Food Allergy or Food Intolerance?

Although many people have adverse reactions to certain foods, most are caused by a food intolerance and not a food allergy. 

A food allergy is an immune system response.  Food allergy happens when the body mistakes a particular food item, usually a protein, for an invading parasite. The most common food allergies are peanuts, tree nuts (such as walnuts, cashews and almonds), fish and shellfish, milk, eggs, soy and wheat. If you have a true food allergy, within minutes you may experience breathing problems, hives, swelling, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, stomach pain and more.

Food intolerance is different from food allergy in that it does not involve an immune reaction. One common type of food intolerance is lactose intolerance, or a problem with dairy products. People with this intolerance can develop gas, bloating and abdominal pain when they consume milk products.

Unlike a food allergy, a food intolerance generally doesn’t involve the immune system.  If you have a food intolerance, you can probably eat small amounts of the food without a reaction. By contrast, if you have a food allergy, eating even the tiniest amount of the food may trigger a serious allergic reaction.

The best way to determine whether you have a true allergy or not is to be evaluated by an allergist who may have you keep a food diary, try an elimination diet, or test by skin prick or blood sample.

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