Food intolerance is a common condition that can be congenital or acquired. This pathology provokes a violation of metabolic processes in the body. As a result, a person becomes overweight and has many chronic diseases. To cope with the problem, you must consult a doctor promptly and undergo an examination.
This term is understood as a negative response of the body to the use of certain foods, resulting in difficulties with their digestion. This condition is more dangerous than allergies.
Most often, people are faced with intolerance to dairy products, cereals, mushrooms, and strawberries. Many are unaware of this violation since negative reactions occur only after a few days.
If the use of any product leads to a violation of the state of health, this is not evidence of an allergy or poisoning. Often the cause lies in food intolerance.
Quite often, people mistake this condition for a food allergy. However, these violations have key differences. Typical symptoms characterize allergies. This disease manifests in rashes, swelling, and reactions of the digestive or respiratory organs.
Food intolerance has more diverse symptoms. These include the appearance of excess weight, general weakness, and bumps on the skin. There is also a risk of kidney stones and feeling tired.
Food intolerance is often asymptomatic. In this case, the only manifestation of the disease is considered to be a deterioration in well-being.
Causes of food intolerance
The development of pathology may be the result of genetic mutations. Hereditary diseases such as lactose intolerance or celiac disease also lead to it. In such a situation, it is recommended to permanently remove the problematic product from your diet so as not to provoke negative consequences.
However, much more often, an imbalance of microflora, a decrease in acidity parameters, and stagnation of bile lead to the causes of food intolerance. Digestive disorders cause difficulties with the breakdown of large protein molecules. They irritate the intestinal walls, making them more porous.
Through damaged intestinal walls, uncleaved molecules enter the circulatory system. When confronted with them, the immune system cells begin to synthesize antibodies, provoking chronic inflammation. It causes various manifestations and leads to chronic pathologies.
Negative reactions to foods may be due to an imbalance in the intestinal microflora. High-fiber foods are prohibited for people with an excess amount of bacteria in their intestines. Microorganisms cause increased fermentation.
Causes of food intolerance include the following:
- Insufficiency of digestive enzymes and pathology of the gastrointestinal tract;
- Toxic properties of the product or its components – dyes or preservatives;
- Eating food that provokes the release of histamine – it includes peanuts, cocoa, fish, seafood, etc .;
- Eating foods that contain a lot of histamines – this category includes eggplant, hard cheeses, red wine, bananas, beer;
- The use of drugs that inhibit enzymes that destroy histamine;
- Psychogenic nature of food intolerance.
Symptoms of food intolerance
The clinical picture of pathology is considered to be very diverse. Symptoms of food intolerance are often not obvious and manifest as a violation of the digestive organs.
The key signs of the disease include the following:
- Violations in the work of the intestine – manifested in the form of flatulence, constipation, diarrhea;
- Heartburn – damage to the mucous membranes of the esophagus is due to the inability of the body to absorb problem foods;
- Uncontrolled appetite – even a small amount of a product that causes intolerance causes the synthesis of antibodies. The body produces an excess of these substances. This is what causes a loss of control over appetite;
- Headaches – this symptom is due to problems with the absorption of foods that include lactose, gluten, and sugar;
- Fatigue – this symptom is associated with inflammation caused by the use of unwanted foods;
- Pain in the joints – due to intolerance to dairy products. Soy and gluten also sometimes lead to them. Discomfort is associated with inflammation in the body;
- Acne and other dermatological pathologies – such symptoms result from the body’s reaction to eating problem foods.
Other likely symptoms include itching the skin, the appearance of edema of the mucous membranes, and a decrease in blood pressure parameters. Sometimes there is nausea and vomiting. There is also a risk of discomfort in the oral cavity.
Foods that cause food intolerance
The most common foods that cause food intolerance are:
- Cereals containing gluten. These include rye, wheat, and barley. Gluten is a protein often referred to as gluten. An intolerance to this substance is called celiac disease.
- Vegetables from the nightshade family. These include potatoes, eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes. These foods include alkaloids that can cause inflammation. Also, these plants include a lot of lectins – highly toxic proteins.
- Legumes. The cause of intolerance can be lentils, beans, and chickpeas. They contain many lectins, which are difficult for some people to digest. However, the most common cause of problems is peanuts, which are legumes. Soy products also lead to intolerance.
- Eggs. The yolk contains many useful elements, while the protein often causes intolerance and inflammation.
- Dairy. They contain casein, which often causes high sensitivity. Cows are also often fed hormones and antibiotics. Synthetic vitamins are added to milk to replenish nutrients. All these components provoke intolerance. At the same time, fermented foods are better tolerated. Therefore, people sensitive to milk are advised to use yogurt or kefir.
- Nuts and seeds. They contain many lectins. In addition, many nuts are coated with rapeseed or soybean oil. These substances include partially hydrogenated trans fats. They negatively affect the work of the digestive organs.
Diagnosis of food intolerance
If such pathology is congenital, a food intolerance test can be done. In practice, keeping a food diary has proved to be excellent.
It is also recommended to follow an elimination diet. At the same time, for 3-8 weeks, it is worth excluding foods with large protein molecules – soy, eggs, nuts, cereals, and milk. After completing this period, each group should be gradually introduced, and the body’s reactions monitored.
If within three days there are no unpleasant signs in the form of discomfort when digesting food, impaired consciousness, or headaches, the product can be returned to the diet.
Food intolerance test
There are many food intolerance tests available – notably Immuno Health and Imupro. They aim to study the reaction of special antibodies – class G immunoglobulins.
According to the results of food intolerance analysis studies, it is possible to obtain three lists of products:
- Green – it contains food that you can eat;
- Red – this list includes prohibited products;
- Yellow – there are undesirable products on the list.
Food from the red and partially from the yellow list provokes negative reactions in the body and discomfort after eating. These foods cause headaches, increased drowsiness, skin rashes, excess weight, and severe fatigue.
Treatment of food intolerance
The elimination diet is the main treatment for food intolerance. It consists of the rejection of harmful products. If there is no improvement after 6-8 weeks of such nutrition, an elemental diet is required.
Often, intolerance is not associated with the characteristics of the human body but is provoked by pathologies of the stomach, intestines, and pancreas. In such a situation, it is worth conducting a thorough examination of the digestive organs. Keeping a food diary and noting negative reactions to foods is also recommended.
Prevention of food intolerance
To avoid the development of food intolerance, you should adhere to the following preventive recommendations:
- Eat right during pregnancy and lactation. During these periods, a woman should follow a balanced diet. At the same time, modern rules do not recommend excluding allergenic products;
- Provide the child with proper nutrition in infancy. During the first four months, the baby should be breastfed. If this is not possible, it may be necessary to use protein hydrolysates. At 4-6 months of life, complementary foods should be introduced.
Food intolerance is a common pathology that often causes unpleasant symptoms. This violation provokes discomfort in the digestive organs, headaches, and fatigue. To cope with the violation, you must consult a doctor promptly and undergo a detailed examination.
