FOOD INTOLERANCES

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ALLERGY AND AN INTOLERANCE OR SENSITIVITY?
A food allergy is an adverse reaction to a particular food (e.g. nuts, shellfish) that involves the body’s immune system. It can produce symptoms like rashes or it can be sudden and life-threatening (called analphylaxis) needing urgent medical attention. Food allergies affect just a few people.
A food intolerance, however, is quite common. It is when you develop symptoms after eating a food that the digestive system cannot adequately process. The symptoms will be different to a true food allergy, and less severe and serious, but they can undermine health and well-being. A food intolerance often tends to be to the foods we most commonly eat (e.g. wheat and dairy). In fact, we may find we crave the foods that we are intolerant to.
The following information is about food intolerances not allergies.

GLUTEN AND WHEAT INTOLERANCE
Gluten is found in wheat, rye, oats and barley. It is a sticky substance with a consistency like glue. It is difficult to digest. In some people this can have a disruptive effect on the digestive system, producing toxins, gas and bloating.

Wheat is the most common form of grain intolerance. Wheat contains more gluten than other grains and is also extremely processed due to the large amounts produced. Some people may be only sensitive to wheat.

A wheat or gluten intolerance can be difficult to diagnose. As it is such a common food the body adapts to coping with it, hiding the intolerance. Some of the symptoms which a wheat or gluten intolerance produces are: aches and stiffness, depression and mood swings, anxiety, asthma, fatigue/tiredness, sneezing, runny eyes, runny nose, nausea, bloating, stomach cramps, sweating, sore/itchy throat, skin rashes, swollen stomach. Diagnosis can be difficult.

Excluding wheat or gluten from the diet to see if there is any improvement in health is the most effective way to diagnose an intolerance. The food item can be reintroduced after a few weeks to observe any reaction.

Gluten free grains include rice, corn, quinoa, millet and buckwheat. Spelt is an ancient strain of wheat that is often better tolerated than the modern varieties grown today.

It is estimated that there are between 6 – 15 million people who suffer from wheat intolerance in Britain (Jonathan Brostoff and Linda Gamlin, The Complete Guide to Food Allergy and Intolerance).
Gluten intolerance is different to the condition known as Coeliac’s disease (see below).

DAIRY INTOLERANCE (Cow’s Milk)
Dairy intolerance may have various causes. For some an intolerance to cow’s milk products (dairy) is caused by an inability to digest lactose. Lactose is a natural sugar which appears in milk and therefore in milk products like cheese and butter. Others may have problems with dairy because their immune systems cannot tolerate the protein in it.

Symptoms of lactose intolerance can include: hives, eczema, swollen lips, mouth, tongue, face or throat, allergic black eyes, itchy red rash, abdominal pain and bloating, diarrhoea, vomiting, gas/wind, cramps, runny nose, sneezing, watery and itchy eyes, coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.

Cottage cheese has only 2 per cent lactose and can often be better tolerated. Goat’s milk has only slightly less lactose than cow’s milk. Live yoghurt has no lactose because it has all been digested and converted into lactic acid by the enzyme lactase. This is what gives yoghurt a slightly sharp taste. Live yoghurt helps to repopulate the stomach with ‘friendly bacteria’. Butter can often be better tolerated than milk or cheese.

There are estimated to be 5.5 million people in Britain with an intolerance to cow’s milk.

ISSUES FOR PEOPLE WITH FOOD INTOLERANCES

DETOX DIETS AND WEIGHT CONTROL
Detox diets tend to recommend excluding wheat and all dairy products as part of their regime (along with sugar, caffeine, alcohol, saturated fat and salt). This is to exclude intolerances which may cause bloating and other symptoms.
Detox diets usually recommend high levels and vegetables and fruit, complex carbohydrates, pulses, nuts and seeds.
When foods which are causing intolerances are removed from the diet, you may experience ‘withdrawal symptoms’. This can result in people feeling more unwell initially. The withdrawal symptoms can include headaches and joint and muscle pain. These symptoms should disappear after a few days and at least within a week. If they persist consult a doctor or nutritional therapist (www.bant.org.uk).

Later in the detox period feelings of well-being, rapid weight loss and increased energy tend to become apparent. Even after finishing a period of detox, many people maintain features of this diet into their normal routine to maintain the weight loss and lessen the need for sugar and caffeine.
Food intolerances can cause weight gain or make it difficult to lose weight. Excluding the offending foods can contribute to weight control.

FLUCTUATING BLOOD SUGAR
Our bodies and brains need sugar to function. Refined sugar in cakes, biscuits, drinks and cereals enters the bloodstream quickly giving our bodies an instant boost. However, the body is then flooded with insulin to control sugar levels which causes a sudden drop, leaving us tired and lacking in energy. We then feel we need more sugar to give us a boost in energy and a cycle develops that leaves us with cravings for sugar and caffeine.
Complex carbohydrates (rice, millet, root vegetables, etc) give us more sustained and stable energy levels as the natural sugar they provide is released more slowly into the bloodstream.
Symptoms of low blood sugar include shakiness, weakness or dizziness, fatigue, tiredness, headaches, palpitations, cold sweats, cravings, lack of concentration, fuzzy head, depression, anxiety and extreme hunger or lack of hunger. Stress and anxiety uses up blood sugar rapidly.
It is thought that stable blood sugar levels contribute to weight control.

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY
Intolerance to specific foods can often cause depression and anxiety. Sometimes the depressive effect of a food may be accumulative rather than immediate. Sometimes the food may be eaten in moderation without causing any symptoms but accumulation intake of the food may cause onset of depression and anxiety and often also fatigue. In other people the depressive effect may be immediate. Wheat is particularly known for producing this effect.

THE EFFECT OF CAFFEINE
Many people drink tea, coffee or caffeine drinks to give them a boost, especially for a kickstart in the morning. Tea and coffee contain caffeine which behaves like a drug in the body. It kicks the adrenal glands to cause a release of blood sugar to produce energy. However, when the adrenal glands are stimulated in this way they release adrenalin and cortisone. This causes a physical reaction and uses up vitamins and minerals in the process. In the longterm, resistance to infection can be reduced.
Longterm use of caffeine, together with stress and poor nutrition, can cause the adrenal glands to become exhausted and need more stimulation to work. This sets up a craving for stimulants where caffeine is needed to function and can have harmful longterm effects.
If you stop drinking tea and coffee you may have a headache and joint pains for a few days. These are withdrawal symptoms and are signs that your body is addicted to caffeine.
Substitutes include decaffeinated drinks (although these contain chemicals) and herbal teas.

GREATER SENSITIVITY TO CHEMICALS AND PRESERVATIVES
When someone’s digestive system is not working effectively they may experience greater sensitivity to chemicals and preservatives. This may be immediate or accumulative.

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