Food Intolerance
Food intolerance is an adverse reaction to foods each time they are eaten. The body needs lots of different enzymes and chemicals to digest food and, often in food intolerances, these enzymes either are not present or present in very low levels.
The important thing to remember is that food intolerances are not life threatening but they can make your life a misery, causing symptoms like nausea, bloating, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, which can begin hours or days after eating or drinking the food in question.
Examples of food intolerances are:
- Bloating and diarrhoea due to an intolerance to cow’s milk caused by lack of the small intestine enzyme lactase – lactase breaks down the sugar in milk so that it can be absorbed into the body. Lactose intolerance can cause symptoms very similar to irritable bowel syndrome. About 10-15% of Western Europeans are affected, as are up to 70% of Asian and Africans
- Feeling very unwell after drinking alcohol due to a lack of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase – this enzyme carries out the first step in the breakdown of alcohol by the liver. Symptoms can range from intense flushing of the skin, nausea, palpitations, headache and faintness. Up to 50% of Asians are affected.
People with food problems often complain of being tired all the time, have aches and discomfort in their muscles and joints, skin itches and feeling “fuggy” in the brain. It is estimated that up to 45% of the population could be affected by food intolerances, so, if you have unexplained symptoms, it’s worth getting tested to see if you have intolerance problems.
Anne can offer same-day testing for a range of different foods which might be causing you problems and she can offer you full dietary advice about how to avoid these foods, as well as to find alternatives for them. Food intolerances for which you can be tested include:
| Cereals and legumes | Animal and sea foods | Vegetables | Fruits | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oats | Cows milk | Brocolli | Grapefruit | Gluten and yeast |
| Wheat | Whole egg | Carrot & leek | Apple | Tea |
| Gluten | Chicken & lamb | Potato & celery | Orange | Brazil & walnuts |
| Corn | Beef & pork | Cucumbers | Lemon | Almond & cashew |
| Rye | Tuna | Cabbage | Melon mix | Ginger |
| Durum Wheat | Shellfish | Garlic | Blackcurrant | Cocoa bean |
| Soya bean | White fish mix | Peppers | Strawberry | Olive |
| Legume mix | Freshwater fish mix | Mushroom | Tomato | Peanut |