Food intolerance: what it is, symptoms, causes and treatment

Food intolerance is when the body cannot properly digest some foods, which can happen due to the absence or lower quantity of digestive enzymes in the body. This causes some symptoms to appear after consuming the food associated with the intolerance, such as intestinal changes, abdominal bloating, headache and spots on the skin, in some cases.

Symptoms of food intolerance usually appear after consuming large quantities of a certain food, and can occur after consuming any food, however it is more associated with milk and dairy products and wheat.

It is important that the food responsible for the food intolerance is identified, as this means it can be avoided or consumed in smaller quantities. One way to identify which food is responsible for the symptoms of intolerance is by keeping a food diary, in which you must write down in a notebook everything that was consumed during the day, the time, quantity and whether you felt anything afterwards. that meal. See how to keep a food diary.

Symptoms of food intolerance

The main symptoms of food intolerance are:

• Headache;
• Excessive tiredness;
• Nausea and vomiting, in some cases;
• Dor abdominal;
• Swollen belly, which may be due to the accumulation of gases;
• Urgent urge to defecate, which may be associated with diarrhea;
• Burning sensation in the stomach;
• Redness and itching of the skin;
• Muscle pain;
• Joint pain.

Symptoms of food intolerance may appear a few minutes after consuming the food, especially when it is consumed in large quantities, which also makes the symptoms more intense.

In the presence of signs and symptoms of food intolerance, it is important to pay more attention to the foods consumed throughout the day, as this makes it possible to identify which foods are associated with intolerance and avoid consuming them in large quantities.

What is the difference between allergy and food intolerance?

Despite having similar symptoms, allergy and food intolerance are different situations. Food allergy is an exaggerated response by the body to a certain substance present in food, leading to the appearance of immediate signs and symptoms that mainly affect the skin and mucous membranes. Understand better what a food allergy is.

On the other hand, food intolerance is a situation in which the person does not have enough digestive enzymes, so that digestion is more complicated, which leads to the appearance of signs and symptoms as the food is processed and which can be noticed all over the body.

Main causes

Food intolerance is associated with the body’s difficulty in processing some substances present in food, the main ones being:

• Lactosepresent in milk and dairy products;
• Glutenpresent in wheat, rye and barley;
• Histaminewhich can be found in sausages, such as ham and salami, or even in dried or preserved fish, wines, beer, vinegar and cheeses;
• Sucrose and starchwhich can be found in potatoes, cassava, rice, oats, pasta and wheat;
• Fructosepresent in fruits in general, grains and cereals;
• Bretonspresent in wheat, rye, barley, cabbage, watermelon, apples and leeks;
• Rafinosepresent in rice, oats, almonds, hazelnuts, onions, carrots, cabbage, beans and nuts.

As food intolerance can be triggered by various foods, it is important to be aware of what you eat and whether or not signs or symptoms develop.

How the diagnosis is made

The diagnosis of food intolerance must be made by a gastroenterologist, who initially evaluates the signs and symptoms presented by the person and then indicates the best test to be carried out in order to identify the food responsible for the intolerance.

Therefore, the doctor may recommend a respiratory test, especially in cases of suspected intolerance to lactose, fructan, sucrose and starch, or a biopsy of the duodenal mucosa, which is normally indicated in cases of suspected intolerance to gluten, sucrose and starch. .

Furthermore, in some cases, the doctor may perform a provocation test, which consists of eating the food to which an intolerance is suspected and then observing whether any symptoms appear.

Treatment for food intolerance

The treatment of food intolerance consists of avoiding the consumption of the food associated with the symptoms. It is also important to observe whether foods that contain traces of the food responsible for the intolerance also lead to the appearance of symptoms, because if they are present, they must also be avoided.

Furthermore, depending on the type of intolerance, the doctor may recommend the use of medications, which are basically digestive enzymes recommended when the person is going to eat a meal that contains the food associated with the intolerance. For example, when you want to eat a cake, for example, the doctor may recommend the use of the lactase enzyme before consuming it, as this will help the digestion of this food and prevent the appearance of symptoms.

It is also recommended that a nutritionist be consulted so that a dietary plan can be indicated according to the person’s nutritional needs and without the foods that cause symptoms. One option that may be recommended is the FODMAP diet, which aims to remove foods from daily life that are slower to digest and that favor symptoms. See how to follow the FODMAP diet.