Food intolerances seem to have become more frequent in recent years. For many of those affected by it, it is not easy to cope with everyday life. Eating at the company canteen becomes a challenge and often one is even poked fun of in this regard. For example: When someone rejects the apple strudel with vanilla sauce, since they are “allergic” to lactose, they will get weird and uncomfortable looks from others. But what many do not know is that rashes, diarrhea, stomach pain or other reactions can occur when consuming certain foods.
However, the word “allergy” is misused in this context. There is a clear difference between allergies and intolerances, which lay people are often unaware of. An allergic reaction can be fatal.
What is an allergy?
An allergy is a reaction of the body’s immune system. It is caused by an overreaction of the body by an actually harmless foreign substance (allergen), in which the body creates the so-called Immuglobin E (IgE) antibodies, which are normally mainly responsible for defending against parasites. This can lead to symptoms ranging from mild itching, burning or swelling in the mouth, to life-threatening reactions such as anaphylactic shock.
What is intolerance?
An intolerance does not involve the body’s own defense system and therefore does not lead to an immunological reaction. In the case of intolerance, the body simply does not have enough transport proteins or enzymes to break down certain food components such as fructose, lactose, histamine or gluten, or to absorb them into the body. This leads to ailments such as flatulence, diarrhea, stomach pain, etc.
At a glance: These are the most common food intolerances:
Gluten intolerance:
In the case of gluten intolerance, those affected react to the gluten protein. Gluten is found in the cereals oats, rye, wheat, barley and their hybrid varieties such as spelt, einkorn, kamut, emmer, triticale and green spelt. In contrast to a gluten allergy, gluten intolerance does not lead to the formation of antibodies in the blood or damage to the small intestine mucosa after eating gluten-containing foods. However, symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, flatulence, nausea, headache, migraine, fatigue, joint pain, muscle weakness, skin eczema and even mood swings and depressive moods can occur. Avoiding consuming gluten-containing foods can improve these symptoms.
Fructose intolerance:
An intolerance of fructose is caused by a disturbed function of the transport protein ‘GLUT 5’ in the mucous membrane of the small intestine, which leads to fructose ingested through food not being absorbed sufficiently. As a result, fructose reaches the lower sections of the intestine, where fructose degradation begins, and this leads to flatulence and diarrhea caused by intestinal bacteria.
Lactose intolerance:
Suffering from lactose intolerance means that the body is incapable of tolerating a certain amount of lactose without experiencing a variety of digestive problems. The reason for this is the lack of the lactose-cleaving enzyme ‘lactase’. In most cases, this deficiency only occurs with increasing age, as the body’s ability to produce lactase decreases. A lactase deficiency can also result from diseases of the intestinal mucosa, but this can be treated.
Histamine intolerance:
Histamine intolerance is an intolerance to histamine that is supplied through food. It is caused by a lack of the histamine-degrading ‘Diamine oxidase’ or by an imbalance between the intake and degradation of histamine. Histamine intolerance leads to pseudoallergic reactions such as itching in the throat. Histamine-rich foods are those that have matured, been stored or fermented for a long time, since histamine is usually created by bacteria that result from fermentation and maturation processes.
The 14 most important allergens
Allergies are, as already mentioned, life-threatening. The 14 most important allergens are:
- Eggs
- Peanuts
- Fish
- Gluten
- Crustaceans
- Lupins
- Cow’s milk
- Nuts
- Sulphur dioxide
- Sulphites
- Celery
- Mustard
- Sesame
- Soy
- Molluscs
