Food Allergy
Sensitivity
Vs
Allergy
Food allergies and sensitivities or intolerances (which is the same as a sensitivity) are increasingly common in people. But where do food allergies and sensitivities come from? How do we know whether our symptoms are from an allergy or sensitivity? What’s the difference between being allergic to a food and being sensitive or intolerant to it?
It’s unclear exactly where food allergies come from, research shows that they could partly be genetic (inherited in the genes you’re born with). Gut microbiota may also influence your chance of developing food allergies.
It's easy to confuse a food allergy with a much more common reaction known as a food sensitivity. While bothersome, a food sensitivity is a less serious condition that does not involve the immune system. The difference between a food allergy and sensitivity is how your body responds. If you have an allergic reaction, the production of IgE antibodies is triggered by a protein in the offending food, your immune system causes a reaction that can include hives, swelling, itching, anaphylaxis, and dizziness.
Any food can cause an allergic response, most reactions can be mild, some can be life-threatening and require emergency treatment or hospitalization. Unfortunately, there is no cure for food allergies, but reactions can be prevented. In an allergic reaction, the production of IgE antibodies is triggered by a protein in the offending food.
When you have a food sensitivity or intolerance, it means your gut is sensitive to certain foods and has a hard time digesting (breaking them down). When you eat these foods, you may experience unwanted symptoms like bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, cramping, abdominal pain and nausea. A food sensitivity is inconvenient but normally not life-threatening.
Food Sensitivity
Did You Know You Could HAve sensitivities To ALL of These?
What's Lurking in Your Home?
When a vacuum cleaner
loses suction it leaves dust
and allergens in your home.
Dead human skin cells. Dust mites and their faeces,
pollen, pet dander, mold and bacteria. Lurking inside
house dust is a cocktail of these unpleasant, microscopic
particles - otherwise known as allergens.
Do You Suffer From
Environmental Sensitivities?
Headaches, wheezing, skin flushing, and blurred vision— are just some of the symptoms you may with an environmental sensitivity may experience.
Triggered by something as common as vehicle exhaust fumes wafting through the car window in rush hour traffic, these symptoms may take hours or even days to subside.
For the approximately 1 million people diagnosed with environmental sensitivities, symptoms range from mild to disabling.
Foods & Food Additives
Sensitivities
Some of the immediate effects of chemicals and additives in your food may cause headaches or alter your energy level, or they may affect your mental concentration, behavior, or immune response. Avoiding toxins in your diet is an important initial step toward enhancing your health and lowering your risk of disease.
