Did you know? In the past 10 years, the number of Thai people with allergies has increased 3-4 times. Allergies have become one of the most popular diseases today. It’s not just allergies to the air, dust, or animal fur that affect the skin and respiratory system, which we are well familiar with, but allergies here also include food allergies that can be life-threatening.
Food Allergy vs. Food Intolerance: What’s the Difference?
- Food Allergy (Food Allergy) mostly shows acute symptoms that may occur immediately or within 2-4 hours after exposure to the allergenic compound. When we eat a certain food, the body’s immune system reacts against it in the form of hives, swelling around the eyes or mouth, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, which can lead to unconsciousness and can be life-threatening.
- Food Intolerance (Food Intolerance) usually does not show symptoms immediately but appears when consuming a large amount or frequently eating that food. Most symptoms occur at least 48 hours after eating and are not severe but cause mild discomfort, so many people do not realize they are intolerant to that food.
What Causes Food Intolerance?
Mainly, it is caused by the body lacking the enzyme to digest that type of food, leading to incomplete digestion and poor absorption. Food molecules can leak into the bloodstream, causing the body to react by producing Immunoglobulin G (IgG) against that food. This is similar to Leaky Gut Syndrome, where the food we eat reacts with the intestines, causing inflammation of the intestinal lining cells. Toxins and molecules can then leak into the bloodstream, causing gradual inflammation before symptoms appear. Simply put, food intolerance may cause Leaky Gut Syndrome, and conversely, Leaky Gut Syndrome can cause food intolerance.
How Does Food Intolerance Affect the Body?
- Chronic headaches, migraines
- Attention deficit disorder
- Chronic nasal congestion, runny nose
- Chronic unexplained hives
- Chronic acne
- Diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease)
- Constipation, bloating
- Easily gaining weight
- Muscle pain
- Triggers autoimmune diseases (SLE)
- Triggers rheumatoid arthritis
No Medication Needed, But Food Intolerance Can Be Treated by Adjusting Diet
Treating food intolerance does not require antihistamines. Simply avoiding the allergenic food for about 6 months can allow you to eat that food again without adverse effects. However, if you repeatedly eat or consume too much of that food, the body may react again, causing food intolerance to return.
Food Intolerance Can Be Diagnosed with a Simple Blood Test
If you want to know if you have food intolerance, you can easily find out by a blood test sent to a laboratory to check reactions to various foods using Immunoglobulin G 4. Just dress and go to the hospital, no need to fast, have your blood drawn, and wait about 1 week for results. You will know which foods your body does not tolerate. One test can check over 200 types of food. Even if you don’t have allergies, you can still get tested. It’s especially recommended for those who want to take a deeper look at their health.
See details Food Intolerance Test Package for more information.