What are Food Allergies and Intolerances?

There are two main types of immune system responses to food. These immune responses occur when your body mistakes a component of food, usually a protein, as harmful, and your immune system responds by forming antibodies to fight what it perceives as a foreign invader. The symptoms you experience from a food allergy or immune reaction intolerance occur when your immune system mounts a response against the “invading” food component.

The most commonly tested immune response to food is an immediate reaction caused by a specific type of antibody called IgE. Immediate reaction or IgE allergies are most commonly caused by peanuts, fish, shellfish, milk, eggs, soy, wheat and tree nuts such as walnuts, pecans, almonds. Symptoms of an IgE reaction can be mild to life threatening, including skin rash, nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea, itchy skin, shortness of breath, chest pain, difficulty breathing and anaphylaxis.

The second type of immune response, caused by IgG antibodies is commonly called food intolerance. Symptoms of immune reaction food intolerance are often considered delayed and can occur anywhere from 1-72 hours after eating the offending food. Symptoms can include skin rash, diarrhea, constipation, gas and bloating, acid reflux, nausea, insomnia, headaches, irritability, nervousness, anxiety, chronic ear infections, asthma, and arthritis.

The two immune system responses described above are internal processes; they occur after food is broken down and absorbed into your bloodstream through your intestinal lining. The term “food intolerance” is often also used to describe external reactions that occur within your digestive tract alone, before the broken down components are absorbed. This type of external food intolerance occurs when a food either causes irritation to your digestive lining or you are unable to break the food down properly due to a lack of digestive enzymes. The most common example of this type of reaction is lactose intolerance, where an individual does not have sufficient lactase, the enzyme which breaks down lactose, the sugar present in dairy product. Lactose intolerance classically causes gas, bloating, and changes in bowel movements, such as diarrhea or constipation.

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