A food intolerance is a digestive system response. It is not an immune system response. It occurs when something in a food irritates a person's digestive system or when a person is unable to properly digest or breakdown the food.
What are some food intolerance symptoms?
Symptoms of food intolerance include:
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
- Gas, cramps, or bloating
- Vomiting
- Heartburn
- Diarrhea
- Headaches
- Irritability or nervousness
- Itching skin
- mild diarhea
- stiff joints
- backache
- tiredness
- mouth ulcers
Bad reactions to foods can take up to 48 hours to appear after eating. So it is difficult to make a connection between the symptom and the food which caused it. Most people keep buying symptom relief (over-the-counter medications) for years without ever realising they have food intolerance.
Food intolerances are genetic
Food sensitivity is built into your genes, therefore it 'runs in the family'. You got it from your parents and grandparents. In turn - if you have children - you have already passed it on to them. Celiac Disease (or Gluten sensitivity) for instance occurs in 10% of all first degree relatives of Celiacs - sisters, brothers, parents and children. The same food sensitivities can appear within the same family - but with entirely different symptoms.
