Read 164 times since Thursday, September 15, 2011
Mainstream attention around food intolerance is very small compared to other reaction issues like food allergies, however the results of intolerance can actually be very damaging to a person's everyday well-being. Symptoms such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), restless leg syndrome (RLS), constant runny nose, bloating, fatigue, migraines, eczema, and fluid retention, can all be aggravated or brought about due to a reaction to what you eat.
To help give you a better idea about food intolerance the following are 10 facts which you may have not realised:
1) Over 50% of people that are intolerant to food actually crave the foods that their body reacts to
2) 45% of people suffer from symptoms of food intolerance and said to be growing
3) As humans, we all have a unique biochemistry and genetic make-up. Cow's milk, nuts and yeast may be responsible for one person's eczema but safe for another
4) The average number of food types that a person can react to is six and it is almost impossible to identify the exact combination without a test.
5) Intolerance is not the same as food allergy. A food allergy is the result of the body's immune system having an adverse reaction to specific proteins whereas intolerance is a reaction to a food group or ingredient that is brought on every time it is consumed.
6) The delay between eating a trigger food and experiencing symptoms is roughly 2-3 days, however it can be as long as 7 days
7) If you are intolerant to chicken you may also react strongly to house dust - as they contain the same protein (tropomyosin).
8) If you react to latex then it is likely you will also react to bananas, kiwi fruit and birch pollen.
9) 10% of people that suffer with intolerance have adverse reactions to kiwi fruit! So it's not just unhealthy foods that our body dislikes!
10) Nine times out of ten it is often hidden ingredients within foods that can be the cause of your symptoms.
So there are your top 10 facts. If you feel that you may be intolerant or have suffered persistent symptoms like the ones mentioned previously then it is worth getting yourself tested. To determine if you're a sufferer take an IgG test. These tests measure food-specific IgG antibodies which help to identify foods that your body may be reacting to. Once results are given by reducing the consumption of the problematic foods you can begin to lessen the symptoms that it contributes to. Dr. Gillian Hart is a Scientific Director for YorkTest Laboratories who specialise in food intolerance testing and allergy testing. For more information visit YorkTest.com or call 0800 074 6185.
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