Food Intolerance

It is quite common for people to be intolerant to different foods without realizing it.  The difference between food intolerances and food allergies is related to the timescale and variability of the two conditions.  It is more common for people to become intolerant to certain foods rather than develop allergies against them.  The symptoms of food intolerance are often vague but can include bloating, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, or abdominal pain.

If you are intolerant to different foods that you will probably show your symptoms within hours and sometimes days of eating the food.  People often go through different stages where they are in positions to tolerate the intolerance repeatedly.  Allergic symptoms on the other hand, will usually develop their symptoms very fast and rapidly within hours of exposure.  The occurrence will take place every time the person is exposed to the food that they are allergic too.

A good way to try and food out any foods that you may be intolerant to is to maintain a proper food diary.  By slowly eliminating different foods from your diet, you can work to identify different foods that may cause you intolerance.  When you have weeks of data of the different foods that you eat, you can then look for different patterns that can emerge as a result of any intolerance you may have.

When you eliminate a food that you think you may be intolerant to, you will usually show signs of improvement.  You should always try reintroducing the food back into your system and see if the symptoms show themselves again.  Once you have identified foods that you may be intolerant to, you can work to try and replace them with other foods that will provide you the necessary nutrients.

A very common food intolerance that people often have is lactose intolerance.  If you are lactose intolerant it means that you body has an inability to process and digest lactose.  This intolerance exists because of the lack of enzymes that are present in your body to break down the lactose.  As a result of this intolerance, the indigested lactose will usually accumulate and start abdominal pain, diarrhea and bloating.

Lactose intolerance symptoms are usually very easy to eliminate because all you have to do is start drinking lactose free milk.  There are also pills you can take that will give your body the enzyme that is necessary to break down the lactose.

If you think you suffer from food intolerance, then you should try and take the steps necessary to reduce them.  Create a food diary and start eliminating different foods from your diet to ensure that you find which foods you are intolerant to.