The 3 most common food intolerances revealed – and how to tell if you’re a victim
MOST of us would know to recognise the symptoms of a food allergy, which include itchy skin, wheezing or your lips, face and eyes swelling up.
But spotting a food intolerance can be a little harder.
While food allergies trigger a response from your immune system, intolerances stem from your digestive system.
If you’re intolerant to certain foods, it basically means you have difficulty digesting them or certain ingredients in them, making you feel unwell.
Symptoms will often come into effect a few hours after you’ve eaten whatever doesn’t agree with you, NHS guidance states.
You might experience some digestive issues, such as farting, bloating, tummy pain, nausea, diarrhoea, and constipation.
But other possible sings include having a headache, feeling tired or sick, and having joint pain or rashes.
According to personalised nutrition platform ZOE, there are three main culprits that it’s most common for people to be intolerant to.
1. Dairy
The first on the list might cause dismay to cheese and ice-cream lovers out there.
Citing a recent study, registered dietitian Natalie Rizzo said a whopping 65 per cent of people are intolerant to lactose, which is a sugar found in human and animal milk.
As we get older, many of us will stop producing enough of the hormone that allows us to digest milk products.
You’ll know you have a lactose intolerance if you get gas, bloating or diarrhoea after having milk or indulging in yoghurt, cheese or ice-cream.
Levels of tolerance vary from person to person, Natalie said, so for example you might be able to eat yoghurt without experiencing discomfort.
2. High FODMAP foods
This might sound a little jargony, but FODMAP is a familiar acronym to anyone who suffers from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
It stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols, and these are foods that contain what are known as short-chain carbohydrates, which some people find difficult to digest.
Those with IBS or small intestinal bacteria overgrowth (SIBO) can basically feel farty, bloated and uncomfortable when they eat these kinds of carbs.
ZOE provided a breakdown of some high FODMAP foods:
- Grains: wheat, rye, and barley-based breads, breakfast cereals, biscuits
- Vegetables: onion, garlic, artichokes, asparagus, cauliflower, green peas, mushrooms, and sugar snap peas
- Fruit: watermelon, peaches, nectarines, apples, pears, mango, cherries, and dried fruit
- Most pulses and legumes: this includes beans, peas and lentils
- Dairy products: cow’s milk, yogurt, ice cream, evaporated milk, custard, condensed milk, and soy milk
- Sugars and sweeteners: honey, corn syrup, and sugar-free treats
- Nuts and seeds: cashews and pistachios
Natalie said some people might mistake a FODMAP issue with a gluten intolerance.
Pay attention to whether you only get digestive issues if you eat wheat, but are fine having rye and barley.
Again, tolerance will vary and you might be perfectly OK to eat some of these foods.
3. Foods high in histadine
Histamine is involved in lots of our bodily functions but some might not have enough of an enzyme called diamine oxidase to metabolise it in their gut, Natalie said.
Microbes in your gut produce histamine after breaking down foods that contain histadine.
Examples include:
- fish and shellfish
- fermented foods, including alcohol and vinegar
- spinach
- eggplants
- tomatoes
- avocados
If you have a histamine intolerance, you might experience the same digestive side effects mentioned earlier.
But can also get symptoms similar to a food allergy, such as a runny nose, hives, or a rapid heart rate after eating, according to Natalie.
How can I identify a food intolerance?
The best way to check if you’re intolerant to certain foods is to keep an eye on how your body reacts to them.
If you notice you feel gassy, sleepy or even get a runny nose, make a point of monitoring your reaction if you eat the food again.
In these instances, it could be helpful to keep a food diary.
According to Natalie, there isn’t a simple test that can pinpoint an intolerance but you can try an elimination diet.
This involves temporarily giving up the food or foods that are likely causing trouble and seeing if your symptoms go away.
But she advised doing this with the help of a GP or dietitian, not on your own.
If you suspect your child has a food intolerance, it’s important not to cut foods out of their diet without speaking to GP or nutritionist.
This is because you or your child could miss out on certain vitamins and minerals that are vital to their growth and development, NHS guidance notes.
Can I get rid of food intolerance?
According to Natalie, you can overcome a food intolerance by eliminating the trigger food, then gradually reintroducing small amounts of it into your diet.
She added that eating a diverse array of plant foods can help heal your gut, and this may help with a food intolerance.