find the following types of test being offered to test for food intolerance:
Save your money. None of these tests are of any value in finding out if you are food intolerant or not. The only reliable way of discovering what, if any, food intolerances you may have is by means of an exclusion diet.
You may also find this article interesting: Gluten intolerance and how to live with it
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