Food Allergy, Intolerance and Sensitivity
What is the Difference Between Immune Responses to Food?
Mar 9, 2009
According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, approximately 12 million Americans suffer from food allergy, with 6.9 million allergic to seafood and 3.3 million allergic to peanuts or tree nuts.
In fact, the problem of food allergies is growing. Food allergy among children under the age of 18 increased 18% percent from 1997 to 2007. Peanut allergy among young children doubled between 1997 and 2002.
There are eight foods that account for 90% of the allergic reactions and food intolerance responses:
- cow's milk
- eggs
- peanuts
- tree nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, pecans, etc.)
- wheat
- soy
- fish
- shellfish
Other common foods that cause immune responses such as food intolerance and food sensitivities are yeast and corn.
What is a Food Allergy?
People with food allergies have an allergic reaction when they come in contact with certain foods. Technically, an “allergy” is defined by a histamine response within the body, overreacting to the protein in the food as a foreign agent that needs to be purged. An anti-histamine medication can often stop an allergic response if it is not too severe.
Twelve million people in the United States have food allergies. This is the most serious of food responses, and can result in anaphylaxis. People with severe food allergies are advised to carry epinephrine (adrenaline) injectors in the event of contact with their allergen, and must practice strict avoidance. It is estimated that more than 150 people die annually in the US from anaphylaxis to food.
What is Food Intolerance?
People with food intolerance usually lack the proper enzymes to digest certain foods. The most common form of this is lactose intolerance – 3 out of 4 people are unable to digest the sugar found in dairy products. For the lactose-intolerant, there are lactose-free products, and pills that can be taken to supply the missing enzymes and aid in proper digestion.
For those who are intolerant to other kinds of sugars or proteins, dietary avoidance is often the best or only practice.
What is a Food Sensitivity?
Those with Food Sensitivities demonstrate some kind of negative response to ingesting certain kinds of foods. Because there is no histamine response, it is not technically an allergy. Because enzymes are in the body, it is not technically intolerance. That notwithstanding, those suffering from food sensitivities often suffer from auto-immune responses upon eating their problem foods.
The most severe form of food sensitivity is celiac disease, a sensitivity to gluten – a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, millet, spelt and oats. For 1 person in 7 in the US, gluten clogs the receptors in the villi in the small intestine of those suffering from Celiac disease, reducing their nutritional intake and resulting in a wide variety of symptoms – from sleepiness to weight loss, irritability to irritable bowel syndrome. Like food allergy and food intolerance, those who are sensitive to certain foods often must avoid eating them entirely.
How to Prevent Immune Responses to Food
There is no cure for food allergy, food intolerance and food sensitivity. Often, the only treatment is strict avoidance of the problem foods. For this reason, preventing the occurrence of food intolerance is necessary. Most food sensitivities, intolerance and allergies are hereditary. If the parents must avoid a certain kind of food, it is more likely that their offspring will as well.
- Everything in moderation. Try to vary the diet as much as possible, and avoid eating the same things over and over again.
- Avoid overly-processed foods and fast food. Try to choose foods that list ingredients in plain language – look for ingredients you would find in your own kitchen. (e.g. not many cooks have a canister of monosodium glutamate or hydrolyzed vegetable protein in their cupboards)
See Also: How to Conduct Food Allergy Tests
